Friday, November 03, 2006

Kyle Snyder, Iraq, Joshua Frank, Center for Constitutional Rights



Friday at last! :D Now watch the weekend fly by in a hurry. :( Ain't that the way. But right now, it's a happy time. I'm excited because tonight we discuss Iraq and one topic I know we'll be hitting hard is Kyle Snyder. I hope you're talking about him too and, maybe it's Friday that has me so happy, but I'll even say thank you to Amy Goodman (to Juan Gonzalez as well but I don't have any problem with him) for interviewing Kyle Snyder today. I do wonder where the rest are?

And if you can't interview him, you can certainly interview other war resisters. You can go to or call Canada and get their reaction. You can call up Camilio Mejia and asks him what he thinks it all means. You can bring up some history expert (Howard Zinn would be a good one) and interview them about what this means from a historical perspective.
But we don't get much coverage like that. Today Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales lived up to what independent media is supposed to be and I will sincerely say "Thank you" for that.

Eddie e-mailed and said even if I don't have time to listen to Michael Ratner and Michael Smith and Heidi Boghosian and Dalia Hashad (hope I spelled everyone's name right, we were all helping set up folding chairs for the meeting and we're all starting late, I'm trying to do this post in less than fifteen minutes and I type too slow for that so I doubt I'll be able to) (their show is Law and Disorder and it is on my blogroll at the top of my site), I could note something from the Center for Constional Rights, "CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ARGUES TO COURT THAT MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL: Synopsis:"

On November 1, 2006, The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) joined attorneys in filing a brief in Al Odah v. United States of America, together with Boumediene v. Bush the two cases representing men held at Guantánamo Bay that have reached the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The briefs were the first written arguments to challenge the Military Commissions Act (MCA) in court and argue that either the retroactive suspension of the detainees' right of habeas corpus does not apply to pending cases, or that it is flatly unconstitutional. CCR represents Australian citizen David Hicks, one of the petitioners in Al Odah, as well as hundreds of other detainees at the island prison and coordinates their representation by hundreds of pro bono attorneys.
The brief states: "The Court should promptly affirm [the Lower Court's] denial of the Government's motion to dismiss these cases and, at long last, allow the district court to decide 'the merits of the petitioners' claims' as mandated by the Supreme Court" in CCR's landmark victory Rasul v. Bush. The brief goes on to argue that the Suspension Clause of the Constitution--which states that "the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless... cases of rebellion or invasion… require it"--bars Congress from suspending that right, except under very particular circumstances.
"This is the first opportunity we have had to challenge the constitutionality of the MCA in court," said CCR senior attorney Barbara Olshansky, "and the Constitution is quite explicit on this point: No rebellion, no invasion, no suspension. It's that simple. We at CCR are confident that the court will find in favor of our clients, and in favor of the Constitution."
The government must now file a response to the brief, which is due by November 13. The written briefs will then be followed by oral arguments, on a date to be determined by the court. Until the court issues its decision, all pending habeas corpus cases will not move forward.
CCR Legal Director Bill Goodman said, "The Supreme Court has repeatedly declared that the hundreds of men detained at Guantanamo Bay have the right to their day in court. President Bush and the Congress have done their best to delay justice for these men; now the courts must insure that justice is not denied."

Eddie's right and thanks for e-mailing me that, bud. I read his e-mail and that's probably the only one I will read tonight because I just don't have time. Sorry 'bout that but I'll pick it up on Monday for sure if not sooner. All four hosts are members of the Center. (Also of the National Lawyer's Guild, I think -- and that's on my blogroll too -- or should be -- if it's not, e-mail me so I can get it up there next week.)

CCR does great work. They don't avoid the hard issues, they don't kiss butt and play deaf, dumb and blind. They're out there every day. I hope to start listening to the show again when the hell of a semester is over but, even if I don't, Eddie's right that I can note some stuff from CCR. If you've got the time, check out Law and Disorder. It really is a great program.

Let me put this in before I forget, get your butts over to Like Maria Said Paz to see what's on Elaine's mind tonight. Yeah, I did a link to her even while rushing. She's my girlfriend, want to make something of it? :D

Now a question? Is Joshua Frank a Jewish name? I wonder that only because he sounds like he could be one of Ruth's children. Seriously, read "Ruth's Report" and then read Joshua Frank's "DNC Deja Vu:"

The Nation magazine, despite an editorial last year which claimed they would not support pro-war Democrats, has provided virtually no coverage of third party antiwar campaigns. After an editorial staff meeting with Sen. Hillary Clinton's antiwar challenger Howie Hawkins, The Nation still wouldn't write a word about his campaign, even though he is receiving over 20% of the independent vote here in New York. Nor would the magazine discuss Kevin Zeese's antiwar unity run in Maryland, where Zeese has brought together a unique alliance of Green, Populists and Libertarians. Then there is Aaron Dixon, an ex-Black Panther who is running perhaps the most electric antiwar campaign in the country against Sen. Maria Cantwell. Dixon's camp has been met with utter silence from the liberal antiwar movement -- perhaps because several progressive philanthropists like Dal LaMagna, support her campaign. And the list of forgotten candidates goes on.
Predictably MoveOn.org and the liberal blogsphere like DailyKos would never engage in a debate about the legitimacy of building an independent antiwar movement, let alone a third party. Instead they'd rather throw their energy into campaigns like Ned Lamont's disaster in Connecticut. Since Ned defeated Sen. Lieberman in the primary he has changed his tune on Iraq from reasonable opposition to all-out war hawk. But that's where working within the Democratic Party will get you: nowhere.
So perhaps it is not "why" Peace Now and others in the liberal establishment have silenced antiwar candidates, but "how". We know why: they are professional liberals who see the Democratic Party as an indispensable ally in the quest for grants, careers and cocktail party networking.
However, the more theoretical among these liberal careerists have a popular front philosophy: where they align with the liberal bourgeoisie against the reactionary capitalists. But when push comes to shove the liberals of the ruling elite always prefer repression to democracy -- something ol' Karl Marx recognized during the 1848 democratic revolutions in Europe and the Left in the US should have recognized when the industrial wing of the Republican Party sabotaged Radical Reconstruction last century.

