Troops Out Now Coalition Updates

Bush Urges Congress to Pass 'Clean' War Funding Bill

2007-11-18T13:16:00.001-08:00

President Bush

American lawmakers are divided over support the warfare in Iraq. President Shrub states resistance Democrats are endangering military personnel in the field by not passing his petition for funding. Democrats state Mr. Shrub and the Republicans are blocking attempts to change course of study in Iraq.

Senate Republicans on Friday blocked a Democratic measure that sought to associate $50 billion in further warfare support to the end of withdrawing American armed combat military personnel from Republic Of Iraq by the end of adjacent year.

And Senate Democrats blocked a Republican measure that would have got allocated $70 billion to the warfare without conditions.

President Shrub states United States Congress is failing to ran into its duties to U.S. troops. In his weekly radiocommunication address, he states Democrats are using the appropriations procedure to do a political statement about the war.

"We make not necessitate members of United States Congress telling our commanding officers what to do," he said. "We necessitate United States Congress hearing to our military commanding officers and giving them what they necessitate to win the warfare against extremists and radicals. United States Congress cognizes I'll blackball this bill. During this clip of war, our military personnel rate the full support of United States Congress - and that agency giving our military personnel the support they necessitate to successfully transport out their mission."

While Democrats have got got so far failed to put limitations on the president's warfare efforts, they have made it more than hard for the military to acquire the money it states it needs.

Opposition to the warfare is one of the greatest grounds Democrats took control of United States Congress earlier this year. The up-to-the-minute populace sentiment opinion poll by NBC News and The Wall Street Diary states more than than two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how President Shrub is handling the warfare in Iraq.

In the Democratic radiocommunication address, Keystone State Senator British Shilling Casey states the president's scheme is flawed because his determination to direct more than military personnel to Republic Of Iraq earlier this twelvemonth was meant to give Iraki leadership the clip to accomplish political reconciliation. Casey states that is not happening and Iraki leadership are failing to take duty for their ain security.

"That agency our military personnel are fighting for a peace that we look more than interested in achieving than the Iraki politicians make themselves," He said. "And as the Iraki leadership retarding force their feet, the cost of the warfare to our troops, to our national security, and to our exchequer maintains rising."

Casey states Democrats desire a manner forward that he states will responsibly redeploy American armed combat military units out of Republic Of Iraq to break focusing on preparation Iraki soldiers.

Congressional Democrats state if they cannot base on balls support statute law tied to troop backdowns now, they will wait until adjacent twelvemonth to cover with funding.

Defense Secretary Henry Martin Robert Bill Gates states if United States Congress neglects to authorise money now, he will be forced to put off some 200,000 employees and military contractors.

VOA News

Ending the war: Take 7

2007-11-17T02:18:00.001-08:00

THIS WEEK, for the 7th clip this year, Democrats in the House of Representatives passed statute law to coerce President Shrub to retreat our military personnel from Iraq. I supported it.

Unfortunately, it is not clear whether 10 Republicans in the Senate will fall in the 50 Democrats who will back up the House efforts. Their championship is necessary to stop an expected filibusterer and go through the bill. Then, we can only trust that the American people will carry the president not to blackball it and finally change his way in Iraq.

As it stand ups today, more than than 4½ old age after we started this war, the state of affairs in Republic Of Iraq for U.S. military personnel have worsened. More American soldiers and Marines have got been killed in Republic Of Iraq so far this twelvemonth than ever before -- a sum of 857 versus the former high of 849 in all of 2004. To date, more than than 3,860 of our courageous immature work force and women have got been killed in Iraq, with 38,164 wounded.

Also, while our planetary economical and military rivals have got got been pouring resources into their education, wellness care, transportation system substructures and militaries, under President Bush, one-half a trillion U.S. taxpayer dollars have been spent on the Republic Of Republic Of Iraq warfare and a one-half a trillion dollars more is projected for the physical and mental wellness attention costs for our Iraq warfare veterans.

Beyond the atrocious terms in the blood of our military personnel killed and wounded, the dollars spent and the chances lost to our country, there have got been other awful, unintended effects of this war.

Region is destabilized

One hundred thousand Iraki civilians are dead and 4 million displaced, which is the equivalent of 1.2 million American civilians killed and 48 million forced to fly their homes. This mass hegira have destabilized the part around Republic Of Iraq and, with the mounting decease toll, we are viewed by people throughout the Center East and the full human race as occupiers, torturers and liquidators of Moslem civilians.

We have got strengthened Islamic Republic Of Iran by eliminating its greatest threat, Saddam Hussein. The terms of oil on the human race marketplace have got tripled, in no little measurement owed to the latent hostilities we have introduced into Republic Of Iraq and the Irani Gulf. Moreover, the prosecution of this warfare have diminished America's standing in the human race as a beacon fire of hope and an able leader of international affairs.

Finally, we took a country, Iraq, where there were virtually no al-Qaida terrorists when we invaded and allowed them a small, but seeable presence, albeit in a state of 26 million Iraqis. Shrub utilizes al-Qaida to claim Republic Of Iraq is portion of our conflict against international terrorism. He is either beingness artful or is simply an incompetent commander-in-chief.

The impression that we must go on to perpetrate 130,000 to 165,000 U.S. military personnel to manage fewer than 1,000 al-Qaida inch Iraq, when we have got trained 350,000 Iraki soldiers for this purpose, is preposterous.

Further, deploying our military personnel to patrol the Iraki civil war, while Osama bin Laden remains free and al-Qaida and other terrorists organize worldwide trading operations from Islamic Republic Of Pakistan and Afghanistan, is an dismaying abuse of our military.

Instead, we must change course. We must concentrate on our demands at place by securing our ports, borders, chemical works and other targets. We must turn to the anti-American terrorists in more than than 60 states around the world, including Islamic Republic Of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Rebuild our armed forces

We must reconstruct our depleted armed military units to set up for any hereafter security menaces posed by North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran. We must reinvigorate diplomatic efforts, on a bilateral, regional, and international basis, which will assist the Iraqis maintain order, come up to understanding on power-sharing and discourage Persian and Syrian trouble- making.

The Democratic bulk in United States Congress desires U.S. engagement in Republic Of Iraq to come up to an end. So makes the bulk of Americans. Unfortunately, Shrub and his protagonists in United States Congress are trying to run out the clock, leaving this messiness to the adjacent president.

Americans must allow Shrub and his following cognize that no 1 who back ups staying the course of study in Republic Of Republic Of Iraq will be reelected -- and that any political political party that makes not renounce the president's Iraq policies will see rejection at the polls.

Jan. 20, 2009, when a new president takes office, is 14 calendar months away. Our country, Republic Of Iraq and the human race cannot delay until then.

The Democratic bulk in the House goes on to press this issue -- even without the Numbers to overrule the president's veto. Democrats will not give up. Too much is at stake.

U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman have represented New Jersey's 9th Congressional District since 1997 and sit downs on the House Committee on Appropriations.

US accused of killing Iraq allies

2007-11-15T19:28:00.001-08:00

Leaders of a Sunnite tribal grouping in Republic Of Iraq formed to struggle al-Qaeda say tons of their work force were killed by United States military units in a conflict North of the capital, Baghdad.

One of the leadership of the Taji Awakening Council said airstrikes killed 45 of his pro-US fighters.

The United States armed military units said alliance forces killed 25 suspected insurrectionists in the Taji country at the same clip in an operation targeting al-Qaeda leaders.

A United States statement said arms, including anti-aircraft weapons, had been found.

Conflicting accounts

The statement said military units from the US-led alliance "observed respective armed work force in the mark country [near Taji] and, perceiving hostile intent", called in airstrikes.

Ground combat then ensued followed by more than airstrikes on another nearby location.

Several big weaponry caches were found, including anti-aircraft weapons, United States functionaries said. About 20 captives were taken and no alliance casualties were reported.

The alliance military personnel had been in the country on an operation targeting senior al-Qaeda leadership in cardinal Iraq, the United States statement said.

But leadership of the Taji Awakening Council gave a different version of events.

Sheikh Jassem, the caput of the council, told Reuters news federal agency that 45 of his work force had been killed by United States air work stoppages while they were manning roadblocks.

A self-destruction bomber have targeted a police force convoy in Kirkuk

He said the arms the United States military personnel establish belonged to the Muslim Army, a Sunnite grouping which have recently joined military units with the Americans.

Another council leader, Mansour Abid Salim, said his work force were mistakenly hit by the airstrikes which he tried to name off.

"Right from the first onslaught [Tuesday night], we have got continuously been contacting American commanding officers that they are hitting us, their friends," he told Al-Jazeera television.

An American military spokesman said the arms establish - including anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-surface missiles and wayside bomb-making constituents - are not the type of arms pro-US Iraki reserves like those of the awakening councils usually have.

A figure of Sunnite tribal groupings have got formed awakening councils to assist United States and Iraki authorities military units to struggle al-Qaeda groups. Some of these self-defence reserves include former insurgents.

Separately, in the northern town of Kirkuk, a self-destruction auto bomber targeting a police force force convoy killed at least six people and hurt nearly 20 others, including a senior police official.

State Department extends deadline for forcing diplomats to Iraq, hoping for volunteers

2007-11-13T20:24:00.001-08:00

: The State Department states enough diplomatists have got volunteered for transportation to the U.S. Embassy in Republic Of Iraq to allow it detain the enactment of forcing people to function in the armed combat zone.

The section have set off until at least the end of the hebdomad the choice of foreign service military officers for so-called "directed assignments" in Republic Of Iraq as it looks for more than military volunteers to fill up 48 musca volitans that volition come up unfastened at the Bagdad embassy and outlying Iraki states this summer, section functionaries said.

Amid a fad over the possibility that some foreign service military officers might be forced to travel to Republic Of Iraq in the biggest diplomatic call-up since the Socialist Republic Of Vietnam War era, U.S. functionaries said that as of Tuesday morning, 25 military volunteers had been approved.

Twelve of the 23 remaining stations have got been filled tentatively, which raises hopes that the 11 unfastened places can be filled with military volunteers and led the department's Agency of Person Resources to detain the concluding choice process, the functionaries said.

Personnel panels had been owed to get Tuesday the procedure of choosing from among 200 to 300 diplomatists identified as "prime candidates" for Iraq. Those without compelling medical or household grounds who refused to travel would have got been subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal. Today in Americas

Despite the delay, the functionaries stressed that not all those identified were off the hook yet and that there stays a opportunity that a little figure of diplomatists might be ordered to Iraq.

"We very much mean to travel forward with this procedure of identifying people from the premier campaigners listing and, in the absence of military volunteers to fill up those remaining slots, assigning them to those places in Iraq," deputy sheriff State Department spokesman Uncle Tom Casey said.

"It is possible, though, that more than people will come up forward over the adjacent few years and ultimately do for a very little figure who might have got to be direct assigned," he told reporters.

Harry Thomas, manager full general of the Foreign Service, informed Deputy Secretary of State Toilet Negroponte of the rise figure of military volunteers on Friday. At the same time, Seth Thomas said he would detain the choice procedure until Nov. Sixteen at which clip he would re-evaluate the state of affairs and make up one's mind how to proceed, functionaries said.

Thomas' determination last calendar month to get the procedure of directed duty assignments for stations in Republic Of Iraq have sparked a decidedly undiplomatic difference in the foreign service that spilled into the public sphere after news studies emerged of a disputatious State Department town hallway meeting on the subject on Oct. 31.

At the meeting, 100s of diplomatists applauded when one of their co-workers likened a forced circuit in Republic Of Iraq to a "potential decease sentence" while some questioned the ethical motive of ordering unarmed civilians into a warfare zone and expressed concerns about a deficiency of preparation and medical attention for those who have got served.

Other diplomatists have got reacted angrily to the revolt, noting that foreign service military officers take a duty to stand for their authorities anywhere in the world, a point made by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a cablegram sent to all U.S. diplomatic stations on Nov. 2.

The opponent sides are now engaged in an often awful exchange that have surfaced on the State Department's functionary blog, which last hebdomad posted a harshly critical message from a calling diplomatist in Republic Of Iraq who accused those opposing to directed duty assignments of being coddled elitists and suggested they are "wimps and weenies."

Nearly 140 people, including some who place themselves as foreign service officers, had entered the affray on the Dipnote blog as of Tuesday, making it one of the most popular stations the two-month old venture have published.

More than 1,500 of roughly 11,500 foreign service military officers have got already served voluntarily in Iraq, where most are confined to the heavily fortified "Green Zone" for security.

Three foreign service force — two diplomatic security agents and one political military officer — have been killed in Republic Of Iraq since the warfare began in March 2003.

The labor union that stands for diplomatists states the state of affairs in Republic Of Iraq is unstable and the completion of a new embassy chemical compound and life living quarters in Bagdad have been harass by logistical and building problems.

The move to so-called "directed assignments" is rare but not unprecedented.

In 1969, an full social class of entry-level diplomats was sent to Vietnam. On a littler scale, diplomatists were required to work at assorted embassies in Occident Africa in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Iraq Premier Sees Families Returning to Safer Capital

2007-11-12T11:18:00.001-08:00

BAGHDAD, Nov. Eleven The Iraki premier minister, , said in a news conference on Lord'S Day that increased security in Bagdad had allowed one thousands of households to go back to their places in the working capital and outlying areas. Range of War

Related (November 12, 2007)

The figure of self-destruction attacks, auto bombardments and other terrorist Acts have fallen 77 percentage in Bagdad from last year, Mr. Maliki said, adding that 7,000 households had returned to the capital. Together, Mr. Maliki said, the improvements showed "we were able, after eight calendar months of imposing the law, to drive Bagdad from its dark, achromatic years into a brighter clip that people experience optimistic about."

Mr. Maliki's averments were the up-to-the-minute in a series of aglow studies he have offered since the start of the security program in February. And while his appraisal of the diminution in force fits that of American armed forces commanders, it was not clear how he had tallied the figure of returning families, which functionaries state have got been exceedingly hard to locate. The significance of the tax returns is also a topic of debate.

Most of the capital's displaced people have got got yet to return, and the figure of those departure still outpaces those returning, according to Danu Graber Ladek, the Iraki shift specializer for the International Organization for Migration.

Over a million Iraqis have fled their places in the past twelvemonth and a half, she said, nearly three-quarters of them from Baghdad. And though the Iraki authorities is offering 1 million Iraki dinars, or roughly $812, to each Bagdad household that returns, she said, only a fraction of occupants have got done so.

"The security state of affairs is going to have to stabilise for a longer clip period of time in order for those Iraqis to experience safe," Ms. Ladek said. "We're not seeing monolithic tax returns yet." Nearly a 3rd of the people who make tax return to their places have got establish person else living in them, she said. Most returnees are also going back to religiously homogeneous neighborhoods, she said, where they experience safer and more than secure from sectarian strife.

According to recent estimations by the International Organization for Migration, since February 2006 the figure of people who have got got fled their places countrywide had been approximately 60,000 a month, Ms. Ladek said, adding that that figure have dipped markedly in recent calendar months as the force in Bagdad have ebbed.

The United States armed forces said Lord'S Day that rocket and howitzer onslaughts in have dipped to their last degree since February 2006, a lessening it linked to the addition in American troop degrees this year.

United States armed forces commanding officers said creating a safe system in which Iraqis can go back home, without forcing any homesteaders into the streets, will be one of the government's top challenges for the approaching year. The authorities and American armed military units leadership have got got been conducting censuses in Bagdad vicinities since the spring, and have hired local military volunteers to patrol the streets in an attempt to understand migration patterns.

"They desire to acquire back their places and their property," said Col. J. B. Burton, the commanding officer of the Second Brigade Combat Team of the First Infantry Division, which commands northwest Baghdad.

