I was listening this morning to the Today programme and Adam Ingram, a defence minister was justifying the use of cluster bombs in close proximity to Iraqi civilian buildings. His justification was that British lives would be saved. This makes a British life worth more than an Iraqi, something that in terms of racism we have been trying to deny for decades. The possibility of a British death cannot justify the use of airborne mines in civilian areas. Cluster bombs are just another type of mine, one that is deployed in a different manner, when they fail to explode they become mines. The UK government is a signatory to the anti mines agreement and thus should take a lead and outlaw the use of these weapons anywhere near civilian areas, probably anywhere infact. Audio clips from Today on cluster bombs and the elusive WMDs and their 45 minute activation. We were misled and the government used weapons they said they would not. I'm glad to hear the Today programme not letting these stories drop off the agenda. The cluster bomb story from the BBC news website.
Iraq war: May 2003 Archives
Salam is back, he has written a lot of stuff on his weblog, dear read. Entries dating back to when the network disappeared in Baghdad. He covers what baghdad is like right now; the markets and what they trade in; the lack of communications; the tracking of civilian casualties; the lack of american preparations for the rebuilding, accusing them of "trial and error" strategy. He started on the 7th of May again, emailing a long document to a friend of his Diana, to post on blogger.
Best read in reverse order, start here. A quick summary, Whilst Baghdad was being bombed day and night, Salam kept a diary of his reaction, it is compelling reading. He makes the experience of being bombed quite vivid, you can picture the fear and noise of war. Gradually everyone ends up living in "Hotel Pax". Their house nearly gets shelled, after snipers setup in the area. He talks disconsolately about the looting, both of the shops and the museums, though he tells that for Iraqis to get American attention to looting, they shout "Ali Baba". He also gives a quieter viewpoint on the political changes taking place wrt the communists and the Ba'ath parties.
Thanks to the Guardian's onlineblog for noting this. More on Iraq weblogs from The Guardian.
