How many times a day do we have to say "A plague on both your houses"? First Saddam vows to "crush the heads" of Kurds testifying about his genocidal 1988 "Anfal" campaign. Then the judge in the case, Adullah al-Almiri, responds by re-assuring him that he was "not a dictator," which makes about as much sense as saying he didn't have a moustache. Not to be outdone in cynicism, Prime Minister al-Maliki promptly responds by having Justice al-Almiri summarily removed in dictatorial manner—thereby further compromising the case against the ex-dictator. And one of the charges against Saddam concerns lack of judicial independence under his regime! It seems Iraq's new bosses are starting to emulate their own much-demonized ousted tyrant.

Note that even as he asks Congress to legalize torture, Bush plans to hawk what he calls his "freedom agenda" before the UN next week. The obligatory Orwell reference here would seem almost superfluous. We hope. Sarah Ferguson writes for the Village Voice, Sept. 15:

Bush Bash Is On: Cops Give Go-Ahead to U.N. Protest March
Looks like anti-war activists will get to be within shouting distance of President Bush when he delivers his speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

Far from pursuing ultra-ambitious neocon agendas to dismantle Iraq, Washington appears terrified of a unified Iraqi state under at least some degree of US control breaking down, and sparking a crisis that could engulf the entire Middle East. On Sept. 5, the US harshly criticized the decree by Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq's northern Kurdish region, banning the Iraqi national flag. "Unilateral steps by regions or parties on this issue are inappropriate and do not have the support of the United States," envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said, adding Washington was committed to "Iraq's unity and territorial integrity".

What a revealing piece of propaganda this is. British forces abandon Camp Abu Naji at Amarah, in southern Iraq, and not only Moktada al-Sadr but also the official Maysan provinical authorites proclaim it as a victory against the occupier. The British commander Maj. Charlie Burbridge asserts Iraqi army forces maintained "full control" of the base—even as it was being sacked by looters armed with AK-47s! Burbridge crows about how disciplined the Iraqi army maintaining (precarious) control of the base is—while a local brigade mutinies, and is apparently well-infiltrated by the Sadr forces! The British forces are evacuating the Amarah base to carry out "guerilla tactics" in the marshlands—an implicit acknowledgement that the insurgents are in control there! Finally, note that even the pacifistic Sufis have declared a jihad against the Anglo-American occupation (and the fundamentalist Shi'ites like al-Sadr who would like to exterminate them). From the Washington Post, Aug. 26 (emphasis added):

The trial of Saddam Hussein is once again in the headlines. The first case against him, concerning the 1982 mass arrests and killing of Shi'ites at the town of Dujail, has been concluded. Presiding Judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman charged Saddam with the deaths of nine villagers, torture of women and children, ordering the razing of farmlands and arresting nearly 400 Dujail residents. He was not charged in connection with the deaths of 148 people who were executed after being found guilty by Saddam's Revolutionary Court for their involvement in an assassination attempt against him. (Jurist, May 15) Now the second phase opens, concerning the far more horrific attacks on the Kurds in the 1987-8 "Anfal" campaign. Saddam could continue to be tried posthumously if he is found guilty and sentenced to death on the Dujail charges, in which a verdict is expected in October. If a death sentence is upheld on appeal, it must be carried out within 30 days, and this could occur before the second trial is concluded. (Jurist, Aug. 19)

From the Washington Post, Aug. 21:.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Sunni Arab insurgents armed with rifles and mortar shells killed 20 pilgrims and wounded 300 others who thronged the capital Sunday for one of Shiite Islam's most important holidays, authorities said.

The parade of denial goes on. US Central Command chief Gen. Abizaid makes headlines by speaking the obvious—his dramatic understatement treated like a splash of cold water, so deep is the degree of self-delusion:

"I believe that the sectarian violence is probably as bad as I've seen it, in Baghdad in particular, and that if not stopped, it is possible that Iraq could move towards civil war," Abizaid told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday.

This Aug. 7 clip from the London-based Arabic daily al-Hayat was sent by our correspondent Gilbert Achcar, who writes: "There is little chance that you could find something like the news below reported in any language but Arabic. I couldn't resist sharing it with you, and translated it therefore. It needs no comment!"