Meanwhile, latent hostilities remained high in Samarra, where, according to the military, the Iraki police force and alliance forces killed seven insurrectionists on Friday. Fight between the Muslim Army, a local Sunnite group, and , a home-grown grouping that American functionaries state is led by foreigners, also broke out close Samarra late Friday, a authorities functionary said, leaving 23 insurrectionists dead.

On Sunday, Maj. Gen. Crick Lynch, commanding officer of the Third Infantry Division in Iraq, said the find of Iranian-made arms here was increasing, Reuters reported. General Lynch said it was ill-defined whether the rise was because more than than arms were coming into Republic Of Iraq or because American military personnel were finding more caches.

Reporting was contributed by Damien Cave, Sir Leslie Stephen Farrell, Khalid al-Ansary and Qais Mizher from Baghdad, and an Iraki employee of The New House Of York Times from Samarra.

6 U.S. troops die in Afghan ambush

2007-11-11T05:16:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON Five U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. Devil Dog were killed in an ambuscade in eastern Afghanistan, military functionaries said Saturday, raising the U.S. decease toll in the state to 108 in a twelvemonth that have go the deadliest since the warfare began six old age ago.

The six service members, who were serving as portion of

NATO's peacekeeping missionary post in Afghanistan, were on a ft patrol Friday with Afghani soldiers when they came under fire from little weaponry and rocket-propelled grenades, confederation functionaries said.

Three Afghan soldiers also were killed in the ambush, which North Atlantic Treaty Organization functionaries described as a complex onslaught that came from multiple positions.

The former high for yearly U.S. casualties came in 2005, when 99 were killed, according to icasualties.org, Associate in Nursing independent grouping that monitoring devices U.S. and alliance warfare deaths. Last year, 98 U.S. armed forces force died as portion of the Afghani mission.

A resurgent TalibanThe fatal ambuscade in Islamic State Of Afghanistan came the same hebdomad in which 2007 became the deadliest twelvemonth for U.S. military units in Republic Of Iraq as well. In Iraq, however, American casualties have got dropped dramatically over the last four months.

In Afghanistan, force have got risen over the course of study of the twelvemonth as a resurgent Taliban, which is believed to have rebuilt itself in alkalis along the Afghan-Pakistan border, have launched a series of onslaughts in eastern and southern provinces.

Last week, a rare self-destruction bombardment in northern Islamic State Of Afghanistan killed at least 68 people, including six lawmakers, in the deadliest such as onslaught since the ejector of the Taliban in 2001.

Senior armed forces functionaries have got got said there have been moving ridges of onslaughts around the cardinal southern metropolis of Kandahar, long a Taliban stronghold, including a major onslaught there earlier this month.

'Soft targets' attackedBut at a Pentagon news conference Friday, before the up-to-the-minute U.S. deceases were made public, a top U.S. commanding officer in Islamic State Of Afghanistan said the figure of such as frontal onslaughts had been decreasing in recent months, even as the figure of wayside bombs and self-destruction onslaughts were on the rise.

"The direct struggle that occurs, what we name 'troops in contact,' is actually decreasing as the Taliban endures defeats," said Army Brig. Gen. Henry Martin Robert E. Robert R. Livingston Jr., the military officer in complaint of preparation Afghani security forces. "It again reflects that desperation, because we're seeing more than than and more soft marks attacked versus military installing or alliance forces."

U.S. frustrationThe roseola of force in Islamic State Of Afghanistan come ups amid growing concern over the NATO-led missionary post there. U.S. Defense Secretary Henry Martin Robert Bill Gates repeatedly have called on European and other allies to make more than to shore up the operation despite the fact that troop degrees there are at all-time highs. There are about 54,000 foreign military personnel in Afghanistan, about one-half of them American.

U.S. functionaries have got been equally frustrated over neighbour Pakistan's failure to tamper down Taliban and al-Qaida activities on its side of the border. Bill Gates said he was concerned the disturbance in Pakistan, where President Pervez Musharraf have declared exigency rule, could further halter Pakistani anti-terrorism efforts.

Thus far, U.S. commanding officers take a firm stand there have got been no noticeable alterations along the border.

2007 Is Deadliest Year for U.S. Troops in Iraq

2007-11-09T23:12:00.001-08:00

BAGHDAD, Nov. Six Six American soldiers were killed in three separate onslaughts in on Monday, the military said Tuesday, taking the figure of deceases this twelvemonth to 852. The toll do 2007 the deadliest twelvemonth of the warfare for United States troops. Multimedia

Military functionaries announced the find of a mass grave retention 22 organic structures in a rural country North of Falluja. They also said that nine Iranians being held in Republic Of Iraq would soon be released, including two of the five who were detained during a January foray of a consulate business office in Erbil.

Five of the American soldiers died in two wayside bomb onslaughts on Monday near Kirkuk, said Rear Adm. Gregory Xiii Smith, manager of the communication theory division of the Multinational Force-Iraq, the formal name for the United States-led forces.

A 6th soldier died Monday during armed combat trading operations in Anbar Province, according to a military statement.

The deceases occurred only a few years after the military proclaimed a steep driblet in the charge per unit of American deceases this year. In October, 38 American service members died in Iraq, the last monthly run since March 2006, according to the (), Associate in Nursing independent Web land site that paths military deaths. November's total, if the current gait continues, would be higher, but still below the war's norm of 69 American military deceases per month.

Despite the decline, American commanding officers acknowledged that 2007 would be far deadlier than the second-worst year, 2004, when 849 Americans died, many of them in major conflicts for control of insurrectionist fastnesses like Falluja.

Military functionaries impute the addition this twelvemonth to an expanded troop presence during the so-called surge, which swelled the American military unit to more than than than 165,000 military personnel in Iraq, and sent units of measurement out of big alkalis and into more unsafe communities.

Commanders postulate that despite the cost in footing of lives lost, the scheme have improved security in the state and created a "tactical momentum" that could stabilise Republic Of Iraq permanently.

The pending release of the Iranians may reflect American blessing of some marks that Islamic Republic Of Islamic Republic Of Iran is cooperating with the United States' demand that it stem the flowing of stuffs into Republic Of Republic Of Iraq used to make deathly wayside bombs known as explosively formed projectiles, or E.F.P.'s.

Admiral Ian Smith said that the E.F.P. constituents establish recently during forays "do not look to have got arrived here in Iraq after those pledges were made," suggesting that Iran have limited trafficking of the arm parts across the boundary line after promising to make so.

American commanding officers have got got stopped short of declaring that Islamic Republic Of Iran have in fact complied with the United States' demands, and Admiral Ian Smith on Tuesday described the program to let go of nine Persian captives not as a diplomatic reward, but rather as the perfunctory end to a criminal investigation.

"These people have no continuing value, nor make they present a additional menace to Iraki security," he said.

Admiral Ian Smith did not state why the two Iranians who were among five captured in January at an Persian Consulate business office in Erbil had been held for nine months, after Islamic Republic Of Iran insisted that they were harmless authorities workers. The military did not place any other Iranians who were released or still being held.

Iraqi functionaries welcomed the proclamation of the prisoners' release. Elijah Muhammad al-Haj Hamud, Iraq's deputy sheriff foreign minister, said the release would "improve the dealings between" Iraq, Islamic Republic Of Islamic Republic Of Islamic Republic Of Iran and the United States before another unit of ammunition of planned meetings on security.

"We desire good dealings with Iran and for Iran to avoid conducting any actions inside Iraq," he said. "At the same time, the Iraki authorities is acute to keep its human relationship with its first and strongest ally, the United States of America."

Violence against Iraqis continued Tuesday. The mass grave was establish Saturday during a joint American-Iraqi operation in the Tharthar Lake area, a bare rural part near the land site of another grave, holding 25 bodies, that was establish less than a calendar month ago.

Local police force functionaries said the organic structures had been dumped in and around an abandoned building.

"Some were buried in wells, and some were left in suite used as prisons," said a police force military officer who helped clear the graves. "These cadavers are portion of what we anticipate to happen more than of in the future."

Just south of Kirkuk, the police force said that clangs with Iraki and American military units on Tuesday left four gunmen dead. In a separate attack, gunmen killed the city manager of a little small town about 30 statute miles south of Kirkuk, and hurt his son, as they drove to a neighbour town.

A member of the government council in Mosul was assassinated in a vicinity on the city's outskirts, the government said, and six police force military officers died when they were ambushed while drive to work.

In Baghdad, the police force establish four dead bodies: two east of the Tigris River River, and two to the west. A wayside bomb exploded near an American patrol near Zawra Park in western Baghdad, and a 2nd bomb exploded in Karada, a cardinal Bagdad neighborhood, an Inside Ministry functionary said. The functionary said it was ill-defined if there were any casualties.

South of the capital, in Latifiya, a bomb set for a joint Iraqi-American ft patrol killed one Iraki soldier. North of Hilla, the government establish the organic structure of a adult male in his 20s floating in a little river. He had been stabbed to death.

Ahmad Fadam contributed reporting from Baghdad, and Iraki employees of The New House Of York Times from Falluja, Kirkuk, Mosul and Hilla.

US 'to release' Iranians in Iraq

2007-11-06T07:10:00.001-08:00

The United States armed forces in Republic Of Iraq states it means to let go of nine Iranians being held there, including two detained on intuition of helping Shiah militias.

They were among five Iranians who Teheran take a firm stands are diplomatists seized in the Kurdish metropolis of Irbil in January.

The proclamation came as Islamic Republic Of Iran opened two consulates in northern Republic Of Iraq to better neckties with the Kurdish region.

Iran's embassador said the hold of the five work force was an "illegal enactment against Iraki sovereignty".

The Persian consulate in Irbil was located in the same edifice that was raided by the United States military units in January.

A United States armed forces spokesman said the people being released were of "no continuing value, nor make they present a additional menace to Iraki security".

No inside information were given about the other seven that the spokesman, Rear Admiral Greg Smith, said would be released "in the close future".

Separately, Rear Adm Ian Smith said five United States soldiers were killed in two wayside bomb onslaughts in Republic Of Iraq on Monday.

Washington impeaches Teheran of preparation and supplying Shiah reserves with arms and military preparation used against United States soldiers in Iraq.

Iran denies the complaint and faults continued force on the US-led invasion of the state in 2003 and the presence of United States troops.

Also on Monday, the United States armed forces said a mass grave had been discovered north-west of Baghdad, containing 22 bodies.

The grave was establish by Iraki military personnel on Saturday in the Lake Thar Thar region, during an operation targeting al-Qaeda militants.

The Iraki government are trying to set up the personal identities of those establish in the grave, and the causes of their deaths.

Arab Bombers, Israeli Soldiers Take Middle East Conflict Online

2007-11-04T21:11:00.001-08:00

Don an Israeli regular army uniform, exert an
M-16 rifle and human face a rabble of angry Palestinian demonstrators. Or,
arm yourself with a Kalashnikov and purpose to hit former Israeli
Prime Curate Ariel Sharon in the forehead. Or detonate a suicide
bomber on a busy metropolis street and kill as many as possible.

These are only a few of the Internet warfare games readily
accessible on the Web for anyone who desires to struggle in the Middle
East's struggles from the comfortableness of a keyboard. The organic structure count is
growing as the games perpetuate the positions of Israelis,
Palestinians, U.S. citizens and al-Qaeda members.

''Each side utilizes games to beef up their point of view,''
said Galit Eilat, laminitis of the Israeli Center for Digital Art in
Holon. ''It's propaganda.'' The centre displayed the games next to
each other in a recent show. ''Put together, viewing audience see that it is
not achromatic and white. We allow each side drama the function of the other.''

The Israeli-designed ''Intifada,'' named for the first
Palestinian rebellion against Israel's regulation in the Occident Depository Financial Institution and
Gaza Strip, turns the participant into a soldier facing a violent crowd
of Palestinians and charged with avoiding unneeded carnage,
while his enemies are portrayed as bloodthirsty terrorists.

''Intifada'' was displayed next to the Syrian-developed
''Stone Throwers,'' which focuses on on a alone Palestinian trying to
hold off Israeli police officer from storming Jerusalem's al-Aqsa
mosque, the third-holiest Islamic topographic point of worship.

An Israeli military military officer who visited the show played the
role of Palestinian terrorist in a game designed by the Shiite
Muslim Hezbollah that he and his unit of measurement had just been fighting in
Lebanon and shouted out involuntarily: ''Those Israelis are really
good!'' before he caught himself, Eilat recalled with a smile.

Virtual Bombs

Many of the games are technologically sophisticated. But when
the struggle flares, so make the more than crude Internet games that
Ed Halter, writer of ''From Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Video
Games,'' said have got replaced the traditional political cartoon. During Israel's struggle with the Hezbollah in South Lebanese Republic in
2006, Internet surfboarders could sock Shiite Moslem leader Hassan
Nasrallah or bomb Lebanese targets.

''This is an utmost word form of how easy it is to do the games. You can flog up a game for shot Nasrallah. It is not a
controllable mass media and can be more than lurid than being published
in a newspaper,'' Halter said in a telephone interview from New York.

Halter said the Syrian- and Saudi-based AfkarMedia Ltd. is
one company trying to change the mass media by depicting warfare from
the side of the loser.

Soldier Stereotypes

Radwan Kasmiya, an AfkarMedia game designer, said games
sponsored by political political parties were the greatest perpetuators of
stereotypes. ''America's Army'' backed by the Pentagon allows its
players go soldiers, and Hezbollah's ''Special Force'' stages
attacks against the Israeli regular army and Sharon.

AfkarMedia's ''Under Siege'' states the narrative of a Palestinian
family with no shot of civilians or self-destruction bombings: The
company, established in 1997 with $4,000 by two people working in
a garage, now have gross sales of $800,000, Kasmiya said in an e-mail.

Another company is banking on struggle declaration to sell its
game. ''Peacemaker'' participants take on the function of an Israeli or
Palestinian leader and seek to work out the Mideast conflict.

The game started as a undertaking at Dale Carnegie Andrew Mellon University
and is based on existent events. After a self-destruction bombing, the Israeli
leader can take to set up more than checkpoints, apprehension Palestinian
militants, do a address to the state or the world, launch an air
strike, or throw negotiation with Palestinian leaders. Popularity of his
actions is gauged on both sides of the struggle and each decision
leads either toward declaration or war.

Downloading Peace

''Peacemaker,'' launched in February and available lone on
the Web, costs about $20 and have been downloaded a few thousand
times in 54 different countries. The squad launched a startup
called ImpactGames LLC with about $500,000 and programs to begin
another unit of ammunition of fundraising to marketplace and spread out the game.

Ido Roll, an Israeli pupil of educational engineerings at
Carnegie Mellon, said he enjoyed playing the function of Palestinians
in ''Peacemaker'': ''I had to recognize their world too, and this
was a worthwhile experience,'' he said by e-mail. The ability to
see different points of position ''is Associate in Nursing plus that transports well
beyond the struggle in the Center East.''

To reach the newsman on this story:
Gwen Ackerman in Capital Of Israel at

Bush Sees Iraq Progress From Troop Buildup

2007-11-03T00:27:00.001-07:00

FORT JACKSON, S.C., Nov. Two President Shrub offered an cheerful appraisal on Friday of advancement in , saying that while corruptness remained a job and unemployment was high, the economic system was growing, force was down and, "slowly but surely, the people of Republic Of Iraq are reclaiming a normal society." Range of War

Speaking to 1,300 alumni of the Army's basic preparation encampment here, Mr. Shrub gave his first advancement study on Republic Of Iraq since September, when he announced that his troop buildup would come up to an end by adjacent spring, with decreases beginning at the end of this year.