It's like they're on the same wavelength! :D (As far as I know, they aren't related. But he writes like he could be Tracey's cousin. Ruth's whole family is just like Ruth but Ruth and Tracey are the most outspoken. You can see a lot of Ruth in Tracey. Her father, Ruth's son, jokes that that the activism gene skipped a generation.)

Joshua Frank's a pretty cool writer. I know his stuff up at CounterPunch and one of the fifty or so books I have from C.I. (I'm so far behind in pleasure reading) is a book by him. I'm looking forward to this semester being over so I can read some stuff I want for a change. (If anyone dropped by and think, "What's the joke about Jewish?" Ruth's Jewish. And she always talks about how her family is very Jewish-Left.) (She actually has a funny routine she can do about that. She should write it down in one of the reports.)

"Iraq snapshot:"

Friday, November 3, 2006. Chaos and violence continue in Iraq, US war resister Kyle Snyder tells his story to Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez on Democracy Now!, the Giddiest Gabor in the Green Zone mistakes himself for Jackson Pollock, Bully Boy finally wins at a poll but it's doubtful he'll be happy, nearly 60 corpses are discovered in Baghdad, eight US troops have died since Wednesday, John Dimitri Negroponte heads to Iraq for a surprise visit, and the US air force goes on a spending spree because, hey, it's not their money.
On Saturday, US war resister Kyle Snyder returned to the US from Canada where he'd self-checked out to in April 2005. Tuesday, he turned himself in at Fort Knox only to learn that the arrangement between the US military and his attorney, James Fennerty, was being tossed aside. At which point, Kyle Snyder self-checked out again.
Today, he spoke with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez for Democracy Now! detailing his experiences in Iraq and Canada. Synder detailed the promises of recruiters and how they mirrored the empty promises of the agreement the military offered Synder's attorney: "They can verbally promise anything, but once you are in their custody they can do anything they want with you." Between the broken promises of recruitment and return came the assignment to tasks he wasn't trained for. This is the point of the stand Melanie McPherson has taken. McPherson was trained to be a journalist for the military (at Fort Meade, MD) in April 2000 and then, just as her contract was winding down, she gets orders to report to Fort Bliss to ship out to Iraq. She reports on July 23 of this year and discovers she'll be serving in Iraq as a military police officer, something she has not been trained. McPherson tells her own story here (scroll down).
Jim Fennerty was also a guest and he explained that the military wants to send him (Snyder) to Fort Knox (KY) and that he can't get a call returned from Fort Leonard Wood (MO). Fennerty also addressed the issue of another of his clients, Ivan Brobeck. Brobeck is from Virgninia and went o Canada after serving seven months in Iraq. Like Synder, Brobeck arrived in Canada in April 2005. Unlike Snyder, Brobeck is in the Marines. Fennerty spoke of the different processes in the different branches of the US military and that "Ivan will be taken into custody" and "he'll be placed in the brig" at which point he would most likely face a court-martial.
Snyder stated to the following when asked by Goodman what he would say to other soldiers: "To the soldiers that are in Iraq, for the third or fourth time. A lot of them are scared to make decisions about moral and consientious choices, they're told by their commanders that they can't make these decisions Just follow your heart if you feel that you need to be in Iraq and that you're doing the right thing, that's fine and I understand that. But if you feel like you're doing the wrong thing, please speak out. The G.I. resistance is very important in changing the policits of this country right now and I feel that as G.I.s start coming out that's what's going to stop this war. And that's the only thing that's going to stop this war. As far as the soldiers that are in Canada right now, I love every single one of you, just know that whatever happens here, just keep that in mind, and I'll be keeping in contact with them."
On those still in Canada, Brett Barrouqere (AP) spoke with US war resisters Corey Glass and Patrick Hart who are currently in Canada. Glass is now reconsidering his own decision to return from Canada and both Glass and Hart consider the war to be based on lies. Glass states, "After what they did to him [Kyle Snyder], I don't see anybody going back." Hart says, "I could see going back under some kind of amnesty program or something like that. But I don't trust them."
More information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. In addition Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. On the latter, Courage to Resist is asking supporters to call 502-624-2707 to speak to Major General Robert M. Williams and tell him "Discharge Kyle Snyder!"
In other news of deployment status, Jamie McIntrye (CNN) reports that Santos Cardona will be sent to Kuwait and not Iraq, the Army has decided, due to the fact that Cardona was the "U.S. Army dog handler who was convicted of abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison". As to how he's been allowed to remain in the service? In June, Santos was "sentenced . . . to 90 days hard labor and a reduction in rank . . . found guilty of derelecition of duty and aggravated assault" (AP). The prosecution had recommended a discharge for bad conduct but apparently the actions fit into someone's understanding of 'service' and Cardona has managed to remain in the military instead of being drummed out of the service. On a similar note, AP reports that Steven D. Green has been indicted in a civilian court (he was discharged from the military before the allegations were public) in Kentucky for the "premeditated murder in the death of Abeer Kassem Hamza al-Janabi, her father, mother and 6-year-old sister in the central Iraqi town of Al-Mahmudiyah. Green is accused of raping the teen and then killing her after rounding up and killing her family with the help of other soldiers in his unit."
And in Iraq today.
Bombings?
CNN reports that mortar rounds in Baghdad claimed the lives of three and left six wounded. Reuters notes four police officers dead in Madaen from a roadside bomb, two young males dead from a landmine in Kut, and three people dead from a roadside bomb in Baghdad. (CBS and AP note: "Police Lt. Thaer Mahoud said the death toll in the rush hour bombing of a crowded market in Baghdad's Sadr City district Thursday had risen to 11 on Friday, with 51 reported wounded." Yesterday, the known dead from that bombing was seven.)
Shootings?
Reuters notes that "Resan al-Sayab, a local singer" was shot dead in Baghdad, while, in Kirkuk, a preacher (Sunni) and a gas station worker were shot dead (the preacher Thursday night), the shooting death of "a bodyguard of Shiite cleric Sadiq al-Hakim" near Najaf, and a cab driver shot dead in Baghdad.
Corpses?
Sinan Salaheddin (AP) reports that 56 corpses were discovered in Baghdad. Reuters notes that the corpse of Abdul Majeed Ismael Khalil, freelance journalist, was discovered in Baghdad in addition to the 56 other corpses and that a severed head was found as well.
