Actually, Basra was a Triumph
While the New York Times coverage is based largely on what a fearful former Saddam-appointed Army captain saw out of his hotel window, thankfully there are reporters with sources Basra and the Iraqi ministries. Perhaps the best informed reporter is Nibras Kazimi.
I have known Nibras, an Iraqi journalist, for years. He was invaluable to me when planning my last trip to Iraq. He has a wide array of local sources across Iraq. And what he is reporting about Basra is a world-apart from the New York Times.
Here is part of Nibras’ dispatch, that begins by attacking the bias of different New York Times story than the one I faulted a few days back. Look at the information and the the context he supplies!
There is so much unadulterated bias in this story. Beginning from quoting a Fadhila Party leader badmouthing Maliki without noting that his party controls the governorship of Basra and that Maliki has been critical of this governor and has accused Fadhila—a group that splintered early on from the Sadrist movement—of harboring militias of its own.
A quote from Iraq’s Defense Minister is taken out of context and a propaganda stunt staged by the Mahdi Army, where a dozen masked men in Iraqi military fatigues are seen surrendering in Sadr City, is given as indication that Maliki is losing public opinion.
Nothing could be further from reality, but hey, the NYTimes is not in the business of reporting on reality.
The Defense Minister is simply mimicking Maliki’s political facetiousness to the effect, “How could we have known that going after the criminal cartels would incur the wrath of Sadrists?” Hint, hint, wink, wink. “We didn’t expect the Sadrists to get so agitated. How could we have known that they are somehow connected to all the criminality in Basra? We were so naïve about the ways of this big, bad world, but we’re still going to smash them anyway.”
Let’s round-up today’s events: far fewer rockets were lobbed into the Green Zone today because U.S. airstrikes have really frightened those launching them from Sadr City and elsewhere. Shu’la, near Kadhimiyah, was quiet all day today, so was Sha’ab City. Washash is an important enclave for the Sadrists in western Baghdad and it experienced 5 days of continued skirmishes with the Iraqi Army and police yet the Mahdi Army’s 18 member leadership committee abandoned Washash in the early afternoon Baghdad time and opted to hide in other parts of the city. The 400-500 active militants in Washash are either back in their homes or have left along with the leadership.
All the places that erupted five days ago across southern Iraq were much calmer. There’s a report that Shatra is under Sadrist control and it seems to be totally bogus, according to a source who spoke with acquaintances there today. Qurna, Ghammas, and Nassiriya have all witnessed the collapse of whatever resistance the Mahdi Army could muster in facing government troops.
The NYTimes reports that most of Basra—and by “most” they mean 50 to 70 percent of the city as claimed in today’s NYTimes print edition—is allegedly under Mahdi Army control. This is a complete fabrication. As of last night, the Iraqi Army began a systematic cleansing of downtown Basra and its southern suburbs, meeting minimal resistance.
Read the whole thing and make Nibras’ site, Talisman Gate, a regular stop. You won’t be disappointed.
mt.pajamasmedia.com
More from Nibras Kazimi to follow. |