In the September speech, the president called the new scheme "return on success," a phrase he reiterated in his comments here on Friday.

To do his lawsuit that the scheme is working, Mr. Shrub ticked off a litany of statistics. Since the buildup was completed in June, he said, the figure of onslaughts each hebdomad involving I.E.D.'s, or improvised explosive devices, had dropped by half. The figure of American armed forces deaths, he said, had fallen to its last degree in 19 months.

With Karbala State moving to Iraki control this week, Mr. Shrub said Iraqis were now responsible for security in 8 of Iraq's 18 provinces.

"The Iraqis are becoming more than capable, and our military commanding officer states me that these additions are making possible what I name 'return on success,'" Mr. Shrub said. "That agency we're slowly bringing some of our military personnel place and now we're doing it from a place of strength."

Mr. Shrub typically happens friendly audiences at military bases, and Friday was no exception; the alumni and their relations and friends applauded wildly as he arrived on the grassy parade field here, and they interrupted his comments respective modern times with ft stomping and cheers.

The address came as Mr. Shrub was pressing the Democratic-controlled Congress to O.K. an exigency disbursement measure for the warfares in Republic Of Iraq and Afghanistan. Argument on the disbursement measure may not take topographic point until early adjacent year, but some are already predicting that the Democrats may do another effort to coerce Mr. Shrub to switch scheme in Iraq, in order to convey the military personnel place more quickly than he had planned.

In a statement responding to Mr. Bush's speech, the Senate Democratic leader, of Nevada, accused the president of "overstating the security situation" in Iraq.

"While the lessening in U.S. and Iraki civilian deceases is welcome news, force stays high in Iraq," Mr. Thomas Reid said. "Our primary end political rapprochement is still out of reach, and Iraki security military units have got not met the duties the president himself laid out for them when he proclaimed his escalation scheme in January."

When Mr. Shrub first announced the troop buildup in January, he said it was intended to give the authorities of Prime Curate "breathing space" to construct a cohesive cardinal authorities that could bridge over the sectarian divisions that were ripping Republic Of Iraq apart. Mr. Shrub conceded Friday that "reconciliation at the national degree hasn't been what we hoped it'd been by now," and said he had "made my letdowns clear to the Iraki leadership."

But he argued, as he have in the past, that rapprochement was taking topographic point at the local level, and that Shi'Ite and Sunnite leadership were beginning to collaborate with one another to struggle against , a homegrown extremist grouping that American intelligence federal agencies state is foreign-led.

Mr. Shrub also took the unusual measure of offering a body-count figure, saying that together with Iraki forces, American military personnel had killed or captured an norm of more than than 1,500 "enemy fighters" per calendar month since January.

On the economical front, the president argued that Iraki society was beginning to go back to normal.

"We're seeing improvements in of import economical indicators," he said. "Inflation have been cut in half. Electricity production in September reached its peak degrees since the warfare began and higher than it was under ."

Israeli soldiers kill Islamic Jihad member in central Gaza : Middle East World

2007-11-01T18:24:00.001-07:00

Gaza - One Palestinian killed and three hurt Wednesday eventide in Israeli gunshot east of al-Bureij Refugee Camp in cardinal Gaza Strip, medicks and witnessers said. Witnesses said an Israeli regular army military unit rolled into the country amid intensive gunfire, adding that one immature man, a member of the Muslim Jihad (Holy War) movement, was killed and three wounded.

Medics said Mahmoud al-Haj, 23, of al-Bureij, was killed after he was shot in his leg and bled to death. Three more people were slightly injured, said infirmary officials.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, main of exigency in the ministry of health, said Palestinian ambulances were not able to deliver the hurt and hardly managed to acquire the organic structure of the immature adult male and the other casualties.

Meanwhile, Hassanein said that four more than Palestinians were wounded in Israeli heavy weapon shelling which hit a grouping of Palestinians in northern Gaza Strip. One is in critical condition, he said.

Are All Votes Equally Important? The Art of Political Triage

2007-10-09T07:17:00.001-07:00

As a mass media adviser and adviser during a major political political campaign I am often asked to field enquiries from protagonists of the candidate. Many have got got got words of encouragement, some have constructive unfavorable judgment and some have serious emotional issues requiring professional attention. If you have got ever been portion of a political political political campaign you understand my words.

From the minute campaign headquarters' presence door swings open, the nature of the animal is apparent. Imagine the exhilaration and avowal felt when the first military volunteer walks in to subscribe up. Now conceive of what dark inside information you might not be aware. Say, perhaps, that this individual have been kindly removed from every political campaign central office in this past thirty years. "People issues."

Many people don't expect having to be a force director. But person have to make it. Read books on the fine art of rejection: How to fire, how to state no, how to stay polite. Each military volunteer have alone motivations for helping the campaign. Few are sinister, most are dear and true. Respect the differences, but demand they work within the model and construction you have got set in place.

Despite best efforts, eventually the tough inquiry must be asked: Are all ballots equal? The public reply is always Yes. In reality, this is not the case. On some degree it is all British pound professional quo. You must develop a finely tuned filter – know where to pull the line. Most common cold phone calls and electronic mails will function only to distract. Rich Person a criterion give thanks you electronic mail answer form. End the dialogue quickly. Stay true to your message and keep your campaign's integrity.

Radio stations handle hearers the same manner you should handle solicitous voters. They certainly don't play every song petition called in. They have got invested billions of dollars in staff, equipment, advertising, scheduling and marketplace testing to aim a specific audience. It is of import to understand that the typical petition company might not be a good lucifer for the typical listener. Similarly, ailments about the music come up from individuals. No substance how many ailments are received, the station cognizes its music is the best tantrum for the mark audience.

This isn't to state such as input signal should be brushed off. When a hearer phone calls to kick about the music, he is made to experience that action will be taken. When a hearer phone calls to bespeak a song, she is told that it will play soon. Always listening, always placating, always providing a lovingness voice, but never deviating from the goal.

Take these lessons from radiocommunication and use them to your campaign. Essentially, trust your Numbers and demographic research. The angry hearer will listen again. Unsatisfied electors will still vote – they called you, not the other guy. Stick with the message your campaigner believes in and is supported by numbers.

Oh, and don't set it past your resistance to drench you with distracting electronic mails and telephone calls.

Stay focused. Rich Person responses posted and ready for all negative comments. In the end, they are unimportant.

Another 50 Billion Dollars for Iraq

2007-09-06T12:52:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning time thought about Iraq. Last nighttime I learned President Shrub have asked for another 50 billion dollars to cover the cost of the Republic Of Iraq war. Some news federal agencies study the cost of the warfare is now at 3 billion dollars a week.

How much more than agony can be inflicted on the Iraki people for another 50 billion? How many more than American soldiers will be killed while disbursement that 50 billion? Who is going to acquire that 50 billion dollars? What is not being done in this state because another 50 billion is going to person waiting in Iraq?

Do some reading online and you can happen studies of the dingy statuses in Iraq. The substructure is so mediocre that in Bagdad the electricity is on about 8 hours per day. That is the Capitol metropolis and is the most developed metropolis in the country. Other topographic points are even worse with sewerage in the streets and no imbibing water. Forget about electricity.

Are we to disbelieve these studies are just broad faultfinding and arrested development on the jobs in Iraq? Or can we look at this and recognize money is just being shoveled down a achromatic hole? Companies have got been paid millions for Reconstruction work on substructure and the state of affairs is still abysmal. About 20 billion dollars appropriated by United States Congress four old age ago for Reconstruction have been spent.

Take Bechtel for example. This company have been paid 1.3 billion dollars for sewerage undertaking work. Less than one-half of the undertakings have got been completed. About 40 percentage of their measures for work have got been for "support" costs. Nearly 250 million dollars have been billed under the class "Other". I am certain this form is repeated over and over again with these "no command contracts".

I was looking at a listing of the top 200 contractors for the Federal Soldier Government. KBR, a subordinate of Halliburton, is figure 6 on the list, you will remember the Frailty President's human relationship to Halliburton. Almost 6 billion dollars for KBR from the Department of Defense. The top 5 are a who's who of weaponry makers.

Verizon received over 200 million in Defense Contracts from the Department of Defense. And there is old Blackwater USA, the private materialistic contractor at just below 600 million dollars. Blackwater is the employer of former armed forces people, White Person South African military, South American thugs, and Central American decease squad members. Read Jeremy Scahill's book about Blackwater USA.

This is all published information and probably legal. But, it is interesting who acquires what from the government. A tragical outcome, and also a form in the Shrub Administration is, people who have got got blown the whistle on corruptness in Republic Of Iraq have actually been punished. For audacious to describe illegal weaponry sales, Navy veteran soldier Donald Vance states he was imprisoned by the American military in a security chemical compound outside Bagdad and subjected to rough question methods.

Vance made his study to the Federal Bureau of Investigation business office in Windy City because there was no 1 in Republic Of Iraq he could trust. He revealed an weaponry selling operation that was selling anything to anyone who had the money. These were the weaponry intended for usage by the United States armed forces being sold to insurgents. Vance tried to expose it and lesion up in prison house being tortured.

Apparently, the unspoken word in Republic Of Iraq is don't state anything about corruptness or incorrect doing because you will be destroyed for doing so. A very neat agreement for any corporation who desires to do a buck.

Think tank: Europe must steer Kosovo to independence or face renewed conflict

2007-08-30T03:27:00.001-07:00

PRISTINA, Serbia: An international think tank said Tuesday that the European Union should support independence for Kosovo or risk plunging the region into violence.

New talks between ethnic Albanians and Serbia are likely to fail, the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank, said in a report, adding that the EU's failure to form a common position on Kosovo's independence would have "very disturbing consequences for Europe."

"If it is incapable once again, it would almost certainly lead to bloodshed and renewed regional chaos that would blow back into Central and Western Europe in the form of refugees and stronger organized crime networks," said Sabine Freizer of ICG.

Kosovo has been under United Nations and NATO control since 1999 after NATO's 78-day air war against Yugoslavia, waged to stop a crackdown on the province's separatist ethnic Albanians.

The report, titled "Breaking the Kosovo Stalemate: Europe's Responsibility," called upon the bloc to coordinate a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders if talks between the two sides, slated to end by Dec. 10, do not result in an agreement.

Today in Europe

However, it urged Western diplomats to "restrain Kosovo Albanians from unilateral actions," fearing an unsupervised declaration of independence could prompt leaders in Kosovo's Serb-dominated north to respond with a separatist move of their own.

Envoys from United States, the European Union and Russia launched a 120-day effort to end the impasse over Kosovo after Russia's threat to block in the U.N. Security Council a Western-backed plan to grant the province internationally supervised independence.

The plan, drafted by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, would give broad rights to the Serb minority in Kosovo and proposes that the province separate from Serbia after a period of international supervision under EU leadership.

The 37-page report of the International Crisis Group urged the EU and U.S. to enforce the Ahtisaari plan, despite Russia's opposition to Kosovo's independence.

Ethnic Albanian leaders and Serbian officials are to hold the next round of talks with international envoys Aug. 30 in Vienna, Austria. Both sides have expressed doubt that an agreement can be reached.

Hashim Thaci, an ethnic Albanian negotiator, said Tuesday the province's leaders "will be very clear, cooperative and determined that Kosovo's independence be official and recognized very soon by the U.S., EU and that Russia should not in any way be allowed to unilaterally prevent this."

Kosovo's leaders insist on independence from Serbia following the 1998-99 conflict that left 10,000 dead in the face of an onslaught from Serbian forces. Serbia considers the territory an integral part of the country.

"If Kosovo explodes because the independence issue is mishandled, the regional risks would include that eight years worth of international resources and prestige dedicated to managing the crisis would be lost," the report said.

"The genie of ethnic conflict would be let loose again."

Ogaden's Plight - The Most Crippling Problems That Faces The Ogaden

2007-07-31T17:12:00.001-07:00

The developed states in this human race are traveling to the moon and back, breaking new bounds in scientific discipline and surpassing economical growing that tin only be dreamt of. Then why is the Ogaden, and for that substance Africa, still crawling in the mud?

Historically, Africa have been robbed of its people by bondage and robbed of its natural resources in the clip of the so called "Scramble for Africa" which is known to us as the African Colonization (19th century). So Africa was initially crippled. However, some states fared better than others. Federal Democratic Republic Of Ethiopia was the lone state not to be colonised by the Europeans as it was defeat by greed and helped the Europeans to take over Africa. The most unfortunate is the Ogaden region, which funnily adequate was given to Federal Democratic Republic Of Ethiopia as a "thank you" present by United Kingdom which was and is still illegal. Federal Democratic Republic Of Ethiopia still goes on to depredation the Ogaden with its cruel and inhumane regime.

The Ogaden have been through so much and many of its jobs are owed to external parties, mainly the meagre aid from the international community. The international community have turned their dorsums on the Ogaden region, mostly because to the Ogaden part would intend straying away from their way of the human race economical race. Ethiopia's illegal government is covering up the Ogaden's right for freedom. It is also well on its manner to set it ego in a favourable visible light to the international eye. I would very much like to ran into Ethiopia's praseodymium & selling squad as they are doing a very good occupation of distortion the truth in the Ogaden region!

Freedom for the Ogaden part is an weaponry length away and it is only a substance of clip till the Ogaden part acquires its deserved freedom! But the Ogaden part necessitates to speed up this clip since it have been freedom less for some clip now and the remainder of the human race have advanced both economically and technologically. Once the Ogaden part acquires its right to freedom, it have to catch up to the remainder of the human race and most of Africa is struggling to make this so it's imperative that the Ogaden part wins freedom as quickly as possible.

Ogaden Journalist

The Life Of A Medic With The 10CSH -The Real Story!

2007-07-14T18:09:00.001-07:00

I would wish to show my deepest sorrow about the struggle between the United States and both Islamic State Of Afghanistan and Iraq. As a armed combat Medic that participated in both battles in the same twelvemonth (2005), I would wish to be extremely low with my ideas and emotions to the American public, who excuse or abject with this in progress struggles to pick sides for the terms of freedom. I have got been in the military for 20 yrs. And could not conceive of what my life would be like not protecting my country. Just a small about myself before I explicate why I pick to "Open up a tin of worms". I joined the Army National Guard in Buffalo, N.Y. The twelvemonth was 1985 and as my recruiter explained to me so directly, (I'm looking over your score's from the A.S.V.A.B and you will be a ft soldier (infantry) 11B. I had no instruction or counsel at the clip and was excited that person would give me employment and (He did state that I would see the world) Ha! That was a joke, but basic preparation at Foot Benning, gallium was no gag and it started my long matter with the Army.

I did my 4 Yrs. and got out and stayed lost for some time, Until I made up my head that the military was my calling, But not Infantry because I'm a batch aged and my legs and back, would not last the long trail to retirement. That was in 1996 with Desert Storm at its completion, and still having dreamings of seeing the human race that was promised to me a decennary ago. I decided to halt learning how to killing and assist salvage others lives along the way. I have got got to say, that I was not ready for the experience life had in shop for me. The lone ground for me to compose this narrative is to state the complete truth and seek (if anyone listens) assists my chap Combat medic's and for that matter, the ft soldier that we treated for a year.

That could have been myself being transported out of some unknown region location in Bagdad to the greenish zone. With my new military business workings with the 10th Combat support infirmary in the Emergency room, I had the daze of my life. I trust the introduction didn't drag on for you, because if you made it this far, the roller coaster drive will assist you understand from my position point, the decease of a medick that worked with us saving one thousands of life's, just to decease two hebdomads before we were to re-deploy back to the states. The cover-ups of political relation in the military to do the higher ranking people fault it on soldiers and others (I will explicate it all). The drugs and alcoholic beverage utilizes from the attention takers in the E.R just trying to get by with reality. I'm not going to state anything bad about the grouping of talented doctors, nurses, and medicks that made the 10th CSH. 94% recovery charge per unit of economy lives, the best in theatre yet. I'm sharing the other side of the story, the 1 cipher desires to tell.

