"Bush Rips up the Road Map"

Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian

President George Bush swept aside decades of diplomatic tradition in the
Middle East yesterday, saying it was "unrealistic" to expect a full Israeli
withdrawal from lands occupied during the 1967 war or the right of return
for Palestinian refugees.

In a significant policy shift, Mr Bush relaxed Washington's objections to
Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and attempts by Israel to dictate the
terms of a final settlement with the Palestinians.

"The Bridge"

Stan Goff

WARNING: This commentary may cause anxiety.

The United States government has initiated a chain reaction that it
can no longer control. The stalled vengeance assault on Fallujah is
merely a symptom. So is the uprising triggered by the US closure of
a Shia newspaper in Sadr City, Baghdad, followed by gunning down the
demonstrators who protested (Ah, yes, we don’t even hear about that
when they talk about the latest demon, Muqtada al-Sadr… Memory is so
short.).

"What's Next in Iraq?"

Tariq Ali

Tariq Ali is a veteran political activist since the 1960s, and a filmmaker,
novelist and author. His most recent books include The Clash of
Fundamentalisms and Bush in Babylon: The Recolonization of Iraq. Tariq
spoke
to Socialist Worker's Eric Ruder about the aims of the U.S. occupation and
the growing Iraqi resistance.

Q: What are the motives for the U.S. occupation? The Bush administration,
of
course, claims that it has removed an evil dictator and is promoting
democracy and freedom.

Tariq Ali: I don't think that very many people outside the U.S. believe
this. Even in countries that have troops there, the population is against
the war and occupation.

Occupation Gunfire Kills 20 Iraqi Shiite Protesters:

Angry Shiites Demand the End of the U.S.-Led Occupation

IslamOnLine.net

AN-NAJAF, Iraq, April 4 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) — At least 20 Iraqi Shiites were killed and a hundred others wounded Sunday, April 4, when occupation troops opened fire randomly at thousands of supporters of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr in this southern holy city in the most dangerous confrontation between the occupation and Iraq's majority community.