war

Alleged communists massacred under the eyes of American soldiers

Sophie — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:57:53 +0200

Last month the US government declassified images of thought-to-be communist sympathisers being massacred by South Korean authorities between 1950 and 1951. Tackling a sensitive subject, the evidence throws more weight behind the argument that the US were partly to blame.

The Korean conflict acted as a trigger for the Cold War. The country, rescued from Japanese control following World War II, was divided in half and shared between two rival regimes - the communist-supported northern side and the "free world"-supported southern side. To separate the two halves, a line was drawn along the 38^th Parallel north (circle of latitude), creating North Korea and South Korea. In 1949, South Korea created the National Guidance League (NGL), which recruited, by force, all suspected extreme left-leaning activists, in order to control any potential north-side sympathisers. Quotas were quickly set up for all NGL places to be filled, and to keep them at full capacity police forced thousands of farmers, many of them illiterate, to join the NGL, even though they had no link with the far left. Experts estimate that up until the North Korean invasion, the NGL recruited around 350,000 members.

When the north stormed its southern counterpart, marking the start of the war in June 1950, the southern authorities panicked. Fearing an insurrection from these hundreds of thousands of supposed left-leaning thinkers, the South Korean government ordered that they be got rid of. The members were massacred.

Traumatised veterans sent back to Iraq

Sophie — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:53:25 +0200

A virtual world resembling Iraq has been created for US army veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But is revisiting the sights and sounds of the scenes that caused the trauma a good idea?

Virtual Iraq is one of three virtual-reality programmes that have been created to help ex-servicemen and women with mental traumas caused by terrifying events during war. Adapted from Full Spectrum Warrior, the Institute for Creative Technologies designed virtual-reality programme looks and feels like a "sandpit" video game - meaning that the user controls where the person goes and what they do. The only difference, is that the soldier cannot fire his weapon. Currently being tested by the US Department of Defense, the virtual therapy is hoped to help the estimated 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who suffer from PTSD, by revisiting and therefore overcoming their terrifying experiences.

Russia celebrates Nazi Germany – by accident

Julien — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:54:21 +0200

The end of WWII is celebrated on May 9 in Russia. Since Putin came to power, the event has become increasingly more commercial. But this year, it went a step too far, when eager party-goers put up Nazi symbols in place of Soviet war imagery.

War in Iraq: "Mission Russian roulette"

Julien — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:14:34 +0200

This video was filmed from the inside of an American tank that finds itself in the middle of a rocket attack in Adhamiyah, Baghdad. Disturbingly, the reaction of the marines in the vehicle seems to be one of despair and disorder. An American soldier who served in Iraq tells us that this is just a glimpse into an increasingly chaotic situation.

"The Sahwa militia has brought peace to my district"

Julien — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:09:19 +0100

Our Observer in Baghdad, Last of Iraqis, took the same street scene and filmed it once in June 2007 and then in March 2008. In the first video nobody dared set foot outside; the street is deserted. But now, it seems to have come back to life. Thanks to the American Army? Apparently not. According to Last of Iraqis it's the al Sahwa militia to be thankful to.

The Sahwa (meaning 'awakening councils') are a Sunni-based Iraqi military funded by the American army to fight against al Qaeda. Many of its 80,000 members are former insurgents. The movement has its stronghold in the district of Adamiyah, north Baghdad, in Last of Iraqis' neighbourhood.

More info on Iraq: FRANCE 24 reporter's notebook.

McCain: "al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training"

Julien — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:09:38 +0100

In a speech in Amman, Jordan, on Tuesday, John McCain declared that "al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training". The statement will certainly not help the Republican candidate make it to the White House, seeing as al Qaeda, a Sunni terrorist movement, is unlikely to be supported by the Iranian Shiite regime.

McCain only managed to correct his mistake at the end of the speech after receiving advice through his earpiece from Connecticut senator Joseph Lieberman. For the Republican leader, who based his campaign on his ability to be “commander in chief from day one”, the blunder could cost him dearly. Barack Obama seized the opportunity to point out that “we heard Senator McCain confuse Sunni and Shi'ite, Iran and al Qaeda. Maybe that is why he voted to go to war with a country that had no al Qaeda ties”, according to the New York Times.

Chuck Norris, American idol

Julien — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:24:00 +0100

Actor Chuck Norris has become quite an idol at American military bases. His posters are as frequent on camp walls as the obligatory pin-up, and soldiers at the Baghdad helicopter base have even erected an altar in his glory.

"Chuck" is admired by many but also ridiculed by others. Sites and videos that make fun of the actor are not hard to come by on the web. Chuck Norris Facts, for example, ironically lists the star's incredible abilities and feats. Our favourite: "Chuck Norris counted to infinity- twice".

The net is divided. War hero and patriot, Norris represents more a complex conflict troubling Americans: namely the Iraq war.

Hostage Brit pleads for release in new video

Julien — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:20:50 +0100

After being captured by 40 gunmen at the Iraqi Finance Ministry in Baghdad last May 29, one of five British workers has been shown alive in a video appeal to the UK. The man, who identifies himself as Peter Moore, who was working in Baghdad for the Canadian security firm GardaWorld, has not been seen since his capture. The people detaining him are thought to be a splinter group of the Mehdi Army, which the US believes is Iran-controlled. They are demanding the release of nine Islamic Shia Resistance members in exchange for the five Brits, but British troops have said that they no longer hold any prisoners. The UK foreign office simply condemned the airing of the video and called for the release of the hostages.

The cost of war comes as “a total surprise”

Julien — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:55:37 +0100

With presidential elections well under way in the United States the cost of war is a sensitive subject for the ruling Republicans. And every penny counts. The Center for arms control and non-proliferation tallies up every cent spent on the main U.S wars and publishes its findings online. And they have just been updated. World War II easily tops the table with a whopping $3.2 trillion (€2.2 trillion). But still climbing and currently in second place, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have almost reached $700 billion (around €500 bln) combined. The centre treats this information as a warning, they predict that if troops remain in both countries until 2018 as Bush said may well happen, the final cost will be over a trillion dollars. We spoke to the creator of the project about why he feels it's important to publish the figures.

Most-played in Iraq

Julien — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:44:30 +0100

According to Baghdad blogger ‘Last of Iraqis’, this song has been downloaded on over 80% of mobiles and computers all over the country. The lyrics, written by Iraqi singer Husam Al-Rasam, are hostile, but not violent, towards the presence of America. 'Last of Iraqis' says that the song reflects the feelings of many of the people there. You can post your questions to him on his profile page.