Everyone's so focused on the injury and how we make the job, the mass media and people (that were treated by the 10th CSH), failed to retrieve the first existent treatment, in a injury unit. The very first assistance happened on site, before the chopper arrived. That was me in Islamic State Of Afghanistan life in an unknown region forward medical base. So were to begin about the atrocious injury and the incredible play at the best armed combat support infirmary in Bagdad 10Th CHS. I will set my experience when 3 hundred and two different medical professional arriving at Ft.Carson inch readying for our deployment to Baghdad.

Most of the Soldiers never had injury experiences, allow alone been in a armed combat zone. The 10th CSH had literally three years to larn our individual functions that we would be playing for 365 years and it was a long twelvemonth without family. We received a batch of support from the states, helping with clothing for the hurt soldiers, personal points and movies and anything else you can believe of, the support from United States was incredible for the CSH. There are a batch of great agency's encouraging our military personnel and the American people should be proud for there generosity under these utmost circumstances. We received a batch of support from the states, helping with clothing for the hurt soldiers, personal points and movies and anything else you can believe of, the support from United States was incredible for the CSH. There are a batch of great agency's encouraging our military personnel and the American people should be proud for there generosity under these utmost circumstances. I will add some fantastic programmes so we can direct points to give comfortableness for our loved 1s overseas to do there tour of duty feel like a stateside field exercise.

Anyway, once the 10th CSH started to recognize the fact, that we will have got to be on our game twenty four/seven for the adjacent year, it was freighting! It didn't take any clip to see the members of the E.R to cleave on people that made them experience comfy and safe. I felt like an foreigner when it came to the "clicks". I would show my feeling to my concatenation of bid and anyone that would listen about how, Officers and enlisted running around together, expressing themselves like the twelvemonth was 1969 ( Woodstock). Watching them at 0200 in the enlisted barracks, let's name this LT. Spencer Tracy with her less enlisted friend allow phone call her SPC Herbert Mclean Evans running play down the hallways jumping into different soldier's suite and acting the fool. I tried to share my positions with my subdivision NCO, but again it went on deaf ears. It was said that it would be taken attention of. I believe the military officers were confronted and tried to be dealt with. My caput nurse from the E.R (LTC), we will name him Henry Louis Aaron informed me that LT. Spencer Tracy was told about her behaviour and was told, "Not to lose focusing on the missionary post at hand". I'm embarrassed to state that after that, nil go on and I had to cover with military officers and enlisted calling each other by there first names, married soldiers that can't lodge to there vows with there particular love one, taking attention of the place presence and the children. Just to go through by or be sitting adjacent to these people to hear "I love you too and lose you so much, how are the children and I can't wait to acquire home, it sucks here and I'm lonely without you and the kids. Yes honey, you are the lone 1 that I will ever love and you should have got cognize worry. I will seek to name tomorrow, but sometime the telephones are down because of the location". The adjacent day, I would returning to the barracks after working the nighttime displacement to happen SPC Herbert Mclean Evans coming out of SGT Crosses room in very small pugilists trying to go back to her ain room to change for work, that one-half the clip she was late. Looking back, I can see manner SPC Herbert Mclean Evans was late and again no 1 did anything, with my changeless complaining about the negative states of affairs that impede our workings environment.

Once we all returned to the states, LT. Spencer Tracy and SPC. Herbert Mclean Evans and a few others E.R members moved in together and the play followed them. There is so much to share of about that "click". I would detest to speak too much and direct person or multiple people to prison. That SPC. Herbert Mclean Evans is pregnant with her lover's babe (SGT Cross) and we all cognize she is married to another medick in a different unit. It's hard to convey the truth to the surface without any existent names, but when I finish this narrative about 10th armed combat support infirmary and the P.T.S.D, the whole narrative about us will be told. I cognize for a fact that the exigency room personal had to in dour, with there accommodation back stateside. It's difficult to share this event, because I told it so much with the C.I.A, concatenation of command, my peers, people I work with that still can't understand how the best CSH in Baghdad, would allow a immature SGT. Worster gambled with his life over and over again, and the maltreatment of shot up drugs that was so easy to acquire a clasp of and letting a mulct medick faux pas through the cracks. I'm not trying to do myself look good after this tragedy, but I shouted my feeling's about the drugs and partial treatment if you were not a portion of the in- crowd. I started on twenty-four hours shift, in complaint of ordering stores and issuing them to other little units of measurement for re-supply for armed combat lifeguard bags and I was very generous with them. I can turn out to all of you that, I knew too much about the interior circle and I voiced my sentiment loudly! Anyone that cognizes me we competition to my statement. I'll state it like it is without thinking, if I'm going to ache your feelings. That would be doctors, nurses and anyone I felt incompetent at there job. I was forced to travel on nighttime displacement to maintain quiet, and hope I would not do moving ridges in the E.R's manner of operation. Guess what, the play establish the nighttime displacement anyway. We were informed that an detonation go on in a marketplace foursquare and the 10th CSH was about to have 30 hurt civilians and Republic Of Iraq police. My displacement leader told me to run to the barracks and recover as many E.R personal that I can, from Day displacement or anyone that have a twenty-four hours off. I'm running up and down knocking on doors, alerting them about a possible Mescal that was in path to our location. Well, I got to the flooring were that "click" stayed and I banged on SGT Crosses door that was and still is sleeping with Spc Evans(that's married) and asked were everyone was at.

I'm not certain why he opened the door, but what I saw disturbed me. This NCO that just received the rank of sergeant three calendar months ago, was sitting alone, listening to music and was on the boundary line line of being incoherent. I asked him if he was imbibing and he said "yes I have got been, but delight promise me that you will not state anyone"! Wow, what a state of affairs to me in with the individual that won't halt doing the incorrect thing. I ensured him, that I would maintain this state of affairs between us. I asked him again were the remainder of the medicks were and he pointed down the hallway to (we will name him) SGT Mackie's room. My head is racing at this time, what person other then me would do! Let this NCO acquire away with imbibing and endangers of mission, or convey the state of affairs higher up the concatenation of command. At this stage, I have got no confidant's with my presence line supervisors, because of the earlier play with the same crew, I had to travel with person I trusted and that would be on my side to endorse me up. I went to my nighttime displacement NCO, SSG. Cail and explained my quandary and we both agreed to prosecute it. I'm going back now, As i started walking toward SGT Mackie's room and was deciding what to do. Keep in mind, this is how all the play started. I'm frustrated with this firkin topic, and hope it's the last time. It's hard to share what Iodine saw when the door opened and three of the soldiers which iodine saw, never dreamed that they would ever be in that room in a million years!

"Bang, bang, all I heard is scrambling, a couple more bang, slams and the first individual to reply the door was SPC Evans. To my Surprise, she wouldn't allow me progress past the doorway. I said "what the Hell is going on here". SPC Herbert Mclean Evans tried to explicate to me that everything was fine. I told her that SGT Worster and others had to describe to the erbium to assist with the wounded. I was getting the tally a unit of ammunition with shitty replies and I forced myself into the room. The first individual a proverb was SGT Worster behind the door, completely in a shock and very angry with clinched fist's cook to plug something. I asked SPC Herbert Mclean Evans what is incorrect with him and she stated "nothing and he will be alright". At this point, I had enough with that" click" flooring and told SPC Herbert Mclean Evans to direct everyone to the E.R. She agreed and 3 hours later, SGT Worster demoes up looking like nil happened. The 1 thing I explained to my concatenation of bid was "WHY" did this NCO take three hours to go back to work, and what about the other five soldiers in the room?

This is the start of there grouping falling apart fast, and myself watching without anyone really doing anything about it. I was so naif to believe alcoholic beverage had apart to make with there behavior, because I establish Sgt. Crosses under the influences and my first decision was to, incrimination that same grouping with the same state of affairs . Male Child was I wrong, when it come ups to shot drugs and detecting the usage of alcohol, you can't tell. I don't experience comfy with myself and have got a difficult clip with all of the drama; I tried to state the people in charge, but as you will see there will be a Hugh probe and a batch of guesses about what happened with the exigency room. I will go on on with the truth if you don't mind.

I will change gearing a small spot and discourse the people that needful our installation to stay alive to share there undergoes in Republic Of Iraq with the American people and totally bury where them came from. Don't acquire me wrong, that is our occupation as armed combat medicks to respond to injury when it shows itself, We gave our Black Maria and psyches to everyone that unexpectedly came through our E.R, and see them retrieve from the lesions as warfare and they compose a book and the 2nd attention that they received (as I explained before, the first attention was the unit of measurement that called a Checkup flight to the 10th CSH, Baghdad. Its emotional to reminisce about that eventide when we were told of hurt 'inbound'! The E.R crew prepared like always when a multiple injury arrived, waiting calmly for the radiocommunication to instruct us to the landing pad. We have got no clued what Oregon who is on the chopper when it lands to our destination. We handle everyone the same and I experience that is why we are 94 percentage recovery and endurance charge per unit with trauma! You can always state when person of of import is about to get because you see a batch of lawsuits and cell telephones and chaos.

I had no idea, when British Shilling sweet woodruff and his photographic camera adult male Doug Vogt from Canada arrived and Iodine were assigned to Doug Vogt and we talked about upstate N.Y. I'm calm clueless at this point, until person asked me to convey the other hurt Idaho card to be in-processed and I seen his certificate from rudiment news and I detest to say, I was still clueless. I did my occupation and there was a batch of talking about our hurt and I just continued to take attention of the patient. I and Mr. Vogt had a great conversation about upstate N.Y and where he is from in Canada. I made him experience comfy under the worst situations, With Mr. Vogt looking over to his right and seeing his friend and asking if he is going to do it. I just reassured him that everything will work out. I'm glad to say, with the fantastic injury squad that went to work and packaged Mr. Sweet Woodruff up for transportation system to Germany, He would be just another cadaver in a organic structure bag that myself and another medick would wheel into the mortuary and state a supplication for him, and go on with our mission. Please don't take me incorrect or cold hearted, but when you last a wayside blast and recover. It stingings when I read an article about your fantastic rejoinder because of the endowment and dedication of talented medical personal from the 10th Chs, that didn't give up on you to die.

Like the Iraq's, so many hurt that came through our doors and we had to force them into a particular room were it would take about 4-5 hours for the caput hurt patient to expire. Iodine would sit down there and expression at the life monitoring device to estimate how long I had to wait before I called the physician in to name the clip of death. How about my friend behind the photographic camera that I would wish to happen out how he is doing after the attention we gave. I haven't heard anything about Mr. Doug after he left the 10th CSH and I heard too much about Mr. woodruff, and I'm grateful that you are recovering back to normal, but what about you sharing with the public you spouse (Doug Vogt) and the injury he felt watching you being treated on when your wellness was up in the air. I sat with him and was at astonishment when everyone ran around to do the phone calls and stabilise you enough to be transported to the adjacent degree of care. I believe in karma, bad or good and I would wish to remain on the good side of the Karma. I experience that this portion of my experience is over; until it just occurred to me that we had another celebrity. Ms. Kimberly Dozier arrived on Memorial Day Tuesday, June 13, 2006.

CNN did a great occupation devising the 10th CSH expression great. If you look at the documentary, I'm in the first section lifting the hurt with another medick and the crap hit the fan. It's just another illustration of economy lives of people and they retrieve and bury where or maybe they just don't retrieve the 2nd attention that was given. (Remember the first attention was the 1s on the scenes). We had 7 soldiers and lose dozier at one clip and we over came the injury to salvage more than lives for another day. There will be more than and the continued play everyone desires to bury about. I will go on to state the existent narrative about the above subjects and how thankful they (the so called celebrities) should be! I'm not jumping around with my story, just given in to you the manner I retrieve it. Let's convey back SGT. Worster, SPC. Evans, Sgt Crosses and LT. Tracy. I will present a new soldier to messiness and convey all of together for you.

SPC. Bane joined us four calendar months into our deployment and will be the chief focal point of my story. I will go on without him because I don't experience he is committed to this project. I still have got all the written documents to endorse up all my statements, and we are just about to convey it until overdrive! I'm trying to do this narrative as short as possible. I would wish to happen person that volition put there clip and do one Hell of a novel. It will be better then "not on my watch". I read and was not impressed, because I have got the truth about two wars. I didn't even begin about my first deployment in Afghanistan, when we started a forward operation base, without electricity and the comfortableness of home. My first injury was an abused nine years old that said his dada would beat out him for cognize reason. The male child decided to imbibe poisonous substance (lawn pesticide). And when he arrived to us, he was screaming in Arabic Language (F*#k you father and I will F*# kelvin your married woman and I will kill you, F*#k you! The male child was doing well, until we ran out of O to provide his body. We were 2 proceedings to late, as we were doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation toward the landing pad. True narrative (My chap medick and good friend pushed the father out of the manner and I had the 1SG come up to me and told him, "If you go on that shit, I will transport your buttocks back on that flight". I told the medick to just concentrate on what necessitates to be done at this moment. We tried everything for the kid, but if I cognize what I learned in Baghdad. I would wish to believe we would be able to salvage him. Then again, maybe the immature adult male is better were the Godhead have taken him.

It still aches to believe about that state of affairs and all the others. I will not share at this clip about Afghanistan; let's go on about our soldier that the 10th CHS left behind in Baghdad. All the marks were on the wall, when it came to the drug usage between the medics. It acquires me very angry in retrospect, all the complaining myself and others saw and the rumours that was floating around the E.R. The day of the month was 17 September 2006. It was a slow twenty-four hours in the exigency room, and the staff was re-stocking the injury suite and some were working on the computers. What struck me as unusual, were the two soldiers that were hanging around and tempo from the dorsum treatment room to the presence of the E.R. Sgt. Worster and Spc. Bane came across as "up to something in my book". Looking dorsum on that evening, and if I would've been able to {read between the lines} and see what the two of them were up to, I might have got been able to salvage Sgt. Worster ! I will state you that, for the first clip Sgt Woster gave me a clinch and i was thrown a back of his kindness. We did have got a human relationship like that. Sgt. Woster had got a clasp of a NBC injection counterpoison and pricked his finger to see what would happen, I did not see any side- personal effects from this behavior. I allow both Spc. Bane and Sgt Woster go on with there program of scoring drugs, because i was to tired to rehash the topic. No 1 would listen to me, and the crap i seen to construct up to us losing one of are own. I was informed by the adult male that was poking acerate leaves in both Sgt. Woster and his ain arms, that there drug maltreatment when to far the nighttime and morning time of the 18 September 07. I was still duty , when iodine seen Spc. Bane tally into the E.R. and screaming for help. It was 0600 in the morning time and iodine ran up the dorsum stairway of the 2nd floor, just across from my bedroom.

What iodine seen was Dr. Dismond and Dr. Mazler and a few medicks working on the patient and i ran back to the E.R to explicate what i saw and to acquire the injury room ready. The concatenation of events leading up to the most hard minute of my life, seeing SGT Worster rushed through the dorsum door into injury room one, with a tubing wall hanging off the right side of his mouth. I was shocked to see them giving cardiopulmonary resuscitation and all the attempts of the docs and medicks to react with ( We tried everything!). It was a bad twenty-four hours and no 1 will ever understand what its similar to walk into the mortuary and state your concluding just Wells to a soldier that worked difficult to develop his medical accomplishments and really believe that he had a deep interior convection about life in general! That is and was a boy and father to person and that was loved by many. I cognize he loved his son, because there would be a image of his boy on the chief counter of the E.R section. Its very difficult deoxythymidine monophosphate O explicate my lawsuit about this situation, As you all know, we worked on a well of a batch of high profile trauma's. I have got to say, this 1 broke me as a armed combat medic. Just seeing my co-worker not able to salvage others and the support of all the medical personal and the 10th CSH, all the attempts to maintain him with us and start the re-deployment process.

