So I have been reading my way around the Iraqi blogosphere lately, which is why you may have found a lot of comments from me around but very little activity on the blog itself. Anyway, alot is going on with regard to the use of White Phosphorus and other such should-be-banned chemical weapons.

The White House claims these weapons are used for "Conventional Uses" much like flashbangs- to blind enemies. But when Italian's release live coverage of White Phosphorus burning the flesh off civilians while leaving their clothes in-tact, it makes you wonder what the word "Conventional" really means.

So, I looked it up.

According to Dictionary.com, Conventional is a pretty loose term.

con·ven·tion·al Audio pronunciation of "conventional"

1. Based on or in accordance with general agreement, use, or practice; customary: conventional symbols; a conventional form of address. [olivebranch] - (so this is a widely agreed on use of White Phosphorus?)
2. Conforming to established practice or accepted standards; traditional: a conventional church wedding. [olivebranch] (or is it just a widely practed use of White Phosphorus, because I certainly don't agree on it!)
3.
1. Devoted to or bound by conventions to the point of artificiality; ceremonious.
2. Unimaginative; conformist: longed to escape from their conventional, bourgeois lives. [olivebranch] - (or are they just using the good old "everyone else has done it, why can't we?" theory of conformists?)

4. Represented, as in a work of art, in simplified or abstract form. [olivebranch] - (the abstract bombing of Civilian targets in Falloojeh?)
5. Law. Based on consent or agreement; contractual. [olivebranch] - (Isn't there a law AGAINST this manner of use for White Phorsphorus and other chemical agents?)
6. Of, relating to, or resembling an assembly.
7. Using means other than nuclear weapons or energy: conventional warfare; conventional power plants. [olivebranch] - (Oh, I get it, ITS NOT A NUCLEAR BOMB, SO IT IS OK!!! Anthrax is a form of conventional war-fare too then? No war crimes for Anthrax man? and what about Mustard Gas, isn't that what Saddam used ?? thats not a NUKE! Was he follwing the "Conventional leaders guide 101" aswell!?)


I think the word conventional should be dropped from the english language. Riverbend puts it well in saying the word 'conventional' no longer has its original meaning, read this:

"This war has redefined ‘conventional’. It has taken atrocity to another level. Everything we learned before has become obsolete. ‘Conventional’ has become synonymous with horrifying. Conventional weapons are those that eat away the skin in a white blaze; conventional interrogation methods are like those practiced in Abu Ghraib and other occupation prisons…Quite simply… conventional terror"

then the post Conventional Terror in her archive for this month :) (incase you are reading this in 6 months time of course!)

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And then there is the Amman bombings.

Gee, didn't that piss the worlds leaders off! Didn't the Jordanian Gov't, and the US and UN get rather worked up?

Is it just because Amman was the only safe haven left in that part of the Mid East? Or was there something more behind it? Why were those particular 3 upper-class, elitist hotel rooms targeted? Why such big explosions?

Aren't most of Al-Qaeda's attacks just in the main lobbies, or in restuarants or out the front of buildings? Or driven straight through the front window?

This wasn't the work of 3 seperate suicide bombers was it? Or were they rooms wired with explosives? Was it a deeply planned attack on some bigger meeting set to happen in one of those three rooms?

According to Khalid Jarrar, on his blog Secrets In Baghdad there has been alot of fishy circumstances surrounding these explosions. Khalid even got as far as going inside one of the rooms that had exploded, and believes there is no way a suicide bomber or explosive belt could cause this much damage..

I think he is right. Something fishy is going on.

Head of the Palestinian authority Abbas announced head of the Palestinian intelligence agency was killed in one of the explosions, and announced an official three days of morning. I believe more is behind this.

The Jordanian government and embassies will also not announce the names of all the civilians and victims of the bombings, and has only released 30 names so far. When will the rest of the names come out, and who will they be?

Some of you will call me a conspiracy nut. Sure- go ahead, and if I am wrong- well that could be a bad thing globally, but I am sure it will make your ego feel better.

Leave some comments if you know anything about this or have anything constructive to add :) If you just want to chat or say hi, drop me an email or type in the little box on the right hand side of my blog.

also check out

Sunshine's blog for her replies to my Research questions, and for some information about her life and the bombing of a hospital.

Mama's blog to find out about the electricity situation on Mosul, and how it is hurting them. (Could you survive on 2hrs of electricity a day?)

Gee-oh's blog for a tasty recipe and some recent updates :)

Hassan's blog to see his opinion on the question of When US soldiers should(will?) pull out of Iraq, and to see debate over the confusion/dillusion between the terms "freedom fighter", "Jihadi", "Mujahideen" and "Terrorist".

Also I finally updated my other blog - Shambles & Rambles

- updates on the Bloggers Blog of Blogs are due today or in the coming days.

Stay tuned! It's all happening on Olive Branch Blogovision :P~

enjoy!