Iraq blog spat leads to web chaos

[emad]

BBC


A pro-US weblog by three Iraqi brothers has become the unlikely setting for a huge web spat after conspiracy theorists alleged it was a fake.

Iraq the Model, a weblog detailing the more positive aspects of the US-led occupation of the country, is one of the most popular Iraq sites on the web.

But some anti-war activists said it was a CIA-sponsored propaganda tool.

The brothers strongly denied the claims, but the row has led to severe ructions in the online Iraq community.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4183721.stm

[paineinthearse]

1. ruction?

Had to look that one up.

Main Entry: ruc·tion
Pronunciation: 'r&k-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps by shortening & alteration from insurrection
1 : a noisy fight
2 : DISTURBANCE, UPROAR

Those Brits sure know how to speak English.

[biftonnorton]

2. Ruction

is also what happens when you start taking Viagra.

[Malikshah]

3. Oh, you mean "a ruction"

took me a minute there (to get what you're meaning, not the other bit.;))

[Liberal_and_proud]

4. I thought that is what happens

When Scooby Doo take Viagra lol

Roh Roh Shaggy, I got a ruction

[sarcasmo]

13. That would be eruction.

[Renew Deal]

14. Now that's what a thread hijacking looks like.

[mtnester]

19. Weuns here in Ohio call that a ruckus

:)

[UL_Approved]

5. One would suspect as much

I ran into the blog mentioned after undertaking a freep-finding mission one day. The blog links to a series of other pro-American blogs concerning Iraq.

I noticed something right away. There are no pictures, no videos, and no series of testimonials by many different people like there are on anti-American blogs. I also noticed that a couple were hosted on eBlogger. The anti-American blogs are all hosted at their own sites.

These blogs look like something you would carry around in a trunk and set up when needed, which is to say there was no real depth and that these all read strangely similar and non-specific. Also, it appeared that they were tied to places like the Free Republic and other RW sites. All in all, it seemed to be a series of similarly themed blogs with circular reference and no documentation to back up the claims.

I'm sure that some people liked the United States after we went in and took Saddam out. But now, two years later, we have the WMD theory proven falsified, we have Bin Laden making videos at an undisclosed location, and we have no running water, electricity, heat, or transportation in Iraq. Iraq now looks similar to Somalia and Afghanistan during the al-Queda and Taliban regimes. I seriously doubt that they are seeing us as "their saviors" any longer.

[truth2power]

6. Excellent work, UL ...

Good analysis of why this blog has that smell about it. I doubt that any RWer could counter this.

Which reminds me, now that you've raised the issue....

The Chimperor is always yelling, "Freedom is on the march...schools, parks, blah, blah.."

Hey, you disgusting piece of offal....WHERE ARE THE PICTURES??? HUH? HUH??

Yeah...thought so! :eyes:

[bpilgrim]

9. you want pictures... here ya go -----------------------> LINK

http://images.globalfreepress.com

peace

[BikeWriter]

11. ...and here's an eight year old gut shot and killed by a Brit soldier...

supposedly firing warning shots in the air.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=3478

[truth2power]

17. Billy? I hope you know

I was referring to Bush, and his constant bloviating about all the bright new schools and various other conveniences we are supposedly providing for the Iraqi citizenry. We never see any pictures, and he would provide 'em if he had 'em.

I've seen that picture. Sad beyond belief. Girls the ages of my grandchildren. The American people who don't repudiate this deserve to burn in hell along with Shrub and his evil cabal.

[bpilgrim]

21. i know truth2power

certainly didn't mean to imply you were unaware, sorry :toast:

peace

[LeighAnn]

10. Iraq Blogs

I put up a page of them

http://www.hereinreality.com/iraq_blogs.html

I looked at dozens of them, and found a lot of them that I thought were fake, both pro American and anti. The ones I thought were fake were long on links to articles about Iraq, without much personal day-to-day commentary. A couple of pro-American blogs were so without content it was funny.

"I thank Allah that the U.S. come to liberate us from Saddam Hussein. Praise be to Allah for the United States"

and so on, paragraph after paragraph without the usual, "We've only got 4 hours of electricity today so I'm going to have to keep it short..." or any details of anything that's going on.

Then when you do a whois search, it always comes up being some company in Maryland.

[DulceDecorum]

15. Islamicist websites

always have very curious backgrounds.

two gentlemen, Jeremy Reyanlds and Jonathan Galt,
also of curious provenance,
are hard at work.

I do not encourage anyone to sign this.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/530866253

[DrRang]

18. Jeremy Reynalds

I'm familiar with Reynalds' activities in Albuquerque. Joy Junction, which he runs, does good work for the homeless, but often seems to be in some legal wrangle. Reynalds is a former Brit who sees himself as having pulled himself up by his own bootstraps and anyone who can't is rather worthless. He's also a fundamentalist and a raving homophobe and seems to be tied in to various far right websites that look like ransom notes.

[BikeWriter]

7. Here's a reference to it.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_12/005353.php
In the comments, Ali paid a visit to answer Lydia and Lisa:

“No Lydia, not conservatives but some group of extremist conservatives. I have nothing against American conservatives and I see them as true friends.
Ali. | Email | Homepage | 12.18.04 - 2:49 pm |”

“They were used during the trip, and Lee C is right. I have to wait for my brothers before I explain everything although I have no doubt what so ever about these people and their hypocracy. I was shocked when I discovered this as I truly thought they cared about us.

[toymachines]

8. so wait, these guys are just conservative sympathizers

i could see why the cons would prove a good role model for some guys just coming out of an oppressive government.

[osaMABUSh]

12. The site hasn't been hacked yet????

You can hack a blog right?

[Dover]

16. The NYT News Service story on this subject ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1161009

[IndianaGreen]

20. Case closed! Two of the bloggers met with Bush.

Omar and Mohammed, attended a blogging conference at Harvard University in the US and even met President George W Bush.

They are nothing but collaborators on the war crimes Bush has committed in Iraq.

[VegasWolf]

22. How does one access computers without electricity, what are

they, radio free green zone.