I can't believe, when the whole 10th CSH sent SGT Worster off on that angel flight and we all felt crappy about sending our ain in a organic structure bag back to the states. With confusion and ego blame, as a medicks ( talking about myself) will oppugn the manner the state of affairs with everything i talked about, was handled in the right way. Its just my opinion, of the disregard that i felt developed leading up to SGT Woster's death.

Military Maintenance Crews Need More Budget to Upgrade

2007-07-13T11:18:00.001-07:00

There is a labour issue in all sectors of our economy. The United States armed forces must also vie for labour in free-markets and that is not so easy. For every soldier on the land or airplane pilot in the air there are 25 asset people in logistical support and that is a batch of labour championship up the tip of the sword. Luckily, more than than and more high-tech tools are available to cut down labour costs and assist our nation's military stay ready for anything.

I urge that Military Hardware care squads have got manus held computing machines with Artificial Intelligence and work stations like Boeing have for its aircraft builders. These computing machine systems can draw up everything and can be aquiline into the stock list system in existent time? I believe that we should also be using the holographic tools, which expose as the machinist is working? Massachusetts Institute of Technology have such as as tools and Dale Carnegie Andrew Mellon is working on computerised Artificial Intelligence assistants to read manuals and give the information by voice.

We necessitate to discourse such Artificial Intelligent systems that read the manuals as the machinist is working and recite this information in laymen's terms. I trust we acquire these machinist high-tech tools soon to break velocity up the work and do it more than than efficient, because there is getting to be a very terrible labour shortage.

We must therefore allot more budget in the hereafter to head-off the crisis in the labour deficits and the clip it takes to develop mechanics on all our new high-tech military equipment. We must protect our state and remain up on the advancement as modern warfare rans into the future.

Is Congressman Ron Paul Really A Champion For The Constitution?

2007-07-11T12:38:00.001-07:00

There are numerous grounds to admire Congressman Bokkos Paul, as I have got for many years. Clearly he is running for president as a Republican, rather than a 3rd political party candidate, for the intent of getting richly deserved mass media and public attending not available to those outside the two-party duopoly. He have proudly described himself as a title-holder of the Constitution. However, he is missing a major chance to show his courageousness and commitment to our constitutional republic.

He have acknowledged the rightness of amending the Constitution. In fact, he introduced statute law for an amendment that would halt giving automatic citizenship to babes born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents. He said: 'Our laminitises knew that unanticipated jobs with our system of authorities would arise, and that's precisely why they gave us a method for amending the Constitution. It's clock to rethink birthright citizenship by amending the 14th amendment."

Personally, I back this peculiar amendment. More important, however, I am disappointed that he have never latched on to the long history of Congress' failure to honour and obey the portion of Article Volt of the Fundamental Law that gives Americans the right to a convention for the intent of proposing amendments to the Constitution. The convention is an option to United States Congress proposing amendments. Interestingly, the peculiar amendment that Alice Alice Paul prefers will probably never emerge from Congress, but might have got a better opportunity through an Article Volt convention.

Why have Paul failed to admit that United States United States Congress have ignored over 500 applications from state legislative assemblies from all 50 states for an Article Volt convention? As a title-holder of the Constitution, surely he cognizes that the 1 and only demand explicitly stated in Article Volt is that two-thirds of state legislative assemblies inquire for one. And surely he cognizes that United States Congress have never passed any law that spreads out or modifies this single expressed constitutional requirement. So, I ask: Why haa Alice Paul remained soundless on the Article Volt issue?

If he makes not believe that United States Congress should honour Article V's proviso for a convention, why not state so publicly? If he believes that it should never be used, then why not name for an amendment to cancel it from our Constitution?

I urge on Congressman Paul, as a title-holder of the Constitution, to not act like other members of United States Congress and silently blackball a important portion of the Fundamental Law that the Framers wisely gave us. They anticipated that eventually Americans could lose assurance in the federal government. Alice Paul clearly have earned the regard and support of billions of Americans because he physical objects to so many policies and actions of the federal government. Thus, Paul, more than than virtually any other member of Congress, should appreciate the wisdom of the Framers in giving us the Article Volt convention option.

I implore him to talk up and show just how much of a title-holder of the Fundamental Law he really is by bringing national attending to the Article Volt convention issue and supporting its use. As a laminitis of Friends of the Article Volt Convention Iodine ask for Alice Paul to play a prima function in giving the United States of United States its first Article Volt convention.

UK Muslims Join Backlash Against Extremism

2007-07-06T12:53:00.001-07:00

The unsuccessful panic onslaughts in the United Kingdom this calendar month have got prompted a figure of welcome responses from voices in the British Moslem community. Increasingly moderate Moslem voices in the United Kingdom are speaking out against Islamist inspired violence. In earlier articles I discussed the positions of Erectile Dysfunction Hussein and Maryam Namazie, who have got openly challenged the positions of extremist Muslims in the UK. There are other observers also worthy of mention.

Safraz Manzoor is a writer, broadcaster and docudrama maker. He reasons that it is no longer acceptable for the Moslem community to seek and make-believe that jihadists somehow be in limboland - at one take from the faith and the greater Moslem community. In his position denial is no longer an option and he disputes British Muslims to "accept that the malignant neoplastic disease of extremism impacts their full community".

In the past leadership of the British Moslem community have got tended to fault the mass media for spreading misinformation and stereotypes, but it looks this is changing. Remarkably, following the Greater London and Glasgow attacks, the Moslem Council of Great Britain, that have tended to take defensive places in the past, condemned the bombers in unambiguous linguistic communication ... "These people make not care who they kill, their purpose is to sabotage British society and to sough hate, choler and suspicion. We cannot let them to win."

Another brave British Moslem who is speaking out is one Hassan Butt, a former member of what he footing the 'British Jihadi Network'. This is a adult male who acknowledges to cheering the July 7th onslaughts on the United Kingdom two old age ago.

In a recent article in the Observer, Butt projects derision on the popular position that the motivating military unit behind United Kingdom Moslem radicalism is Republic Of Iraq and 'Blair's bombs'. He claims that it suited the ends of his grouping to have got the public believe that this was the head motivating factor, when in fact the motion was driven by Islamic theology.

After the recent United Kingdom attacks, the city manager of Greater London 'Red Ken' Livingstone, got up on his soapbox and engaged in his usual line of commentary - blaming Republic Of Iraq and British foreign policy for the mentality that Pbs to terrorism. Butt's reaction was to state that if he had still been in the British Jihadi Network, he and his associates would have got been laughing at Livingstone's thesis. Of course of study he admits that Moslem deceases as a consequence of the Republic Of Iraq warfare convey forth anger, but what primarily inspired the BJN was the battle to bring about a radical Muslim state based upon Islamic codifications of justice, not the activities of Tony Blair.

Islamic philosophy lies at the root of the division between moderate Muslims and Islamists. Butt emphasizes that formal Muslim divinity makes not let for separation between the state and religion. This is why groups when confronting other members of the Moslem community will often inquire "are you Moslem or British?" ... "are you Moslem or American/Canadian?". The deduction being that if you claim to be 'Canadian' for example, then you can't be fully Muslim.

There is a deeper theological beginning for this refusal to encompass the modern state. Islamic legal experts in earlier time periods developed 'rules of interaction' between Dar ul-Islam (the Land of Islam) and Dar ul-Kufr (the Land of Unbelief). Modern jihadis ground that since no pure Muslim state is in existence, the full human race is portion of Dar ul-Kufr. It follows in the heads of some, that jihadis are therefore free to destruct who and what they will - including bomb onslaughts upon unarmed civilians.

In quitting BJN, Hassan Butt came to accept that he was no longer a pilgrim in a 'land of disbelief', but that he was a British citizen. This is a triumph of realism over Islamist thought that have go deluded, no substance how seemingly justified it may be when viewed in the visible light of the Muslim canon. Fact is, the Muslim legal experts of former dynasties birthed a vision of their human race that may have got been a possibility during the time period of the Abbasids, but that have no hope of realisation in the human race of the modern state state with its 'armor' of technology. The jihadi vision is quixotic and in the concluding analysis, futile. This is why it is imperative that Islamic theologists in the Occident happen a manner to travel beyond the old duality that divided Dar ul-Islam from the lands of the infidel. There is a center manner and Muslims of good will are in the Occident are in the procedure of discovering it.

Hassan Butt offerings an reply to this age-old split between the Muslim lands and the lands of the infidel. He mentions instead to the "Land of Co-existence". Furthermore he believes that as this conception come ups to be accepted more than fully, a divinity volition germinate that will enable Western Muslims to "liberate themselves from dead theoretical accounts of the world".

Like Erectile Dysfunction Hussein who divide from Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hassan Butt have been subjected to negative attending from former associates. Both of these work force are inspirational, and it is their type of progressive thought coupled with brave action that volition aid to open up the way to the 'Land of Co-existence'.

Was the Battle for Iwo Jima Necessary?

2007-07-03T07:17:00.001-07:00

Clint Eastwood's recent movies about Iwo Jima Jima have got served to remember an of import page of American armed forces history. Should Iwo Jima Jima now be celebrated as an illustration of American courage and bravery? Or, was it another shameful chapter in the wanton loss of American lives in a Pacific War battle that had virtually nil to make with defeating Japan?

It is of import to understand why the country commanding officers decided to occupy Iwo Jima Jima. The B-29s needed a safe haven, an emergency landing site, midway between their home alkali in the Mariana Islands Islands and Japan. After the battle, Iwo Jima Jima Jima did in fact function as a safe oasis for the crippled 2,400 B-29s that landed there during their 3,000 mile unit of ammunition trip.

But which was the aim in taking Iwo Jima? To win the war? Or, was it to salvage the lives of the B-29 air crews? This muddled military thinking was no uncertainty influenced by the record of a trouble-prone flat that had been plagued with problems, one after another ever since inception, especially with engines that overheated, destroying the plane's wing assembly.

Long before Iwo Jima Jima, the Nipponese High Command had decided there was no hope for victory. Their objective, accordingly, was to do America pay dearly in blood for each battle hereafter. Iwo Jima Jima Jima would exact the bloodiest toll of American lives up to that time.

The battle program for General Kuribayashi, the Iwo Jima Commander, called for "a gradual depletion of the enemy's attack forces." He told his troops, "Even if the state of affairs gets out of hand, support a corner of the island to the death!" Another order exhorted his soldiers to "kill 10 of the enemy before dying!"
In one of his last letters to his wife, the General told her, "Do not look for my return."

The Nipponese had learned well from each battle how to construct up their defenses, how to queer each of the approaching assaults of the American juggernaut. What had America learned? Had we altered our battle plans, especially in position of what we knew about Japan's increasingly more than formidable redoubts? Had we decided how best to deal with their dogged defenses?

In all of our amphibious assaults before this one, United States military units had always landed in direct. monolithic assaults on the beaches. Iwo Jima Jima Jima would be no different; the Marines would debark from their landing trade on Iwo Jima's 3,000 paces of beaches under the same withering Nipponese gunshot they had encountered in all battles before this one.

What about "softening up" bombardment? Renowned Devil Dog General Netherlands Ian Smith had urged sustained bombardment by the Navy's heavy guns prior to the landings. When considering the high regard with which Ian Smith was held by his fellow senior officers it looks unbelievable that his sound advice was completely ignored. No, the landings would continue just as they had in battles before this one.

There are many who contributed to the sad bequest of Iwo Jima Jima: the Boeing Company, which continued to fabricate faulty airplanes all during the war; the United States Air Force, whose procurance agents seemingly chose to look the other manner as these icky airplanes were handed off to the air crews; and those in bid whose determination to take the island resulted in 26,000 United States casualties, a fateful determination with no direct connexion to the licking of Japan. In no small measure, these casualties came about by the order to establish a direct, frontal assault on an island United States commanding officers knew to be heavily prepared against such as assaults.

Take a Minute of Your Time

2007-06-14T16:42:00.001-07:00

We are a nation of many different cultures and our people have come
from all the far corners of the world seeking freedom and living a life
as best they can, without war and condemnation. This was the ideal of
the Statue of Liberty and many of our ancestors worked hard and long
hours to provide a home for their family and food on the table.

While we are a nation of many nationalities, we are not the world's Creator
or the police service for every culture that is out there. If aid is needed or
assistance for humanitarian reasons, then yes, since we are all human
beings, we have a need to help others - but not to place military all over the
world, to interfere and cause governments to be overthrown and create
conditions for riots and upheavals.

We are the youngest nation around and therefore we do not have
all the answers to heal all the earth's wounds. In addition, we do not have the
God-given right to impose our ideals, ways, and belief systems on everyone
else. We can help but not alter. We can assist but not redo. Many of the
oldest cultures in the world have been living for centuries when we weren't
around and they did not fold up and walk away. Some cultures died out - but
these were usually the ones that tried to take over and rule over all others.

Our mandate in this sphere we live in is to help and give our friendship - not
decide what is right or wrong for everyone else. Each country has their
needs, their ways, and they do have their pride of ancestry. Who are we,
truly, to decide all the issues facing every nation, putting our soldiers and staff
in hundreds of other countries, deciding who should or should not win
elections, and if not going our way, to incite and overthrow? No one informed
the world that God died and the universe is not looking for a replacement.

We should honor the ways of others, but be there if they need food, medical
equipment, or some country has decided that their neighbor should be annihilated
and the people (the common every day man or woman) would be in pain. We
do not own or should we covet all the resources of the world. We do not have the
expertise, even though our government truly believes they do, to change
entire cultures into our image. They are not "us" and we need to have the respect
to give them the right to live as they choose, without our interference and without
giving money and indoctrination to the side we believe is right. The people of each of
the countries we interfere with are not being given the chance to run their
own lives, their land, or choose what they desire. Most assuredly, our
country should never overstep its bounds and deprive the citizens of the world
from their choices and their decisions.

Just picture another country coming here (and no, they are not on every street
corner and at every football game, as the media would have you believe),
distributing leaflets from the air about overthrowing our government, surrounding
the Great Lakes and the oceans with ships and warplanes (just military
training) and then deciding to enter our country even though we never stepped foot on
their ground or threw one bomb at them. Not only did we enter Iraq, but we do
not intend to leave. We were not there to win hearts - we wanted oil and we
wanted to control the Middle East.

Millions are being put into an embassy to house Americans in Iraq for God forever,
and now we want missile bases wherever we feel the need - even though it puts
other nations on alert and causes rifts and problems. We are the rulers of the
universe and you either are with us or against us. Hopefully, Rome, Germany,
and other great cultures can arise and warn the people what can happen when
world rule is the mandate and our way or no way is the mantra. The house of
cards will fall and then the other nations will look away because they stood by
us because of fear, not friendship. We intimidated and threatened violence so
they called themselves allies, but in the end, fear does not produce friendships.

Our infrastructure is crumbling, our families are torn to shreds, education is a by-
product and there is more violence here then ever before. Guns are being carried
as in the Old West, people shoot each other just because they are there, and crime
has become uglier and bloodier than ever in our history. More men and women are
crippled from the war and they do not get the support or medical attention they
deserve. Yet withdrawal is not an option because of pride voiced as failure. In reality,
we don't want to lose so our young give their blood and stain the ground with
their bravery.

