Six Gay Men Shot To Death

Six gay men were shot dead by members of their tribe in two separate incidents in the past 10 days, an official with Iraq's Interior ministry said.

In the most recent attack, two men were killed Thursday in Sadr City area of Baghdad after they were disowned by relatives, the official said.The shootings came after a tribal meeting was held and the members decided to go after the victims.

On March 26, four additional men were fatally shot in the same city, the official said, adding that the victims had also been disowned by their relatives.

The official declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Witnesses told CNN that a Sadr City cafe, which was a popular gathering spot for gays, was also set on fire.

Source: CNN.COM

Report: Iraq police abduct gay men at gunpoint

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Ten gay men who were taken by the Iraqi police are feared to be dead, five from the activist group Iraqi LGBT, the group reported December 1. The activists were held at gunpoint while holding a secret meeting in the al-Shaab district of Baghdad on November 9, their Web site said.
Ali Hili, a gay Iraqi Muslim living in Britain, said that gays in Iraq have been the target of threats and executions. He was on the phone with the men during the abduction.
"Suddenly, there was a lot of noise and then the connection ended," he reported on Iraqi LGBT's Web site.
The site also reported that another man, Haydar Kamel, 35, was taken near his home in Sadr City. The alleged kidnappers are members of the Mahdi army, a militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr.
The other four men were employees of the gay-popular Jar al-Qamar barber shop in Baghdad's al-Karada district, said Tris Reid-Smith on the same site.
None of the men who have been abducted have been heard from since. It is assumed, the site said, that they are all dead.
Peter Tatchell, from Hili's group Outrage, said Iraqi LGBT has establishes a network of activists working in Baghdad, Najaf, Karbala, Hilla and Basra.
"These courageous activists are helping gay people on the run escape to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon," Tatchell said. "The world ignores the fate of gay Iraqis at its peril. Their fate today is the fate of all Iraqis tomorrow." (The Advocate)

Civilian Deaths Reach New Milestone

You may have seen the box near the bottom of this page which displays the number of civilian deaths since the Iraqi invasion began. It is supplied by the site Iraqbodycount.org

There are actually two sets of numbers, a low and a high. Deaths are confirmed by reliable sources whenever possible, and a list of the dead and how they died is available at the site. I believe these numbers to be accurate or I wouldn't post them.

The high number has now passed the 50,000 mark. Even if the numbers are wrong, as some people will surely claim. How many civilian lives are too many? Innocent women and children are always the ones who suffer the hardship of 'war' the most. Please don't forget that the United Nations was created for a reason, and this invasion was not, and still is NOT sanctioned by the United Nations.

Iraq may have had a terrible dictator in Saddam Hussein, on that, I think we can all agree. The real question now is: Do Iraqi's have a better quality of life now than prior to this invasion?

I think the majority do not. The country is essentially in the midst of a civil war at this point with the U.S. and the UK (and their invasion allies) stuck in the middle.

It is in the interest of all mankind to support the UN and what it stands for and make the UN an organization that has some muscle in the world. I don't know how that happens, but I do know that I have never supported this invasion and still don't. I'm proud that Canada has not taken part in Iraq, and I am proud that we are taking part in Afganistan and making a difference there.

It is time for a plan with the United Nations so the Iraqi people can have their country back. A withdrawl could take place over several months, with UN officials immediately taking over administration along with the Iraqi government (to ensure fairness amongst the various Iraqi stakeholders) until the Iraqi government can manage things themselves with a new democracy, or whatever form of government the Iraqi people create for themselves.

The IRAQ BODY COUNT Database

The worldwide update of reported civilian deaths in the Iraq war and occupation.

The IRAQ BODY COUNT Database

This is an ongoing human security project which maintains and updates the world’s only independent and comprehensive public database of media-reported civilian deaths in Iraq that have resulted from the 2003 military intervention by the USA and its allies. The count includes civilian deaths caused by coalition military action and by military or paramilitary responses to the coalition presence (e.g. insurgent and terrorist attacks). It also includes excess civilian deaths caused by criminal action resulting from the breakdown in law and order which followed the coalition invasion.

Results and totals are continually updated and made immediately available here and on various IBC web counters which may be freely displayed on any website or homepage, where they are automatically updated without further intervention. Casualty figures are derived from a comprehensive survey of online media reports from recognized sources. Where these sources report differing figures, the range (a minimum and a maximum) are given. This method is also used to deal with any residual uncertainty about the civilian or non-combatant status of the dead. All results are independently reviewed and error-checked by at least three members of the Iraq Body Count project team before publication.
METHODOLOGY AND DETAILS... English Arabic En Español En Français Greek In Italiano Em Portugues

I have posted the counter at the bottom of this page.