Today the US military announced "Three Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died Nov. 2 from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province," "One Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died from injuries sustained due to enemy action Thursday while operating in Al Anbar Province," "Three Multi-National Division -- Baghdad Soldiers died at approximately 2:15 p.m. Thursday when the vehicle they were riding in was strcuk by an improvised-explosive device in eastern Baghdad." That makes eight reported deaths for US troops since Wednesday. Iraq Coalition Casualties currently lists the toll for the month thus far as 11 dead (and 2829 dead since the start of the illegal war) which would indicate more announcements will be made later today or tomorrow. All as Italian troops prepare to leave Iraq and the so-called coalition continues to suffer from shrinkage.
Activst, author and Vietnam vet Ron Kovic (Truthdig) reflects on the wounded US troops in Iraq, noting that he was paralyzed January 20, 2968 while serving in Veitnam, and describes the moments after: "They are being put on a helicopter, with the wounded all around them. They try to stay calm. Some are amazed that they are still alive. You just have to keep trying to stay awake, make it to the next stage, keep moving toward the rear, toward another aid station, a corpsman, a doctor a nurse someone who can help you, someone who will operate and keep you alive so you can make it home, home to your backyard and your neighbors and your mother and father. To where it all began, to where it was once peaceful and safe. They just try to keep breathing because they have got to get back. . . . They are alone in their rooms all over this country, right now. Just as I was alone in my room in Massapequa. I know they're there -- just as I was. This is the part you never see. The part that is never reported in the news. The part that the president and vice president never mention. This is the agonizing part, the lonely part, when you have to awake to the wound each morning and suddenly realize what you've lost, what is gone forever. They're out there and they have mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives and children. And they're not saying much right now. Just like me they're just trying to get through each day."
As for the man responsible for so many US troops wounded and dead, for so many Iraqis wounded and dead, the polls haven't been very kind to him of late. However,
the Guardian of London is reporting that Bully Boy is 'Top of the Pops' in a new poll [ICM polled Isreal, Canada, Mexico and England for the poll]. Before Laura breaks out the good china and heats up the Frito Pie, the survey found that 69 percent of British respondents "believerd US policy had made the world less safe since 2001"; that 71 percent of British respondents felt the illegal war "was unustified, a view shared by 89% of Mexicans and 73% of Canadians"; and it "ranked President Bush with some of his bitterest enemies as a cause of global anxiety."
Anxiety was in the air as John Negroponte made a surprise visit to the heavily fortified Green Zone area of Baghdad. What exactly was the Director of National Intelligence doing in Iraq? Advising the death squads? Paying them off? He was a long way from Honduras or Nicaragua. John O'Neil (New York Times) reports that Negroponte had no public statements (proving he's smarter than the Giddiest Gabor in the Green Zone). Al Jazeera reminds that Negroponte "had served as the American ambassador to Iraq before the current envoy Zalmay Khalilzad." For those who've forgotten, it was his security detail that fired at the car carrying Giuliana Sgrena who had just been freed from her kidnappers. Nicola Calipari was in the car and killed. Sgrena sustained serious injuries. As AFP notes, the trip followed Stephen Hadley's (National Security Advisor for the Bully Boy administration) trip by three days and followed the video conference held last Saturday.
Staying in the Green Zone for news of the Giddiest Gabor, as Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) noted, Willie Caldwell made a surprising remark yesterday. Apparently inspired by the 140 million dollars a painting by Jackson Pollock fetched the other day, Little Willie decided to jazz it up a bit. Briefing the press yesterday, the Giddiest Gabor began with a presentation including slides ("Slide please"). The presentation included the following prepared remarks (note, this was not in response to a question, this was part of the presentation): "A transition is not always a pleasant thing to watch as it happens. But when common goals are achieved, speed bumps and differecnes of opinion along the way are soon forgotten. Every great work of art goes through messy phases while it is in transition. A lump of clay can become a sculpture; blobs of paint become paintings which inspire." As most know, there's no scarier stage than when a starlet fancies herself an artist.
Meanwhile, after requesting what Reuters called "a staggering 50 billion in emergency funding for fiscal 2007," the US air force quickly handed out contracts. Lockheed Martin got 30 million, DRS got $6.3 million, L-3 got $42 million and Boeing got a whopping $229.8 million. The whisper-it-to-the-press-but-don't-attribute 'reason' for the request in emergency funding is that, otherwise, wounded and dead US troops might not make it home. The shopping spree calls that 'reasoning' into question.
In more money being burned news, Thom Shanker and David S. Cloud (New York Times) report that the Pentagon is created a new office which will include the "rapid response unit" that they hope and pray will make all the reality vanish the way those waves of Operation Happy Talk used to. Remember the discolored fingers? Remember the any-day-now turned corner? Even most of the press sees new attempts at waves as a wipe out so the Pentagon intendes to dispense with the messenger and lie directly to the people.
Until then, some reality news still comes out. James Glanz (New York Times) reports that Stuart W. Bowen Jr. will be outed from his post as Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction next October as a result of Congressional legislation that no one in Congress appears able to explain or even able to figure out when that section entered the bill.
In election news, Carol Britton Meyer (TownOnline) reports that, in Massachusetts, Mary Sochacki, Shirley Brown, Katharine Sangree, and Chartis Tebbetts were among those members of the South Shore Peace Forum gathering signatures to put a resolution on next Tuesday's ballot "calling for an immediate end of the war in Iraq".
In other peace news, US war resister Mark Wilkerson reflects on his time in Iraq and notes: "Before I deployed to Iraq during OIF1, I was full of optimism for what we could do to help the people of Iraq. One of our missions, after all, was to 'win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.' And in that regard, we have failed miserably. In the year I was in Iraq, I saw kids waving American flags in the first month. Then they threw rocks. Then they planted IEDs. Then they blew themselves and others up in city squares full of people. The only conlcusion I can come up with as to why this happened is the way the American troops have treated the Iraqi people as a whole. From random raids of whole city blocks, to checkpoints that interrupted the daily lives of the Iraqis, to incidents of torture and even massacres, a majority of Iraqis now feel as though the American soldiers, once hailed as heroes and saviors, are now seen as conquerors." Wilkerson still awaits news on what the army intends to do now that he's returned from his self-check out.
Wilkerson isn't the only war resister who has said no to war and still awaits a decision/ruling. Keeping the issue front and center, Ehren Watada's father Bob Watada and his step-mother Rosa Sakanishi continue their speaking tour to raise awareness on Ehren -- the first commissioned officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq. Upcoming dates include:

Nov 3, TBA St. Paul MN. Location: Quaker Peace Center -- 1725 Grand AvenueSponsors: Veterans for Peace Chapter 27 Contact: Barry Reisch, (H) 651-641-1087 © 612-269-8934 bwrvfp@earthlink.net

Nov 4, 11AM Milwaukee, WI. Location: Great Lakes Arlington EventContact: Mark Foreman, 441-760-9991, bethmark@execpc.comSponsor: VFP Chapter 102 * See the unveiling of a new "Arlington"

Nov. 5, 2PM Boston, MA Encuentro 5 33 Harrison Ave. 5th floor (Chinatown)Sponsors: Asian American Movement Ezine Asian American Resource Workshop Boston Hawaiian Club Chinese Progressive AssociationMassachusetts Global Action New England Japanese American Citizens League

Nov 5, 7PM Cambridge, MA. Location: Unitarian Church, Harvard SquareSponsor: Veterans for Peace Chapter 9, Smedley Butler Brigade and Chapter 45, Samantha Smith Chapter Contact: Lee VanderLaan, 978-257-2350

Nov 6, 2-4:30PM Boston, MA Location: University of Massachusetts/BostonSponsor: The Institute for Asian American Studies William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequence Time: 2-4:30 pm

Nov 6, 7PM Worcester, MA. Location: Clark University University Building, Lurie Room Sponsors: Veterans For Peace Chapter 10 Contact: Bob Flanagan, 508-755-1479, IrishBob54@aol.com

Nov 7, 4:30PM Portland, ME Location: Meditation Center Sponsor: Veterans for Peace, Chapter 1 Contact: Doug Rawlings, 207-293-2580, rawlings@maine.edu,

Nov. 7, 6-9PM Brunswick, ME Location: Morrill Room, Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street Pot luck supper and speaking engagement Time: 6 - 7:30pm

Nov 8, 7PM Albany, NY Sponsor: VFP National Location: TBAContact: Elliot Adams, 518-441-2697, elliottadams@juno.com


A full schedule can be found at Veterans for Peace and those interested in hosting a Bob Watada speaking engagement in their area are urged to contact Doug Zachary.





















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Thursday, November 02, 2006

Kyle Snyder, Cindy Sheehan and more


Thursday. Almost Friday, but not quite. Kyle Snyder's where we'll start because it's where independent media can't seem to go.
If you've been following the story, you know that Snyder served in Iraq and then self-checked out in April 2005 and went to Canada. He's a war resister opposed to the illegal war. He decided to come back to the United States. He came back Saturday, turned himself in at Fort Knox on Tuesday and then found out the deal worked out wasn't for real. So he checked out again.

There's a story there, there are about 50 stories there. But where is the independent media?

That's the question to ask and C.I.'s been asking it for some time. "War in Iraq bad." That's what independent media says but they don't cover it. They don't cover the war resisters.

Kyle Snyder is the story of today's military. He comes from a troubled home where his mother was beaten and he was as well. He was placed in foster care. The recruiters came to pounce. They promised him the world and delivered nothing.

He thought he was going to be doing reconstruction in Iraq and was trained for that but there was no reconstruction in Iraq, just construction of US bases and the US embassy.

He saw an Iraqi shot by a buddy who was serving. And the Iraqi shouldn't have been shot. So he reported it and it was ignored. No investigation. The message was that the military can do whatever it wants to Iraqis.

In the meantime his girlfriend lost their kid, his grandfather died and the war was all one big lie. So he self-checked out.

Where's the media? I guess it's self-checked out as well. Did you see C.I.'s answer to Zach's question in "Other Items"?