TV shows our young that cheating and lying are part of the game, and the
commercials exploit the desire to buy more even though you don't need it. Women
are shown in clothing that has no shame, but then everyone wonders why rape
and other sexual crimes are at an all-time high. Men have lost respect for women
as women and use their strength to belittle and harm. Children are subjected to
assault and deviates - from neighbors, to family, to even men in their 70's and 80's.
Even the dead are not at peace as rowdy teens desecrate and mutiliate graves
and crypts.
There are rallies and demonstrations by "illegal aliens" and no mention is made of
the illegal actions they have taken. They demand rights here in our country not in
theirs because they know their government has washed their hands of helping their
own people because the U.S. will take care of it. We educate their children, give
them medical care, and jobs. This allows companies not to have to pay a living wage
to its own citizens because cheap labor is plentiful and cries of "No American wants
the job" brings TV cameras and newspaper interviews. The country that should be
handling these problems and making inroads for their own people do not use their
resources because the U.S. has truly taken over. We feed, clothe, educate, and
give retirement to their people while many Americans do without.

Gentleness and manners
are few and far between, and people will kill to get that last dollar on the table. If
another has to starve, lose everything because of medical emergencies, and
children as well as families are homeless, the bottom line is that the oil billionaries
are raking it in by unheard of profits. "Me first" is on everyone's lips and children
are being told "to kick ass." Childhood sports are shouting matches for parents
and many resort to punches and even shooting of the other side. Our children
do not believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny but bow down to horrid
monsters representing avengers and death.Shooting and mayhem are the
rites of massage, not building castles in the sand and dreaming during warm
summer days. Childhood is losing out while miniature adults are pushed and
pulled as parents compete against each other. A child the size of a minute has
already seen more violence then many adults did in their growing years.

Holidays get in the way of jobs and sporting events, and children are no longer latch-
key but are simply alone - in their homes, in their neighborhood and even in their
hearts. People are sued if they admonish a child who may have run into the street, or
broke a window - parents intervene with lawyers and money is the solution.
Bullies make their parents proud, while the elderly are neglected
and relegated to nursing homes and facilties. School shootings are no longer a
shock. They have become items of news.

Our country needs our country to care about its people, to spend money on those
who need it within our own borders. The world will crumble and destroy us as well
as the earth if we don't do our part for the environment. Animals are becoming
extinct, urban sprawl has no limits, and noise, air, and water pollution is rampant.
Drug companies resemble drug lords, dispensing pills to wake you, put you to sleep,
let you get through your day, decide when you want to die, determine how your
children will look, and so forth. There is a pill for absolutely everything
but the clincher is that there is very little research and most of it is biased or hidden,
and the products are found to cause more medical problems and disasters.
Our food is tainted with additives and chemicals and obesity is prevalent while
video games replace exercise and outdoor play. We say there is no arms race,
yet the budget allows for better nuclear weaponry and facilities. There is no
dictatorship, yet Congress and the Senate do the bidding when the Ruler
nods his head or pats them on their wallets. We should be building fences of
friendship instead of hidden torture camps in other lands and more prisons.
We dismiss the Geneva Convention and Kyoto but we will do anything for more
oil and fuel. We show the dead and mutilated bodies of the other side, but are
adament that our dead not be disgraced. They have been in the worse way -
a war that should never had happened, and one that was brought about by lies
and falsehoods dressed up in suits and news conferences.

The Catholic Church is going bankrupt and closing parishes because of sex crimes
and lies, corruption and greed permeate our government and civil servants. Soldiers
are placed in harm's way and shoot to kill no matter the cause because of strain
and fear, but there is no coming home or an end to the war. Congress, the Senate
and your elected officials are sworn to uphold the wants of their people, yet they
do as they are told and back off of the really important issues because of "politics"
It just doesn't look good to condemn bad decisions and take a stand - instead
go where the votes are and rake in the money while you can. The party name
is all that matters because the power is the goal - not the people and true
democracy.

What has happened to a concept of a country where people were going to be happy,
healthy, and lead lives that allowed everyone a share of the pie? It's out there some-
where, probably in the safe of one of the oil or drug corporations so that they can
just figure out a way to do away with it - but they can't. It is in our hearts and souls,
and while we may be in a drug stupor or fed lies three times a day and now our minds
are foggy and our decisions faulty, we will prevail. We are Americans and we won
our rights - we are all in this together - we just forgot how to do it . The people of the
other lands that inhabit earth have the same rights - to choose, decide, and live
the way they want to - without our interference, judgment, and pressure. We pay
for the government to fight the war on crime, drugs, and the terrorists - yet, it is
in the very walls of the hollowed halls of the White House.

What is the answer - we let live so we can live. We help where we can but leave
the big decisions to the nations to contend with, and to carry out. We fight only
when life and limb of people are at stake - such as AIDS, and genocide - but
we stay out of elections. We are not the brightest stars in the heavens, because
there are others who share the space. When we clean up our own back yards,
and make the repairs to ourselves and our land - then and only then are we
ready to be true guardians of the earth. When we can undo the humiliation
and pain caused by putting down the American Indians, those who spoke
against issues, and those who are in jail even though innocent, then we are
ready and all grown-up. Until then our growing pains should take up our time
and space. We will survive but we must let others survive. We will win but we
must let others run the race and score as well. We are a great nation among
many - we are equal to all human beings, we are not gods and goddesses,
and then and only then will we be truly free. We must look at our history and learn.
We must look at the world history and see the warning signs that led to failure.
Each man, woman, and child in this land is precious and should be at the forefront
of all we do - yet egoes, and agendas as well as power greed have eaten up
decency and democracy. Look inside and the answers are all there - take the
time to really open your eyes and really see what is happening.
It is not too late - but the clock is ticking. We are making enemies instead
of bonding friendships. We are using war and weaponry instead of diplomacy
and hand shakes. We are the only ones to change course - we have done it
before and we can do it again - for those before us and especially for those
here and now.

©Arleen M. Kaptur
June, 2007

America's Future Civil War

2007-06-06T14:16:00.001-07:00

Diamonds = Death

2007-06-04T08:14:00.001-07:00

Ever hear of a "Blood Diamond"? Ever here of children being forced into slave labor to pan and dig for that beautiful rock on your finger? Did you know that people have had arms or hands amputated due to being accused of stealing the very diamonds they have been forced to pan for in a river? Upon learning of this, I view my diamonds differently. I wince upon the mere thought of this occurring due to something I am wearing, therefore, I am currently not wearing any diamonds and I will not, until I find out where these diamonds came from.

What I am speaking of is the Diamond Industry within Africa. According to a report from "Partnership Africa Canada" there have been approximately 50,000 Africans killed,and half the population mis-placed within Sierra Leone. The underground trade of diamonds is booming. Conflict Diamonds are valued between four percent and fifteen percent of the world total and generates annual trade revenues of 7.5 billion dollars.

In 1991 Sierra Leone's conflict over diamonds began. Early in 1992 The Revolutionary United Front (RUF), an African rebel group seized Kono which is the Diamond Mining capital of Sierra Leone. In an effort to stabilize this region the "National Provisional Ruling Council" (NPRC) became engaged in an effort to drive out the RUF. In 1996 the president, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah signed a peace agreement in Abidjan which actually gave the RUF an opportunity to become a legitimate political party. Instead of taking Mr. Kabbah up on this offer, they chose to join forces with insurgents of the Sierra Leonean army and formed the "Armed Forces Ruling Council" (AFRC) which ended up ousting Mr. Kabbah from office.

In 1988 Nigerian forces from the "Military Observer Group of the Economic Community of West African States" (ECOMOG) removed the AFRC rebels from Freetown and reinstated Mr. Kabbah. Upon this occurring, the Nigerian forces could not contain the RUF Rebels. In 1999 these RUF Rebels murdered an estimated six thousand civilians as well as mutilating many more people.
In 1999 the government of Sierra Leone was forced to sign yet another peace treaty which allowed for this RUF Rebel group to become part of the government. Upon this occurring, the RUF Rebel group seized the control of the diamond mining camp in Kono and Tongo Field. The result was thousands of Sierra Leoneans being killed and mutilated for various reasons.

"The United Nations" (UN) did not intervene until 2001. Ten years after the war began, they imposed "lenient" sanctions, which consisted of a ban on Liberian diamond sales as well as a ban on travel by Liberian officials. It was impossible for the UN to enforce these sanctions due to the fact of no international oversight of movement of diamonds. After these sanctions were imposed, an RUF official flew to Abidjan and sold eight thousand carats of diamonds to an undisclosed dealer.

In 2003, the UN finally became involved in Sierra Leone's war sending a 17,000-man force to supervise disarmment and to uphold the provisions of the "Lome agreement". This war finally was noticed internationally after the UN inspectors were denied access to the diamond mines for inspection. In 2003, the UN special court in Sierra Leone indicted several people on war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law. Not all of these RUF officials were brought to justice, in fact, their fate is unknown.

Three separate incidents which occured in Rwanda, Sudan and Sierra Leone where the RUF Rebels conducted genocides resulted in thousands being murdered. Let's not forget the slave labor which was forced upon the children and men, the squalor conditions they were forced to live in while panning for diamonds in which we all wear.

In 2003 the "Kimberly Process" was introduced to stem the flow of "Conflict Diamonds", this imposes requirements on participants to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are "Conflict Free". Where measures have finally been made to stop this procedure, there is still an underground world of illegal diamond smuggling that end up dwindling into our U.S jewelry stores as well as around the world. It is up to consumers to ask our jeweler's where their products come from and to prove to us they are indeed "Conflict Free", if they can not do this, take your business elsewhere. To cast a blind eye to this issue is promoting the blood shed and tribulations of Africans whom more than likely were forced to dig for that stone around your "woman's" neck, it's not worth it. What if it were "our" children out in those mines? What if it were our women whom were raped and murdered? Does this not bring a different perspective?

Here are some recent statistics. Only 27% of shops were able to assure the "Business and Rights Organization" that they had a policy on "Conflict Diamonds". 30% of the shops said they had a policy but were unable to produce documentation proving this. 37% of the shops visited claimed they were aware of the "Conflict Diamond Issue". Out of this 37%, 54% of them reported an inaccurate definition of the crisis. When asked if American consumers inquired about Conflict Diamonds, 83% said rarely or never. 110 shops refused to even answer questions or take the survey.

I think it's obvious of the greed within this industry. Our jewelry shops do not care how they get our diamonds, as long as you purchase the diamonds and they can profit. Let's take a stand and ask our jeweler's if they follow the "Kimberly Process", if they state yes, make them prove it with documentation. Let's ask if their diamonds are "Conflict Free". Please take a stand on this. I will state that upon learning of this situation, first and foremost, I'm ashamed of myself for not even knowing about this horrible atrocity, secondly, diamonds are no longer my best friend.

Are You Remembering What I Remember?

2007-05-29T15:24:00.001-07:00

Looking at current war disbelievers, I fear this country has such a short memory that it will end up back where it started, i.e., a fledgling nation struggling to be free from tyrannical rule. American pioneers and founders knew it was worth the hardship and loss of life because we mutually new that death here, though hard for those left behind, meant life eternal for those in the righteous cause of freedom.

At this memorial day , I remember... heroes. Hope is remembering great people by loving and sharing stories of real heroes with our young, about what the heroes left behind, a legacy of thought, word, and deed. The top of the list for me Dad, Lt. in the US Navy, WWII. Lord, let me leave a legacy such as his: traditional American heart, a family man, love of Jesus, and courage to speak out and tell the truth.

Legacy applies to all great heroes, those who stood up for freedom! Top of the list of heroes of today are our brave soldiers born in the USA; bottom of the list - political pseudo-leaders who defame American military and honor evil in thought ,word, and deed!

We rarely see the masterful things our soldiers accomplish but we certainly get massive amounts of media attention to their "job" - fighting evil, the undeniable force whose only mission is to seek, to kill, and destroy unless heroes remain committed to vigilantly seeking, killing, and destroying evil at its beginning moments. I honor the ongoing legacy of today's soldiers with prayer and sending as many emails, pictures, and movie clips displaying the good they are doing that I possibly can.

From the beginning of time freedom has been bought by lives lost; we must remember. I tenderly remember and take comfort and glorious remembering for the memorial days, events, and monuments The United States of America sets aside for us to continue honoring our legacy of focused, passionate heroes.

We must remember! Freedom is not a willy nilly ride; it does not mean that we allow evil lovers to illegally break-in to our country, manipulate and mock our judicial system, or infiltrate our neighbors! We are a merciful people, not a welcome mat for evil; we need to commemorate our freedom fighters and remember the difference in good and evil. Evil thrives when good folks do nothing.

Today is creating the legacy for all our tomorrows.
death

Al Gore for President

2007-05-27T12:35:00.001-07:00

In my small way I have been supporting Hillary Clinton for American President. All of four articles on my blog show my personal vote. As can be seen the American Presidency is not at the top of my list of priorities. The lack of enthusiasm is probably due to the fact that the Americans showed such bad judgement during the last two elections. I love the American people, they are a great nation. I just have no time for their current Pres. He is guilty of crimes against humanity.

I do have one little good thing to say about Bush. It's rare I know. He sticks with his friends through thick and thin. The fact that his friends, such as Wolfowitz and Holsinger the new Surgeon General by the looks of things, are not the right type of friends to have, is not so good. Wolfowitz had to resign from the World Bank due to irregularities and Holsinger has been accused of incompetence and neglect that led to deaths of patients.

One therefore looks to the next American elections in the hope of finding a leader with the ability to speak well and a smidgen of general knowledge, have some ethics in terms of not going to war on a country under false pretenses and working with the rest of the world on global warming issues, amongst a whole bunch of other issues obviously. No President of a global power is only going to be faced with a few hugely important issues.

My personal vote, and would have been two elections ago, would have been for Al Gore. It was a pity that Clinton's little dalliances with Ms I kept my stained dress as an investment, hurt Gore as much as it did. I also think that Gore's heart wasn't actually in it. I never saw him sparkle during his campaign speeches or debates. He seemed 'heavy'. It was a huge surprise to see this amazing speaker then on the award winning documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth'.

At least Al Gore was against the war in Iraq before the war, and not as the current candidates for Democratic nomination who are suddenly all sprouting forth against it. They should have spoken up as Al Gore did at the time. Gore's recently published book 'The Assault on Reason' sounds like it will be worth getting. His argument is that the media has managed to stifle democratic processes and he is hopeful that the internet, especially within the blogosphere, will continue to support strong democratic debate.

It seems unlikely that Al Gore will change his mind and run for president. This is a great pity as I think he would have a good chance of finally making it. And the United States will be the better for it. According to the article in the Washington Post, it could be that he won't stand because he is clearly enjoying himself these days and that's probably why he won't run for president. Maybe if enough people actually encourage him, it might still happen.

A Successful Iraqi Exit Strategy

2007-05-25T12:28:00.001-07:00

Jimmy Carter was right. George W. Bush has been the worst president! Who the hell invades a country and just brings democracy? When you go to a friend's house for dinner, you bring a bottle of wine, some dessert, right? You don't go to your friends and say, "Hi, we didn't bring anything, but we were thinking that the pork chops should be divided evenly and let's take a vote on whether we eat the salad before or after the main course."

If I were president I would have brought brownies for the Sunnis. And not just any old brownies, the good ones with huge walnut chunks and maybe with some caramel spread on top. The Shi'ites would have gotten chocolate chip cookies like only Americans know how to make them. And I may have even put a Hershey's kiss on top of each cookie. How can anyone hate you when you've given them a kiss?

