Bremer's provocation: Naomi Klein reports that on Sunday, a protest in Baghdad turned bloody when US-controlled Iraqi soldiers opened fire on protesters, killing 47 and injuring many more. But it isn't the civil war everyone keeps warning about, it's a deliberate provocation by Paul Bremer, waged to lure radical Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr into all-out battle. Why? One possible motivation: "Washington has given up on its plans to hand over power to an interim Iraqi government on June 30, and is creating the chaos it needs to declare the handover impossible. A continued occupation will be bad news for George Bush on the campaign trail, but not as bad as if the hand-over happens and the country erupts, an increasingly likely scenario given the widespread rejection of the legitimacy of the interim constitution and the US- appointed governing council. But by sending the new Iraqi army to fire on the people they are supposed to be protecting, Bremer has destroyed what slim hope they had of gaining credibility with an already highly mistrustful population. On Sunday, before storming the unarmed demonstrators, the soldiers could be seen pulling on ski masks, so they would not be recognised in their neighbourhoods later."

Contemporary Passover: In the event commemorated during Passover--which began yesterday--God parted the sea and drowned the Egyptians, allowing the Israelites to escape from slavery. But don't miss the point of the story, writes MJ Rosenberg:

This is the commentary on their drowning from the Talmud. "When Israelites saw the wondrous power which the Lord had wielded against the Egyptians…the Israelites sang a song of praise to the Lord….At that moment, the angels of heaven wanted to sing praises to God. But God silenced them, saying: 'My children are drowning and you are singing to me?'"

The message here is unambiguous. We may rejoice in our own triumph but may not celebrate the killing of others.

As Rosenberg writes, 1000 Israelis and 3000 Palestinians have died since the Oslo peace accords crumbled 40 months ago. In observance of Passover, remember those killed in Israel and Palestine, and pray for a real roadmap to peace in the Middle East. (Via Sivacracy.)