Looking at the television coverage we can see (without comment!) images of Basra in which multiple explosions every second are occurring throughout the city. This kind of carpet bombing will obviously generate huge numbers of civilian deaths and injuries.

So, what is coming out of the mouths of Rumsfeld and other Administration and media propagandists? That there has supposedly been an "uprising" against Saddam Hussein in Basra, and that forces loyal to Hussein are firing mortars into crowds of defenseless civilians in order to put this uprising down.

Not only that, but these dastardly loyalist forces are supposedly even posing as members of the Red Cross and other relief workers. Yes, they have actually claimed this.

I see this as Rumsfeld preparing excuses for the coming news of civilian deaths and injuries inflicted by his own carpet-bombing of Basra. He will claim that any civilians murdered in this bombing were killed by supporters of Saddam Hussein, and that any relief workers exposing (as the Red Cross is now doing - see http://www.cicr.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/special_iraq ) the immense pain and sacrifice of the civilian population, are really Saddam's wolves in Red Cross clothing (and therefore deserved to be killed if they were also hit by the U.S./British onslaught).

How credible is it that MORTARS would be used to fire upon unarmed civilians in the middle of a battle against invading forces? How credible is it that people would be out in the streets demonstrating about ANYTHING as bombs are falling all around them? These are just more lies by the mass murderers of the Bush Administration.

The water plant in Basra is now non-functional because of these bombings, and the river is filling up with raw human waste. In a short time, a massive public health crisis will develop, in which a hundred thousand people will be immediately at risk.

This is the completely predictable (and predicted) catastrophe that we have been trying to stop, and must continue to work to stop and reverse.

You would believe the truth if the Lord All Mighty came down and laid it it out before you. You have a closed mind that will not except any information in less it comes to you from any source that is Anti-America.

So which government agency do you work for? I'm just

curious where you get your inside information on what

the Secretary of Defense is planning.

So it's not, at all, possible that there is a contingency

anywhere in Iraq that wants to rise up against Saddam

Hussein? It's not possible that Iraq has a population,

similar to yourself, that doesn't like the current

government? Hmm, I suppose not.

One thing that I will agree with you about is the

humanitarian crisis in Basra. A report filed by a

number of members of Voices in the Wilderness, of all

things, says that:

"Garbage is piled high in the streets. Children play in

open gutters filled with raw sewage. Unemployment is

high. Power failures are frequent in the 100-plus

temperatures. With no fans operating, people often

sleep on the roof at night to stay cool."

Unfortunately, for your argument, this report was filed

back in September of 2000. Those were the

conditions that the people of Basra have been

suffering through under the control of Saddam

Hussein for, at least, the past three years, and I'm

guessing more.

And before you begin to slap me with an "It's because

of the economic sanctions" argument, be prepared to

answer this question:

Why, while the people of Basra are suffering through

these conditions, as far back as 2000, has Saddam,

his family, and his loyal Republican Guard been living

in the palaces of Baghdad, enjoying the amenities of

air-conditioning, running water, and never a lack of

food?

Oh, now you've done it.

Exploding the 'logic' used by the Leftists here at la.indymedia is not appreciated. And is very bad form. Sure, they have not the slightest notion of what the difference is between carpet bombing and carpet tacks, but that is no reason to call them on it.

Geez. Next thing you know, you're going to tell us that Bush=Hitler isn't really true.

Or next you'll tell us that the Anti-war group are really Pacafist.

First of all, the truth does not equal anti-american. It

means presenting a different perspective from the official

line being diseminated by the big networks and their

propaganda campaign. That is the essence of free speech

and America's legacy of checks and balances, something that

this government and the colluding mass media have lost.

Second, I would be skeptical since independent journalist

reports suggest that coalition forces are facing tough

resistance in Basra, despite the claims that the troops

have taken it. The Basra resistance was anti-Saddam and

now they're anti-coalition since they realize who is the

greater of two evils. Saddam sucks, but bush and the

violation of Iraqi sovereignty, and the bombing of civilian

populations is just plain vile.

And what better way to undermine Iraqi resistance than to bring in the humanitarian aid.

You seem to be very well connected to the resistance movement in Basra. If you know the dispositions and movements of these people, perhaps you should offer your services to the military authorities.

I'm amazed that your network of agents and satellites is so superior to the military's and the major networks. My congratulations.

I believe anything my masters at Fox News tell me. I couldn't get anymore brainwashed, as I've so clearly demonstrated on this website.

Apache,

Can I ask you an honest question? Where in the hell

do you all get this notion of a vast media conspiracy?

I'm not going into much detail about myself, for fear of

the supposedly pacifist psychopaths who frequent this

site, but I am a member of the news media and I do

work for a very large company, and NO it's not Clear

Channel.

Whether you choose to believe me or not, I have

NEVER received ANY guidelines or restrictions about

writing my stories from ANY kind of angle. I have never

received any memos from corporate, forcing me to

run, or not run, ANY kind of story, EVER. I have never

been contacted, influenced, or coerced in any form by

the U.S., or any other, government.

You don't even believe this argument that you make.

It's just a quick, knee-jerk way of trying to convince

others, and perhaps yourself, that the deck is not

stacked as much against you as the evidence shows

that it is.

If, by some chance, you really DO believe this

conspiracy theory, take the truth from a member of the

media....no, a journalist....a REAL one. Not one who

does nothing but hang around protests just hoping for

an opportunity to catch a snapshot of some redneck

cop getting out of line, so they can run back to their

home computer and hack out some story about "the

man" and how he's "holding everyone down."

Look, they don't lie. They show you the pictures, have government sources and have expert opinions. I know that most peace protesters get their news from al jazeera. Fox NEws refused to play the tape of the American POWS that had been tortured and executed. This is something I can respect. You can watch your anti american media and get half the facts. Maybe thats why peace protesters are highly uneducated about the war. They don't get the facts like they have it on Fox News. They have people actually tarvelling with the 3rd infantry. Tell me something asshole. Do cameras lie too?

I wouldn't know a real education if one bit me on my fat redneck ass. However, when it comes to war, I'm VERY edumucated.

Boy, that's a mature, well thought comment if I've ever

heard one.

You must be proud of that one.

So, are you going to tell us now that Sports Illustrated is part of this vast government-influenced media conspiracy??? http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2003/03/24/son_of_saddam/

Why can't I think of anything intelligent to say? Should I ask my mommy for advice?