Now everybody loves us, except maybe the Kurds. I forgot about the Kurds. They get to have a little sampling of both. Let's face it, the Kurds have had a rough century; they could use two desserts.

I can't stay forever making cookies and brownies. I have other countries to feed and will need to car pool my daughter to her ballet and soccer games. So here's our exit strategy. The Sunnis love their brownies and the Shia love their cookies. So we do a little reversal and give the Sunnis (who love the brownies) the recipe to make the cookies (and perhaps ask Hershey's to send a few million kisses wholesale) and give to the Shia (who love the cookies) the recipe to make brownies. Now, next Thursday when the Sunnis want their brownies, they're going to have to ask the Sunnis to make it for them. Of course, they'll agree to do it since their going to want the Shias to make them their cookies.

We have created interdependence. And we have finally brought some good desserts to a region that has suffered far too long from some pretty boring desserts all made with honey. What if you don't like honey? You can't have baba ghanoush or hummus for dessert!

Now I've still forgotten the Kurds. O.K. we will give them the recipe for both so that if the Shias are busy one weekend, the Kurds can make the brownies. But the Kurds can't have any ovens, because if they have ovens and both recipes, they're going to want to be an independent country.

You know how around Christmas time you melt some chocolate and then spread crushed candy canes over it? I think the Iranians would love that. Maybe even enough to give up their nuclear program.

The Un-Fairness Doctrine

2007-05-19T11:45:00.001-07:00

If you were to ask a stranger on the street to name the top talk radio personalities in the country, you would inevitably receive an answer that included the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. The problem with all of them, according to some Democrats, is that they only represent one side of the political spectrum. And, of course, it's not the side the Democrats prefer the public to hear.

So, in order to level the playing field, many on the left are calling for the return of the so-called Fairness Doctrine to give opposing viewpoints an equal opportunity to be heard by listening audiences. The problem with the Fairness Doctrine, though, is that it's not really what it claims to be-fair.

There's little doubt about the assertion that most talk radio programs lean toward conservatism. But there's a reason for the ever-growing popularity of the Limbaughs and the Hannitys of the airwaves: it's called the marketplace. Simply put, successful radio programs are the ones that attract advertisers. Period. Limbaugh is the top-rated radio personality in the country because a large segment of the public likes what he has to say. Therefore, they tune in to his show. Advertisers then buy time during his program to pitch their products and services to his audience. If nobody was listening, the advertisers would take their business elsewhere and the Rush Limbaugh show would be but a distant memory. Case in point: Air America.

Leftists like Al Franken tried desperately to make their challenge to conservative talk radio dominance work. But they failed. They failed because their message did not resonate with a large enough segment of the radio listening population to attract the advertisers necessary to fund the programming. Talk radio is just like any other product. You make it attractive to an audience and it sells. If you can't do that, you're out of business.

Having failed at radio in the free marketplace, Democrats now want to impose their political ideology and viewpoints on a listening public that has already, for the most part, rejected their opinions. Prominent Democrats like Senator Byron Dorgan and Representative Dennis Kucinich want radio stations to make comparable time available for opposing opinions, regardless of whether or not that programming is profitable to the host stations. Having failed to sell you their message, they now want to force you to listen to it through congressional action.

Now, I've had a few people tell me that equal time would ensure that both sides of an issue were presented, thus enabling the listening audience to develop a better informed opinion about a given topic. That's ridiculous. People who listen to the radio listen to programming that appeals to them. They listen because they like what they hear. What do you suppose a listener will do if he or she disagrees with or dislikes what is on the radio? Odds are that the listener will tune in another program or just stop listening altogether.

The return of the Fairness Doctrine would be nothing more than another government infringement on our ability as citizens to exercise individual choice. By telling us what we will listen to on the radio, Democrats take away our ability to choose what we will listen to on the radio. Democrats who demand equal time under the Fairness Doctrine are keenly aware that they fail at talk radio when it comes to the free exchange of ideas. That is why the leftist agenda must be force-fed to the talk radio listening public, and that is why guys like Dorgan and Kucinich want to use the Fairness Doctrine to take away your ability to tune them out.

U.S. Senate to vote on whether to cut off money for Iraq war in 2008

2007-05-18T00:19:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON: The Senate is expected to vote as early as this week on whether to cut off money for the Iraq war next year, as well as on a softer measure calling for U.S. troops to leave by October.

Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday the two measures would be offered as amendments to a water projects funding bill being debated this week. While the Senate had planned to take up Iraq legislation this week, Reid had previously been unclear what specifics members would consider.

The first amendment, backed by Reid and Sen. Russ Feingold, would require that combat operations end by March 31, 2008, by cutting off money after that date.

The second measure would provide more than $120 billion (€88.5 billion) to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as various domestic projects. It would call for troops to begin leaving Iraq by Oct. 1, but allow the president to waive that requirement.

Passage of the $120 billion (€88.5 billion) in war spending would not allow the Senate to begin negotiating with the House of Representatives and send President George W. Bush a bill by the end of the month, said Rodell Mollineau, a Reid spokesman. Nevertheless, he added, "these are important votes. This will give members an opportunity to debate these issues and have up-or-down votes on these."

Today in Americas

The House last week approved, 221-205, legislation that would fund the war in two-month installments, giving Congress a chance to cut off money for the war after July. The House measure was considered unlikely to survive in the Senate, where Democrats wanted to fund the war through September.

"On our side of the aisle, Democrats believe they should do something very, very close to what was done in the bill that was sent to the president to be vetoed," said Reid.

Reid's strategy is likely to appease party members like Feingold who say they will not vote for legislation that funds the deeply unpopular war without binding language demanding U.S. troops leave. While Reid co-sponsored Feingold's proposal, he has said he would not push it as a caucus position.

"The American people deserve to have the Senate go on record about whether or not it wants to end our misguided mission in Iraq and safely redeploy our brave troops," said Feingold.

However, Feingold's tough anti-war measure is unlikely to pass the Senate, where Democrats hold a narrow majority and several oppose using the budget to end the war.

Robotic Wars of the Future - What about Isaac Asimov's Three Laws for Robotics

2007-05-17T11:43:00.001-07:00

The future of human wars is changing and it is obvious to see that unmanned vehicles will continue to invade the battle field and eventually our wars will be fought by robots and not humans. We have all heard the saying; All is Fair in Love and War. Indeed it is amazing how many people believe just that and in the heat of battle ones strict adherence to rules will be challenged more often than not. What about Isaac Asimov's famous Robot Rules? (source: WikiPedia).

The Three Laws of Robotics:

A Robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm

A Robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

A Robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law

*Later a Fourth Law was added (The Zeroth Law):

A Robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

Apparently current military philosophers and thinkers are not the only ones contemplating the future reality and the use of robots in warfare. It appears that Isaac Asimov's rules for robots is totally out the window or perhaps we might say that the future force robots will soon be coming thru an international terrorist window near you?

Have you given much consideration that a potential enemy of the United States might build a bunch of robots to come to America to kill you and your family? Are you ready for the future? Is resistance really futile? I mean we can simply build our own more superior robots to protect us and/or kill our enemies first? What say you?

German Memoirs in Asia - US President Herbert Hoover in the Post-World Wars Era Europe

2007-05-15T07:13:00.001-07:00

Philipp Staebler, a first year student of business economics was narrating the difficulties in the reunification of the separated Germanys.

He said after a brief pause "Well, it is difficult for sometime for some people in West Germany, but East Germany is also part of our nation and somehow or other way we will have to bear the burden".
Philip elaborated some stories of the Second World War era, which separated Germany, and many yet unresolved chaos.
When our discussion turned on the rehabilitation of post-war Europe, a German university student referred to one person who left a lasting legacy.
It was none other than Herbert Hoover, an American of German ancestry and was the 31st President of the United States of America (1929-1933). He had taken bold initiatives which saved the lives of millions of Germans and other Europeans in the Second World War that ravaged Europe.

Hoover was born into a Quaker family of distant German and Swiss descent, in Iowa.

He helped millions of starving people by his charismatic negotiations between the opposing parties on relief assistance in post-war Europe.

He exemplified the Efficiency Movement component of the Progressive Era, arguing there were technical solutions to all social and economic problems - a position that was challenged by the Great Depression that began while he was President.

When Belgium faced a food crisis after being invaded by Germany in the fall of 1914, Hoover undertook an unprecedented relief effort as head of the Commission for the Relief of Belgium (CRB). The CRB became, in effect, an independent republic of relief, with its own flag, navy, factories, mills and railroads. Its $12-million-a-month budget was supplied by voluntary donations and government grants.

In an early form of shuttle diplomacy, he crossed the North Sea forty times seeking to persuade the Germans in Berlin to allow food to reach war victims.

After the United States entered the war in April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Hoover as head of the American Food Administration, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. He succeeded in cutting consumption of food needed overseas and avoided rationing at home. After the end of the war, Hoover, a member of the Supreme Economic Council and head of the American Relief Administration, organized shipments of food for millions of starving people in Central Europe. To this end, he employed a newly formed Quaker organization, the American Friends Service Committee to carry out much of the logistical work in Europe.

He extended aid to famine-stricken Bolshevist Russia in 1921. When a critic inquired why he should help Bolshevist Russia, Hoover retorted, "Twenty million people are starving. Whatever their politics, they shall be fed!"

In June 1931, Hoover issued the Hoover Moratorium that called for a one-year halt in reparations payments by Germany to France and in the payment of Allied war debts to the United States to deal with a very serious banking collapse in Central Europe that threatened to cause a worldwide financial meltdown. The Hoover Moratorium had the effect of temporarily stopping the banking collapse in Europe.

Based on Hoover's previous experience with Germany at the end of World War I, in the winter of 1946 - 47 President Harry S. Truman selected Hoover to do a tour of Germany in order to ascertain the food status of the occupied nation. Hoover toured what was to become West Germany in Field Marshall Herman Goering's old train and produced a number of reports sharply critical of U.S. occupation policy. The economy of Germany had "sunk to the lowest level in a hundred years".

As the Cold War deepened, Hoover expressed reservations about some of the activities of the American Friends Service Committee, which he had previously strongly supported.

He impartially helped not only his distant German relatives of the German Nation but the Russians, and other Europeans as well and showed great human kindness.

Europeans who survived in the Second World War used to praise him that they were still alive because of Hoover's meals. The Belgian city of Leuven named a prominent square after him. In addition, the Finns coined a new word hoover, meaning "to help," to their language in honor of his humanitarian work.

Amid Friction, Plans for U.S.-Iran Talks on Iraq

2007-05-13T22:00:00.001-07:00

CAIRO, May 13 The diplomatic tussle between and the United States intensified Sunday as leaders from both countries toured Middle Eastern capitals seeking to shore up relationships, even as signs of new cooperation over emerged between them.

Iran’s president, , arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday afternoon, the first trip there by an Iranian leader since the country’s founding in 1971, seeking to improve a strategic trade partnership just as Vice President landed in Cairo as part of a Middle East tour meant to mollify America’s regional allies and strengthen support against Iran.

The visits occurred as officials from both countries announced that Ryan C. Crocker, the American ambassador to Iraq, would meet with his Iranian counterpart in Baghdad in coming weeks to discuss Iraqi security efforts and cooperation between the countries.

In the Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi, Mr. Ahmadinejad met with Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the president, and with Dubai’s ruler, Sheik Muhammad bin Rahid al-Maktoum, the Emirates’ vice president, seeking to emphasize the importance of Iran’s relationship with the Emirates, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

“We consider progress and prosperity of the U.A.E. as our own,” Mr. Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.

But the Emirates’ leaders sought to ease the confrontation between the United States and Iran. Sheik Khalifa told Mr. Ahmadinejad that the Emirates sought the “elimination of the causes of tension in the Middle East,” especially in the Persian Gulf, the Emirates’ official news agency WAM reported.

“He is on a damage-control mission,” said Abdel Khaliq Abdallah, a professor of political science at United Arab Emirates University, referring to Mr. Ahmadinejad. “So maybe it’s about time for us to be as frank as possible that we really think he and Iran are playing a dangerous game with the world community.”

Later Sunday, Mr. Ahmadinejad went to Dubai, where he met with members of the Iranian Business Council, an Iranian trade group, and members of the Iranian community. Dubai is home to more than 500,000 Iranians who rely on the emirate as a focal point for trade and travel.

Speaking to several hundred people, many of them flag-waving Iranians, in a highly unusual political gathering held in a soccer stadium, he called for America to leave the region, The Associated Press reported. “The nations of the region can no longer take you forcing yourself on them,” he was quoted as saying.

At almost the same time, Mr. Cheney landed in Cairo for three hours of talks with President and top military officials to discuss Iraq as well as Iran’s growing regional influence. The vice president made no public comment after his visit here, part of a swing through the Middle East that included visits to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and an American warship in the Persian Gulf.

Mr. Mubarak’s spokesman said Mr. Cheney had “focused especially on the situation in Iraq and the gulf, the security arrangements of the gulf and the relation with the Iranian nuclear program.”

Despite the growing tensions between the United States and Iran, the announcement of planned talks on Iraq brought new hope for cooperation to help stabilize Iraq. A previous plan for talks fell through.

“Following consultations between Iranian and Iraqi officials, Tehran has agreed to hold negotiations with Washington to relieve pain and suffering of the Iraqi people, support and strengthen the government of and stabilize security and peace in that country,” said Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, in comments reported by IRNA.

White House officials said the talks flowed from an effort by the two countries, including meetings on the margins of conferences on stabilizing Iraq that were held in Baghdad in March and in Cairo last week.

“The purpose is to try to make sure that the Iranians play a productive role in Iraq,” the White House spokesman, Gordon D. Johndroe, told reporters on Air Force One en route to Virginia. “This is an ongoing process of trying to make sure that Iraq’s neighbors, of which Iran is obviously a major one, play a constructive role.”

Michael Slackman reported from Cairo, and Hassan M. Fattah from Beirut, Lebanon. Nada El-Sawy contributed reporting from Dubai, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg from Air Force One.

Arianna Huffington: Tony Blair's Legacy: George Bush's Iraq Trump Card

2007-05-12T12:45:00.001-07:00

Arianna Huffington 47 minutes ago

With on his slow-bleed resignation, we can expect the floodgates to open on stories analyzing his ten year run as prime minister and the impact he had on America.

"Hand on heart," he said in announcing he will leave office at the end of June, "I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong. That's your call. But believe one thing: I did what I thought was right for our country."

Maybe so, but his hand-on-heartfelt convictions had dire consequences for U.S. foreign policy. Blair was exactly what George W. Bush needed to sell his fraudulent and immoral war in to the American public: a seemingly reasonable and non-partisan stamp of international approval (after all, he'd been bosom buddies with , hadn't he?). Blair enabled the Bush myth that the invasion of Iraq was a coalition effort, that it wasn't just Mongolia, Moldova, Singapore, Poland, and Tonga making up the Coalition of the Willing to Go Along. It was Britain. Great Britain.

More than being just Bush and Cheney's cheery wingman, Blair was one of their top salesmen, pitching dossiers, Nigeran yellowcake, and the specter of chemical weapons "" raining down on Europe. Although Blair was far from the only enabler to Bush's Iraq fantasies -- spineless Congressional Democrats and a wildly compliant press certainly did their part -- the impact of his unwavering support was enormous.

Iraq is 's war, but Tony Blair's legacy will be forever tainted by the part of it he claimed for his own.

Blair made Bush's ordeal in Iraq less lonely, but it cost him

2007-05-11T05:18:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON: The Iraq war has been a lonely quest for President George W. Bush, but it has been less so thanks to the unwavering backing of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Blair is stepping down on June 27 after a decade in power, and no issue during his tenure is leaving a more indelible imprint than his no-apologies support for the U.S.-led war effort.