Dona's already asked that I talk about the Goodmans' new book for The Third Estate Sunday Review. Readers of TTESR don't want to wait until after the election for book coverage so we'll be discussing an art book and I'll address the Goodmans' book -- the good, the bad, the typos. On the latter check out page 53 (if I'm remembering correctly). (I was asked because no one else has read it.)

Dona's actually been asking that all week. She learned it was a go when she read "Other Items." :D Well, when you can't cover Kyle Snyder, you piss C.I. off. I'm not expecting C.I. to go to town on the book but I am expecting to hear about some serious flaws so I'm really looking forward to this edition. Nobody else read it. The days when we would get all excited faded in the heat of the summer when Goodman & co. couldn't find Iraq with both hands. C.I.'s the only one who regularly listens to the show. Dona says she thinks C.I. wouldn't be discussing the book at all this weekend if Democracy When had bothered to cover Kyle Snyder. He didn't even rate the one-day-baby-cried-the-day-the-circus-came-to-town coverage the others got. Democracy When has been too busy doing voting drives to cover Iraq. I also know from Jess that C.I. was outraged by a deaf member. He wrote to C.I. because he was furious that the Galludet students were ignored until after the fact. If C.I.'s always on the road, it's not always possible to catch Democracy When so C.I. wasn't aware of that but checked it out and it is true. That was why there was such a hug gap between the two entries. C.I. came across that e-mail right after posting "Kyle Snyder self-checks out again after the military tries to burn him again" and looked to see if the program had ever offered anything more than a headline here and there? While C.I. was looking through the program's archives, everyone was getting quizzed about whether or not they remember any stories on Galludet? No one did. It was like Abeer all over again.

Back on October 22nd, the core six wrote "The students of Gallaudet University are standing up" and that was supposed to have been covered the week before. There were too many problems with the website to do it then. The core six worked on it because there was something else we were all doing together and C.I. said fine but if we stay up until 6:00 p.m. we are writing about Gallaudet. That's one of the places C.I. had talked with students and then C.I. wrote about what was going on there for Polly's Brew the first Sunday of October. The deaf and hearing impaired members of the community really responded to that and were e-mailing to say how it just seemed like there was time for everything in the world to be covered by independent media except Gallaudet. So C.I. was trying all month for that feature. I don't even remember what got traded. But I know C.I. pitched in with at least one story that otherwise would have been written without. And when it couldn't make it into the October 15th edition, C.I. was very clear that it would be covered the next week.

Which is how you have to be because we're all working at once during the marathon session and there are times when we really have to start cutting out pieces because there's not time or making them for the print edition only because there's not time to polish them. So if someone forgets something, someone else has to remember or it gets forgotten.

By the way there's a site I just heard about and it's www.warslavery.org which sounds pretty cool. If I don't write about it by Tuesday, somebody remind me.

So I'm looking forward to the book discussion and I'm also reading a book so I can be ready. No, not the Goodmans' book. I don't need the headache. I'm reading Cindy Sheehan's Peace Mom which I think everyone else has already read. It's really a great book, which doesn't surprise me, but it does surprise me how strong it is. It really speaks to you.

I'm up to the part where she's responding to some Congress guy with "King" in his last name. I think that's the half-way mark. My only suggestion would be for some pictures. :D

Seriously, I wondered what Casey looked like out of his uniform (she holds a picture of him in his uniform in the cover photo) and what Andy, Carly and I forget her other daughter look like. The part where she goes back to work a few weeks after Casey dies is probably what stood out most to me so far. The drive back after the first day of work and I don't want to spoil it for you.

But she's Cindy Sheehan and when I say that I mean she's just putting it out there, not trying to pretty it up, just telling it like it is. There are probably fifty books I have from C.I. that I haven't had time to read and when I decided to grab a book, I was actually thinking I would grab something else. But I was going through the stacks and that one just said "Read me" for some reason. I'm really glad that I listened because it's really a powerful book.

If I'm rushing the entry tonight it's because I want to get back to reading it. I probably won't have time tomorrow. Fortunately, I read fast even though I type slow. :D

If you haven't read the book yet, you should but if you're not sure, check out the book discussion Sunday at The Third Estate Sunday Review and I bet you'll be going, "Okay, I've got to read this." By the way, check out Rebecca's "dear john."

