Siun

As our representatives in congress are preparing to approve more funding for the occupation of Iraq, the people of Sadr City are being warned to leave their homes in the face of even larger attacks. Congress - instead of putting a stop to the horror - asks the Iraqis to pay for it.

One day after the MNF-I criticized Al Qaeda Iraq for bombing "near a hospital" MNF-I bombed the main hospital in Sadr City and a group of young boys searching for cans to sell to buy food for their families. Meanwhile Congress moves the latest blank check forward and includes requirements that Iraqi's pay for their occupation and reconstruction while the Pentagon plans a new upscale Green Zone. One ray of hope - Longshoremen stand up and Iraq Campaign takes on L3 annual meeting.

While there is almost complete silence in the conventional American media, millions of people in Iraq and Gaza are living in the middle of a nightmare. While the media is silent, people are speaking out - and you can help.

After her boffo performance in Baghdad on Sunday, Condi has taken her routine to Kuwait to visit with Iraq's neighbors and once again, she never ceases to amaze.

Less than 24 hours after Moqtada Al Sadr issued his final warning that “open war” will be the result of continued attacks on the people of Iraq and that occupation without end will not be tolerated, Condi Rice flew into Baghdad for a little rendezvous in the Green Zone ... she didn't stay long.

As early as next week, the House will begin consideration of a new Supplemental funding bill for Iraq. How big will the check be? $108 – $178 billion – depending on whose plan to pass this you look at. It seems some on the Democratic side think it would be really smart to pass not just the Supplemental $108 billion that George asked for – but to toss in another $70 billion.

Our favorite ambassador, Ryan “um um um” Crocker understands how hard it is to sleep while bombs are falling on your house and Rahm Emmanuel wants Iraqis to foot the bill to rebuild what we're bombing.

It’s a particular pleasure to welcome Keli Goff to our Book Salon and have a chance to talk about her new book Party Crashing. Many of us have seen Keli on TV where she speaks with wit and smarts as she did this morning on Reliable Sources – and is not afraid to take on folks like Pat Buchanan and not back down.

Remember those non-permanent permanent bases in Iraq? They're looking a lot more like permanently permanent bases these days. Yesterday, the Guardian published details of the “Secret US plan for military future in Iraq” negotiated by Ambassador “UmUmUm” Crocker and Prime Minister Maliki – a plan that “authorises the US to "conduct military operations in Iraq and to detain individuals when necessary for imperative reasons of security" without time limit.”

Last week, Maliki and his cronies were blocked by Sadr’s fighters. This week, US forces are taking their place, maintaining a siege force around Sadr City and attempting to defeat Sadr’s Mahdi army with both air strikes and sweeps into this Baghdad nationalist stronghold. Reports of air strikes on Sadr City neighborhoods appear daily in Iraqi sources but get almost no attention here – and the civilian death toll mounts.