Bush seemed optimistic Thursday about the possibility of continuity on Iraq between Blair and his likely successor, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, the government's financial chief.

The president told reporters on Thursday that he believes Brown "understands the consequences of failure" in Iraq. As Bush sees it, a U.S. defeat would give a boost to terror everywhere.

Britain ranks second, after the United States, in terms of troops committed to Iraq. The British total is 7,100 but a reduction to 5,000 is planned for late this year.

Today in Americas

With Blair's announcement, Bush faces the final 19 months of his term in office without his closest ally and, as the president described him, "good friend."

The two appear to have a relaxed relationship. In Russia last year, unaware that a nearby microphone was on, Bush was heard to greet his colleague with a "Yo, Blair," leaving the prime minister embarrassed.

While there was shared anguish over the maelstrom in Iraq, neither leader has given any hint of regret over the venture. Both have paid a dear price politically, scoring under 30 percent in polls, the fallout from a war that is highly unpopular in both the United States and Britain.

Julianne Smith, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said there is no question that Blair's legacy "will suffer from the stain of Iraq."

Blair, she said, was content to "cozy up to the United States to the bitter end, refusing to look back and question his choice."

Charles Kupchan, of the Council on Foreign Relations, said Blair "leaves under a cloud, having lost the confidence of his own party and with the Conservatives well ahead in the polls."

A month ago, Brown met with Bush for the first time without Blair being present. The two men spoke for a half-hour after Bush dropped in on a meeting between Brown and U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley. Brown was in Washington for meetings at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

"I have found him to be an open and engaging person," Bush said, also describing him as an "easy-to-talk-to, good thinker."

On Iraq, Brown had promised to "spend what it takes" to disarm Saddam Hussein's Iraq. He is expected to keep British troops in Iraq for the near future, and to maintain Britain's strong relationship with America.

While Brown's ultimate course on Iraq is unclear, Europe has been generally projecting a friendlier image toward the United States. The latest concrete example is the recent election of Nicolas Sarkozy as president of France, which followed the accession in Germany of Chancellor Angela Merkel in late 2005.

Pe-Trae-Us Rhymes With?

2007-05-09T18:52:00.001-07:00

General David Pe-trae=us has, by suggesting he can accomplish mission impossible, winning the so-called war in Iraq, which in truth and fact is not a war, but rather an armed occupation. At times what is going on in Iraq has been confused with the war on terror which itself is a misnomer. Petraeus, a four star general who has been tasked with rebuilding Iraq's security forces and running this latest surge, wrote Counterinsurgency 101, the army handbook on fighting insurgencies. Given the fact that we are in the middle of a civil war in Iraq, as well as a strong insurgency, his own handbook would suggest our chances of succeeding are slim to none. Gen. Petraeus is said to have a superior intellect and a knack for politics, all of which will be needed to succeed. Unfortunately, it appears to be a case of too little too late. It is therefore unlikely, his ego and track record notwithstanding, that he will succeed in Iraq, where others have failed.

According to journalist Kristian Williams, who recently wrote a feature article on Gen. Petraeus, "Mounting a successful counterinsurgency is a dangerous balancing act. Any sign of weakness benefits the insurgents, who will exploit the atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity in their effort to discredit the government. But if the military is overbearing and oppressive, the insurgents can use public resentment and sincere grievances to gain support and justify violence. It is not enough to win battles if the government loses the backing of the population in the process." The real war in Iraq was won with the dissolution of the Iraqi army and the capture of Saddam. What has proven far more difficult is the occupation, which has cost our soldiers' lives and horrific injuries, not to mention the civilian casualties.

In the Petraeus handbook there are dos and don'ts, most of what has occurred in Iraq has been in the don't column. From the outset the generals requested a troop level sufficient to accomplish their mission, which wasn't always clear. Under former Secretary of Offense Donald Rumsfeld, the requests for more troops were repeatedly denied. In Mosul where Petraeus had distinguished himself in 2003, with his hearts-and-minds approach, Rumsfeld thwarted his good work in 2004. Petraeus used the 101st Airborne to establish and overwhelming presence in the city. This was supported by foot patrols. Local elections were held and reconstruction money was liberally dispensed. Under Petraeus, Mosul became one of the few pacified areas in Iraq. Unfortunately, Mr. Rumsfeld, in typical fashion couldn't leave well enough alone. He replaced the Airborne with a much lighter Stryker force. The stryker Brigade halted the foot patrols and the local government efforts. Shortly thereafter Mosul was in chaos. As Williams puts it, the question facing Petraeus now is whether that process can be reversed three years later, on a much larger scale. Williams notes, "It is as important to meet the population's needs as to hunt down the enemy. We are not winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people who rightfully see us as an occupying force. The ultimate aims of the counterinsurgency program, as outlined in the Petraeus handbook are political winning legitimacy for the government and undermining the claims of rebels. A counterinsurgency program could best be described as armed social work, according to Williams and it may be too late for social work.

The list of generals who have criticized the war effort thus far, reads like a who's who of the armed forces. Most have waited until they were safely retired to comment. Those who have had the courage to speak their minds while still in have been forced into retirement. Major Gen. Paul Eaton was the first to speak out. He rightfully blamed Rumsfeld for complicating the U.S. mission. Marine Lt. Gen Gregory Newbold charged Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith with a casualness and swagger that is the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions or bur the results. Brig. Gen. James Marks said, "Clearly the presence of more combat forces on the ground would have been needed." Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who likes the others, spoke from practical experience in Iraq said, Rumsfeld did not seek nor did he accept the counsel of field commanders. Maj. Gen. John Riggs and Maj Gen.Charles J. Swannack, former field commander of the 82nd Airborne, supported his statement. Retired Marine General Zinni said Rumsfeld should be held responsible for a series of blunder, starting with throwing away 10 years worth of planning, plans that had taken into account what we would face in an occupation of Iraq. The war to date has been so mismanaged it's amazing that we haven't had a coup, with the generals temporarily taking over the government until such time as the people can find a competent leader. If Gen. Petraeus were to be honest, which he might well be forced to do by September, he would have told the President, who apparently lives in a bubble, the war isn't winnable.

This is not to suggest that it wasn't winnable at one time, but the strategy was flawed. The ratio of troops to population that Petraeus suggests in his handbook is not being met, even with the surge. As we are witnessing daily, we may secure one area, only to see another explode. We do not have enough troops to effectively police all of Iraq. Petraeus is entertaining a fool to suggest that he can succeed where others have failed. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting a different result. At the risk of being redundant, the war aspect of the Iraq debacle has been won. Our troops have done all that was requested of them. There is no reason for them to remain. There are upstanding American citizens like Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy on the no fly list, it is seriously doubtful that a rag-tag bunch of terrorist hell-bent on following us here to blow themselves up, could escape scrutiny. Chaos exists in Iraq now, how bad does bad have to get before the President acknowledges it? Petraeus, has become his latest acolyte, saying what the leader wants to hear, instead of what he needs to hear, in so doing, he betrays the men and women in uniform who are being asked to carry out a fools mission.

Will George Bush Be Remembered like Abraham Lincoln Was?

2007-05-08T12:49:00.001-07:00

With so much emphasis on what a bad president George Bush is, and the recent firing of Don Imus over a racist comment regarding the black women on the Rutgers basketball team. I decided to take a look at Abraham Lincoln.

There is no doubt that George Bush thinks what he is doing in the Middle East will have an everlasting effect on America long after all of us are dead and gone. Imus' comments brought to light the fact that people still say and do stupid things when it comes to race.

Almost 150 years ago Abraham Lincoln had to handle a internal civil war that was far more than name calling and shouting. This was a dispute that could have torn the country in half.

With his leadership America found it's way through a civil war and then to begin to heal as one nation again. One of the little known leadership styles that Lincoln used to his advantage in the organization of his presidency was his appointment of talented national figures from opposing political parties to be part of his cabinet.

Today Bush is facing the same challenge of how to work with Democrats to solve the challenges of the war in Iraq. Lincoln felt he needed advice from the opposing viewpoint to keep from having his presidency from becoming one sided.

Bush is only coming to realize that a Congress controlled by his opposition, and elected by a majority of Americans, is going to be important to how his presidency is remembered years from now.

Lincoln's opposition to slavery was his greatest contribution to the history of America and indeed to world history as well. By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation to make the end of slavery permanent, Lincoln followed that up with the passing of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments which made permanent the freedoms that were hard fought and won in the Civil War.

The freedom that was won for so many black Americans in that war forever made Abraham Lincoln one of our greatest presidents of all time.

Bush continues to press on to protect Americans from the threat of terrorism and he has made Iraq the stand we are taking. This has become a very unpopular choice and is threatening how he will be remembered and how America views what he has us doing in this war.

If someday Bush is to be remembered as a great president, like Abraham Lincoln, he is going to have to become a uniter and that means working with Democrats to make America safer and end this unpopular war.

General Washington Addressing the Troops - A Message for Today

2007-05-06T16:15:00.001-07:00

For some time now, my friends,

I have wanted to share with you

the understanding that has come to me

about the war that we are fighting with the British.

This war did not begin with the sallying forth

of the first shots from the muskets of the British,

Nor will it be won by the triumph of will, vigor,

and persistent courage by those who have less support to back them,

but a mightier force of destiny.

No, this war will only be won when all nations

who seek to conquer, or who hold sway over the rights of others

to exist in freedom, shall perish,

and when all nations discover that the one true interest

that holds them together is a common one -

an interest that lies in the freedom and self-determination of each.

You, who have been fighting so valiantly during this battle

for which so many have given their lives,

need know that after this victory is won and this fight is over,

there will come a time of peace and of

being able to retreat to our homes and farms

to enjoy the fruits of liberty.

But after this time shall come another time of war,

and another time of travail for this nation

that we are so courageously building.

For the time has not yet come when all men

can lay down their arms and proceed through life as brothers.

This will be, some day, in the scheme of Divine Providence,

but it is not now, and it is not within the foreseeable future.

Therefore, what we do here today, what we give here today,

we do and give in order to stave off the destruction

that would be brought about by forces seeking to dismantle

our present social structure and free government.

We cannot allow this to happen.

For we, as a free people, must defend our right to exist as such.

We must not allow tyranny to prevail or the fear of reprisals

to dissuade us from our calling.

Nevertheless, this war, when it ends, will not end war.

It will be one in a series of other wars that this nation-to-be will fight.

Yet, in the end, after much travail and much pain and suffering,

this nation shall finally be free to live in peace,

and shall be a representative of peace to a world that is tired of war

that has come, finally, to a place of being able to live in harmony.

May that day come soon, my friends,

and may we all be enabled to return to our homes quickly,

to resume life in its daily quiet joys and in its daily moments

of ease and tranquility.

What Happened to the Marines?

2007-05-04T10:17:00.001-07:00

Rivalries aside, most people agree the Marine
Corp trains some of Uncle Sam's toughest
warriors.

Sadly, the Marines, like so many military
organizations, have fallen prey to political
correctness in modern times.

In 2001, the Marines switched from their battle
proven close combat methods in favor of a system
that is designed to "subdue" rather then kill an
attacker. Funny, I never thought the Marines had
a problem with killing people before...And the
scumbag terrorists sure don't seem to have a
problem killing us.

Since the Marines were first founded in 1775 at
Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, PA, Close Quarter
Combat (CQC) training was heavily emphasized in
their training.

Although many people know about their skilled
sharpshooters who fired from the rigging of
ships, it is important to remember that the
Marines also pioneered close combat techniques as
they boarded enemy ships using rifles and swords.

For over a century Marines fought in every major
conflict battling pirates, guerillas, and other
enemies of the United States. The Marines were
tough fighters, but when the United States
entered World War I, some new training would make
them lethal.

The First World War brought a number of changes
to the Marines. The Corp grew rapidly in size
and the Germans would give the Marines the
nickname "Devil Dogs." To meet the challenges of
trench warfare, the Marines also improved their
close combat training.

The man largely responsible for the new training
was Anthony J. Drexel Biddle who joined the
Marines as a captain at age 41. Though he was new
to the military, the wealthy socialite was an
experienced boxer and began to share what he knew
with the Marines. He taught bayonet and close
combat techniques based upon fencing, boxing and
wrestling.

During the inter-war years, other men joined
Biddle to improve the training. Captains W.M.
Greene and Samuel B. Griffith who had been
stationed in Shanghai trained with British police
officer William Fairbairn.

Fairbairn had been in over six-hundred street
fights and authored several books on close
combat. He eagerly shared what he knew with the
American Marines. They also learned shooting
techniques from Fairbairn's best friend and
firearms expert Eric Sykes.

The Marines learned well, and soon Fairbairn's
techniques became part of the Marines' CQC
training.

The Marines' close combat system would be further
influenced by others during World War II, as the
Marines fought in a brutal island hopping
campaign in the Pacific.

Marine John Styers who was a student of Biddle's
took what he learned and wrote Cold Steel.
Originally, a series of articles in Leatherneck
magazine Styers showed Marines how to fight with
a knife and a rifle with a bayonet. He showed
that unarmed combat training could help Marines
perform even better with their weapons.

The Marines also learned from another student of
Fairbairn, Army Colonel Rex Applegate. Though a
crack shot, Applegate made it clear that
hand-to-hand combat training was necessary part
of CQC.

While the Marine Corp close combat system went
through a number of other changes and names, each
reincarnation of the system held on tightly to
the lessons and methods of Biddle, Sykes,
Fairbairn, & Applegate as the concept of
battlefield survival was always kept in mind.

In the 1980's the system began to fall. With the
rise in popularity of various martial arts, many
Marines began abandoning the authentic,
documented, and proven "simplistic" methods of
combat in exchange for the mysteries of modern
martial arts and psuedo science (aka completely
unproven crap).

In 1996, the Marines began evaluating their close
combat training and determined that a new system
would be developed to deal with Missions Other
Than War (MOTW).

Previously all training (even the junk in the
80's) was designed with the concept of "kill or
be killed". The new system is more concerned with
peacekeeping operations and non-lethal
force...EXTREMELY stupid for men trained to be our
frontline.

The new Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP)
is like a piss poor combined version of Tae Kwon
Do and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Not only is it nothing like the battle tested
techniques the Marines have used successfully for
over 200 years, but by mish-moshing together two
martial sports (neither of which have battlefield
proven documentation) someone is going to get
killed.

Listen, in Iraq and Afghanistan its all about
close combat and engaging the enemy in tight
quarters. The Marines need a solid CQC system not
a politically correct way to play patty-cake with
the enemy.

International Panel to Launch Campaign for Accountability for U.S./Israeli War Crimes

2007-05-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

MEDIA ADVISORY

Campaign for Accountability for U.S./Israeli War Crimes
55 W. 17th St. 5th Fl.
NY NY 10011
www.IACenter.org
www.PeopleJudgeBush.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2006

Media Contact: Dustin Langley 646-354-8056

International Panel to Launch Campaign for Accountability for U.S./Israeli War Crimes

Where: United Nations Church Center, 777 UN Plaza - 44th St. & 1st Ave, NYC
When: Wednesday, August 30, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Who: Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, eyewitnesses from Lebanon and Palestine, human rights activists

(New York) The Campaign for Accountability for U.S./Israeli War Crimes will hold its initial meeting on Wednesday, August 30, at the UN Church Center in New York City. An international panel will present testimony including video footage, eyewitness reports, expert witnesses, photo displays and written reports.

Research will be gathered in many areas to support the charges, including inhumane treatment of civilians and prisoners, and deliberate destruction of the Lebanese and Palestinian economy and infrastructure.