That's it for me tonight. Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Thursday, November 2, 2006. Chaos and violence continue in Iraq, war resister Kyle Snyder self-checks out again, polls in the United States continue to demonstrate the opposition to the illegal war, a Saudi report says the war is over and lost, and England's Ministry of Defence cautions us all to stop worrying and embrace depleted uranium.
Starting with war resistance. Kyle Snyder self-checked out of the US military in April 2005 and moved to Canada. Saturday, Snyder returned to the United States with the intent of turning himself in at Fort Knox under the deal the military had worked out with Snyder's attorney, James Fennerty. The military elected to burn Snyder yet again and did not move to the agreed upon dishonorable discharge but towards deploying Snyder back to Iraq.
Kyle Snyder didn't sit around passively. He's checked out again. Brett Barrouquere (AP) reports that Snyder checked out "Tuesday after being dropped of at the Greyhound Bus station in downtown Louisville," Kentucky and Synder explained to Barrouquere, "I realized this deal was going to go bad." A longer AP version notes Synder explaining, "I came back in good faith. I put my trust in them one more time. Why should I put my trust in them again when I can just go back to Canada?" Also noted is that Snyder is traveling with activist and Vietnam war resister Gerry Condon who is hopeful that this was a misscommunication. Condon wrote on the subject of war resisters to today's illegal war in the July issue of The Objector [PDF format].
James Fennerty also acted as war resister Darrell Anderson's attorney. (Anderson turned himself in October 3rd. He was released October 6th.) Claudia Bayliss (South Bend Tribune) examines the roll of faith and service in Anderson's stand and speaks with Anita Anderson (Darrell's mother), Margaret Pfeil ("professor of moral theology" at Notre Dame), Lt. Col. Kelly Jordan and Mike Schorsch (Catholic Peace Fellowship in South Bend). Schorsch states: "Kids like Darrell go through military training, they go to war, they change, they grow up -- but they never lose their humanity. And sometimes their humanity boils up inside of them and causes them to say 'No,' even if it means personal risks." More information on Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson and other war resistors who have gone public can be found at Courage to Resist.
War resistance among the general public in the United States continues (as it will continue to do, the opinion hardened against the war some time ago, there will not be a softening). Adam Nagourney and Megan Thee (New York Times) report on the latest NYT/CBS News poll which found only "29 percent of Americans approve of the way President Bush is managing the war, matching the lowest mark of his presidency. Nearly 70 percent said Mr. Bush did not have a plan to end the war, and 80 percent said Mr. Bush's latest effort to rally public support for the conflict amounted to a change in language but not policy." Those polled cited the illegal war "as the most important issue" -- if only the media, big and small, felt the same. AFP notes the Wall St. Journal/NBC poll released Wednesday which found: "54 per cent of [US] voters saying it had not been worth the human and economic price to remove former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from power."
This comes the same week, as reported by The Turkish Press, that a study by the Saudi government finds that the illegal war to be a "lost battle" and the ethnic conflicts (which the illegal war brought to the forefront) to have created a "dire" condition. The Magaing Director of the Saudi National Security Assessment project, Nawaf Obaid, declared that the war "has failed by every single measure that you can think of. . . . The failure is only compounded by the fact that we just don't know what the endgame is."
Meanwhile, in Iraq, Patrick Cockburn (Independent of London) reports on concerns among "the Shia community that the US would like to ally itself more closely with the Sunni Arabs" and see that as the reason for the helicopter gunship attacks on the Medhi Army. Cockburn notes that despite the past concilliation talks between the US and leaders of the resistance "in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the US has yet to make any headway in negotiations to end the fighting." The AP reports that the puppet of the occupation, Nouri al-Maliki, is considerning "plans to reshuffle his 39-member Cabinet, possibly this month". Nouri al-Maliki has been flirting with this for months now and it's been reported to be 'about to happen' since it was first reported. It'll happen at some point, probably as a last-gasp measure from al-Maliki when he fears the US is replacing him with a new puppet. (And notice how the 'four-part' 'plan' has been dropped from coverage as well? Guess they could only cover steps one and two for so long.)
Also reporting from Iraq, Dahr Jamail and Ali al-Fadhily (IPS) report on the crackdown in Al-Anbar Province and notes that the fire fighters killed by US forces (admitted, the US military says it was a 'mistake') were not accidnetal killings, according to eye witnesses ("They were not killed by mistake, they were killed in front of many people," says one witness) and that "Ramadi has been facing electricity and water cuts for about two weeks now. Most residents believe this is punishment for the popular support for Iraqi resistance."
Bombings?
Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) reports a motorcycle bomb in the Sadr City section of Baghdad took the lives of seven people and left forty-five wounded. Al Jazeera, qutoing an Interior Ministry source, notes that the bomb was "detonated by remote control".
CBS and AP note two died (25 wounded) from a roadside bomb "in Baghdad's al-Jaeeda district". Reuters reports, in Baghdad, mortar rounds resulted in four deaths and eleven wounded; a car bomb in Mahmudiya took one life and left four wounded, and a roadside bomb in Baghdad killed one and wounded 22.
Shootings?
Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) reports that "the Shiite dean of Baghdad University's school of administration and economics" was shot dead and became "the 155th Iraqi academic murdered in sectarian violence and revenge attacks since the 2003 U.S. invasion." CBS and AP note that the dean's name was Jassim al-Asadi and that his wife and son were also killed. AFP reports that Amal Ahmed ("pharmacist and former army officer") was shot dead in Kirkuk "one of a series of attacks on female professionals by suspected Islamists. Reuters reports that a judge, Tariq Abid Ali, and his son were shot dead in Baquba which was also the location for the shooting deaths of two police officer; just outside Baquba, two truck drivers were shot dead and three people were kidnapped; in Udhaim, five truck drivers (in two fuel trucks) were shot dead, a guard was shot dead in Kirkuk, and that three police officers were shot dead in Baghdad.
Corpses?
Reuters reports that four corpses ("blindfolded") were discovered in Mahmudiya and three were found in Yusufiya. CBS and AP note that two corpses were discovered in Baghdad ("bound and blindfolded").
In other news from the ground in Iraq, John Ward Anderson and Saad al-Izzi (Washington Post) report that the US military has confirmed that the missing US soldier Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie had married an Iraqi woman (in February 2005, not three months ago as previously reported), that her name is Israa Abdul-Satar (she is 26, he is 41) and that he was visiting her when he was kidnapped ("two of her siblings had tried to fight off te adbudctors when they came to grab him"). Claudia Parsons (Reuters) reports that the couple married before Qusai al-Taayie deployed to Iraq. He remains missing and the US military has announced the death of another US soldier: "A Multi-National Division -- Baghdad Soldier died at approximately noon Wednesday when the vehicle he was riding in was struck by an improvised-explosive device west of Baghdad." The death brings the total number of US troops killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war to 2819.
In Oh-Boo-Hoo news, AP reports that little Lt. General Ricadro Sanchez has ended his military career and is whining that Abu Ghraib is the reason: "I was essentially not offered another position in either a three-star or four-star command." Poor, poor, pitiful Sanchez. It's not like he's behind bars like Lynndie England or Charles Graner or dead like Alyssa Peterson whom Greg Mitchell (Editor & Publisher) notes killed herself following her objections to the torture at Abu Ghraib being used according to the reporting of Kevin Elston: "Peterson objected to the interrogation techniques used on prisoners. She refused to participate after only two nights working in the unit known as the cage. Army spokespersons for her unit have refused to describe the interrogation techniques Alyssa objected to."
In Don't-Believe-It-For-A-Minute news, Michael Evans (Times of London) reports on the claim put forward by England's Ministry of Defence that "firing of depleted uranium (DU) shells in Iraq had caused no long-term health problems either for British soldiers or for Iraqi civilians". In September of 2004, Juan Gonzalez (New York Daily News and co-host of Democracy Now!) reported on Victoria Claudette Matthew, the daughter of Gerard Darren and Janice Matthew who was conceived shortly after Gerard Darren returned from Walter Reed after being sent there (from Iraq) because: "One side of Matthew's face would swell up each morning. He had constant migraine headaches, blurred vision, blackouts and a burning sensation whenever he urinated." Victoria Claudette Matthew was born "missing three fingers and most of her right hand." That is but one example. In 2005, Dahr Jamail (Iraq Dispatches) reported on Iraq Veterans Against the War's Nicolas Prubyla who had blood in his stool, hair loss, numbness in his right arm. Jamail has also noted the effects of DU on Iraqis and, at the end of 2003, noted that "many areas in the south are unihabitable by the use of Depleted Uranium" and, in 2004, noted, "Dr. Jawad Kadhim Al-Ali, Director of the Oncology Center in Basra, has theorized depleted uranium as a reason that the death rate from cancers in Basra has now reached 19 times that of 1988."
In legal news, the Times of London reports a development in the court-martial of seven British soldiers accused of abusing Iraqis when they were in charge at a Basra prison. One of the seven, Stuart Mackenzie, kept a journal which was read aloud to to the court and "described attacks on Iraqi prisoners, some of whom were dubbed 'Ali Babas' in the accounts." An entry from 2003 recounts: "Beat them up with sticks and filmed it. A good day so far." Mackenzie denies any memories of the events he recorded in his journal.
Zolton Grossman (CounterPunch) examines the peace movement and offers some hypothesis on what can be done. There's no mention of the role of the media. There rarely is. In fact, Danny Schechter's action last March seems more and more needed today (Schechter targeted the mainstream media for their coverage). (For those wondering, Democracy Now! didn't have time to even make Kyle Snyder a headline today. Aileen Alfandary noted it during the headlines on today's KPFA's The Morning Show.)
In election news, CODEPINK discovers candidate Charlie Brown is no Peanuts character but he is a fairweather friend. Dan Bacher (Indybay Media) reports that Brown's spokesperson has stated he (Brown) does not support CODEPINK and that "CODEPINK does not belong in the 4th district." Apparently, there's plenty of room in the 4th district for the spineless like Brown. This follows Stephen Pearcy (Indybay Media) report on Monday of Charlie Brown's wife attempting to pressure Cindy Sheehan into not attending a war protest last weekend. (Sheehan ignored the unsolicited 'advice.')
Lastly, refusing to count on others to do the work that needs to be done (smart move), Ehren Watada's father Bob Watada and his step-mother Rosa Sakanishi continue their speaking tour to raise awareness on Ehren -- the first commissioned officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq. Upcoming dates include:

