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"How do we know you aren't a couple of crackpots?" - rink

Poet Laureate
We are blessed to announce our exclusive contract with our own Melbourne poet Frank Faust. No where else will you get this quality of poetry composed freshly. Rush to Frank's Page on our site to read the first offerings. [..More fresh poems added 27th...]

THE ARABIC WAR POEMS
Baghdad is now like Beiruit in 1982 when it was besieged by Israel. Other Iraqi cities will soon be a terrible mixture of siege and civil strife, making them even more like Beiruit then. [.. These are some poems about that time ..]

A Letter in favour of the war from my Neighbour Bill 23 March 2003

THE FOG BLOG
Baghdad Radio & Big Beat's Own Journo SJC in Flack Jacket (perhaps Hack Jacket) now has his own pages.
Steven J foggydog Collier (SJC) is our fearless journo not quite on the spot. Qualifications: "I don`t know about superior knowledge, but have probably made more model airplanes than most people."

Bit 7 - Wed 2 April 2003
INTO APRIL: from farce to deadly signs. Honour in war. Something about supply. Something about Ali. A hard and angry edge to the President's voice, but something childish too. If he were a bigger man, the words would have sounded biblical. It's nearly beyond doubt that .......[..more..]...
Bit 6 -Sun 30 March 2003
BLOGGED DOWN ON THE ROAD TO BAGHDAD: Strategy evaporates.
American ground commanders request an operational pause to the Baghdad push: a convenient 'end of part one' for the histories of this war........[ ..more...]
Bit 5 - Thurs 27 March 2003
UNSTRUCTURED NOTES - the last two days.
Battlefield predictions that will be obsolete by the time.....[...more...]
Bit 4 - Mon 24 March 2003
SHOCK AND AWE LAST TIME, NOW JUST CHOKING ON DUST: political aspects of two wars.
THEN:
In 1991 when Schwarzkopf threw....[..more..]
Bit 3 - Sun 23 March 2003
NASARIYAH AND BASRA
Baghdad not on the bombing list last night, just a few strikes from aircraft hunting mobile phones. ....[..more..]
Bit 2 - Sat 22 March 2003
TAKING A GUESS - THE NEXT WEEKS OF U.S. ADVANCE; WHAT`S ALREADY HAPPENED
Four days in. US armoured forces are at the gates of Nasariyah, and a large.[..more..]
Bit 1 - Thurs 20 March 2003
FUEL-AIR WEAPONS AND AN IRAQ WAR
Effects and suitability of Enhanced Blast Effect Weapons in urban warfare [..read the lot...more..]
Copyright Steven J Collier March 2003 - May be quoted and reprinted as long as clear acknowledgment given and we are notified.

Readers favourite link - slam pax is back on line! 25 March
Blog from Baghdad - updated a couple of times a day and appears to be from someone in Baghdad with a net connection. It is estimated that only some thousands have net access in Iraq and that they are mainly regime employees. So this is fascinating if only to judge who and where it might be coming from. CIA, genuine lone voice wonder along with the rest of us. Has screen shots from Iraqi TV and pics. http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/ NB: Some ISPs treat underscores as illegal in hostnames. Depending on your ISP you may not be able to access this blog address. Google cache maybe throw up the pages for some of you. We are now posting extracts every few hours with explicit email permission from blogger salam pax. No updates since :: salam 7:05 AM :: Friday, March 21, 2003 ::
Is the Baghdad Blogger for real? A: Probably, concludes Paul Boutin Technology writer for Slate, Wired, The New York Times, Salon, etc [..read his investigations..]
Our Israeli correspondent, civax, is mirroring the salam pax site front page at his site and is in contact with salam and various other bloggers. http://www.cfxweb.net/civax/
Di Cavour has corresponded with salam for over 6 months now and she is a firm defender / believer. "There's a ton of liars out there, and the Internet is the perfect vehicle for con artists. This morning I received several emails asking me the same thing: is Salam for real?" ..[..more..]...
Her blog stuff here http://gotham.realwomenonline.com/
A bit from The Guardian on salam pax

New Nigerian Spam - we are getting it too.

Don't say we aren't prepared here in Melbourne - "We'll fight them on the beaches......and in the cafes......" [pictures here]

Understanding the Media coverage of Iraq War: A Guide
1. "There is a growing, almost unbearable tension here because the
war hasn't started yet"
Translation: "I was REALLY hoping to have a big story by now." [..more..]

Editor's Reading of the Day Sunday 23 March 2003
Ink dry on war script a year ago: Alan Ramsey of the SMH was contacted by Gordon Jockel ex senior Australian diplomat, once director of joint intelligence for defence. He told Ranmsay to read Nicholas Lemann in April issue of the New Yorker. In detail it has all happened, just as Lemann said it would. A .pdf of the Lemann article is here 834kb.
Editor's Reading of the Day Friday 21 March 2003
The Rhetorical Rules of Engagement: As featured in Fin Review. Australian Dr Paul Monk, PhD in international relations, worked 6 years Defence Intelligence Organisation on East Asia, Head of China analysis. Reflections on the Iraq war, with particular focus on the importance of carefully considering those arguments which weigh against your instinctively held position. Fully footnoted version http://www.austhink.org/

Oil Reserves and Prices
I dont know about how reliable or well informed the From the Wilderness Publications are but the articles here contain some provocative material on oil reserves and prices. The site has a bit too much of a whiff of conspiracy about it for me to feel comfortable. http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/032503_perfect_storm_2.html

War began with cruise missiles shortly after 4:00 AM Baghdad time Thursday 20 March 2003. 11:00 AM Melbourne time 20/03/03. 8:00 PM Washington Wednesday 19 March. Darkness in Washington and Baghdad

Best Maps of Area

US Homeland Security is now on Orange alert. Red is the next level: and it`s equivalent to Israeli Army security measures against an Intifada. Read more about just what these codes mean

On War
"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Hermann Goering, Nazi Reichsmarshall and Luftwaffe-Chief to Gustave Gilbert published in the book Nuremberg Diary.