Nov 2, TBA Cincinnati, OH Meet Dr. Victoria (Vic) Wulsin, candidatefor congress 2nd district Ohio currently leading Jean Schmidt whocalled Rep John Murtha from PA. a coward. Sponsor: Vietnam Veterans Against the War Venue: TBA
Nov 3, TBA St. Paul MN. Location: Quaker Peace Center -- 1725 Grand AvenueSponsors: Veterans for Peace Chapter 27 Contact: Barry Reisch, (H) 651-641-1087 © 612-269-8934 bwrvfp@earthlink.net

Nov 4, 11AM Milwaukee, WI. Location: Great Lakes Arlington EventContact: Mark Foreman, 441-760-9991, bethmark@execpc.comSponsor: VFP Chapter 102 * See the unveiling of a new "Arlington"
Nov. 5, 2PM Boston, MA Encuentro 5 33 Harrison Ave. 5th floor (Chinatown)Sponsors: Asian American Movement Ezine Asian American Resource Workshop Boston Hawaiian Club Chinese Progressive AssociationMassachusetts Global Action New England Japanese American Citizens League
Nov 5, 7PM Cambridge, MA. Location: Unitarian Church, Harvard SquareSponsor: Veterans for Peace Chapter 9, Smedley Butler Brigade and Chapter 45, Samantha Smith Chapter Contact: Lee VanderLaan, 978-257-2350
Nov 6, 2-4:30PM Boston, MA Location: University of Massachusetts/BostonSponsor: The Institute for Asian American Studies William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequence Time: 2-4:30 pm
Nov 6, 7PM Worcester, MA. Location: Clark University University Building, Lurie Room Sponsors: Veterans For Peace Chapter 10 Contact: Bob Flanagan, 508-755-1479, IrishBob54@aol.com

A full schedule can be found at Veterans for Peace and those interested in hosting a Bob Watada speaking engagement in their area are urged to contact Doug Zachary.























Posted by at

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

No bravery

Hump day, hump day, can't trust that day. John Kerry crumbled. He served up his own ass and it wasn't pretty. I had three text messages from C.I. to call immediately and when I did, I heard what was being e-mailed out: Did anyone have a problem with the 2008 election being brought up re: Kerry and re: Iraq.

I didn't. I hadn't heard what happened because I was at work. C.I. filled me in and wanted to touch base with those in Kerry's state to make sure there wasn't a problem especially. I felt really bad because I didn't see the text messages forever and I was one of the people holding up the snapshot.

My vote was the same as everyone who voted, let it rip. What John Kerry did, over and over, today was disgusting. "No bravery," like the James Blunt song says, "I see no bravery."

Forget, I don't trust him to stand up for anyone, not even himself. He apologized for being right. He didn't say "I was right," he just apologized. And he shucked and jived with Don Imus while Imus was bringing up all the smear tactics from 2004 including wind surfing. I have no respect for John Kerry right now.

I won't vote for him for president in 2008. I'd never vote for him for president.

All we've heard is that he's not going to take any crap anymore but he caved right out of the gate. Yesterday, he was all big talk. Today he was running to Imus, issuing statements, whine, whine, whine, cry, cry, cry.

He wasn't wrong. His 'joke' wasn't wrong. And if he really cared about the military, and not just hiding behind it, he would have stood strong. He would have made the point that Rumsfled (I'm using C.I.'s term) is destroying it.

He's lowered standards repeatedly and it does matter. That was the point of the joke. Rumsfled has made the military the joke.

That's what John Kerry should have been talking about today. Instead, he buckled like a belt.

After all his talk about how he wasn't going to wuss like he did in 2004. And this was his first big chance to prove that. Tuesday he talks big and blah blah and he's not backing down. He starts out today acting like the biggest coward in the world. It was embarrassing and disgusting.

As soon as I got out of class this afternoon, I got online to try to find something redeeming in what he did today but there's nothing.

He's a coward. He wouldn't fight for himself and he won't fight for us. He won't even fight for the military that he can't shut up about. If you're in Iraq serving right now, you don't need someone serving with you because they busted and didn't want to get sentenced. You don't need someone who couldn't pass the basic competency test. But to meet quotas, Rumsfled has repeatedly lowered the requirements. And when it all gets ugly (it's ugly now but wait until 2007), we can look back and remember when John Kerry could have fought back but instead went around whining like a little girl.

Screw the big cry baby. Meanwhile, if you missed it, Kyle Snyder is getting screwed. His attorney reached a deal with the military where Snyder would turn himself in (he did on Thursday) and he would get a dishonorable discharge. Instead, the liars are trying to send him off to Iraq. I was so pissed about John Kerry that I forgot all about that until Elaine just called to say her post is up and she's really just covering John Kerry and Kyle Snyder. Be sure to get your butts over to Like Maria Said Paz tonight.

Synder was stabbed in the back. Lied to by the military again. Quick, look and see if Rush Limbaugh or Tony Snow just said something nasty about me for telling the truth! If so, I can back off like John Kerry! Screw that shit, kiss my Irish ass. Synder was screwed over, the war is illegal and Donald Rumsfled has lowered the standards so low and most people don't want to sign up so the military is degraded and destroyed. That's reality. No apologies.

Check out "Ruth's Report." Tracey called me about that and we were both talking about how great Ruth is. Tracey said the whole family is proud of Ruth on the latest "Ruth's Report." Tracey's Ruth's granddaughter and I'm sure they're all proud of Ruth everytime she does a report but I know what Tracey meant because this one was even more special.

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Wednesday, November 1, 2006. Chaos and violence continue in Iraq, American commanders appear to just notice that long established fact, Kyle Snyder is again lied to, John Kerry takes himself out of the 2008 race, and October's death toll for US troops continues to rise even though, yes, it is November 1st.
US war resister Kyle Snyder turned himself in at Fort Knox yesterday. After which, David Montero (Rocky Mountain News) reports, the army went back on their deal and Snyder was "shipped from Fort Knox, Ky., to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., possibly to face a full court-martial." Snyder's attorney, James Fennerty, told AP that after Snyder turned himself in, the military attempted to get him "to sign a form that would have hastened his return to his unit" and that "We wouldn't have brought him back here if we knew this was going to happen." As Katya Cengel (Courier-Journal) reports, Fennerty, who also represented Darrell Anderson, has stated, "We're going to make sure nobody comes back from Canada again because we were lied to."
Kyle Snyder self-checked out of the US military after serving in Iraq during which time he saw abuses that were not investigated, his girlfriend lost their baby, and his grandfather returned. In April 2005, he went to Canada. He returned last Saturday and turned himself at Fort Knox yesterday with the understanding that he would discharged.
War resistance within the military is an under-reported story in small media as Ruth, Rebecca and Mike pointed out yesterday. But, in fact, all waves of the peace movement are under-reported in small media. For those within the military considering resistance, Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign are among the resources out there. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters.
Elizabeth de la Vega (TomDispatch) reported on war resister Ricky Clousing yesterday and noted meeting him at Camp Democracy in September and he reasons that he led him to refuse to fight in the Iraq war and concludes: "Twenty-four years old, Clousing told the world in simple declarative sentences why he had to give up his college money, receive a dishonorable discharge, and go to jail to take a stand against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. He'd make a very cool action figure. Come to think of it, Sgt. Ricky Clousing -- tattooed arms, Laguna Beach t-shirt, and all -- would make an awesome shepherd in that manager scene. Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are just going to have to move over."
Turning to England, poodle Tony Blair avoided the inquiry into Iraq in the House of Commons. Philippe Naughton (Times of London) reports that Blair says maybe later to an Iraq inquiry "hours after narrowly avoiding defeat on a Commons motion calling for exactly that." Patrick Wintour (Irish Times) reports that the vote has left prime-minister-wannabe Gordon Brown "anxious to restore the authority of parliament, and trust in politicians" so "he will be under pressure to hold an inquest into the wider foreign policy failures of the Iraq invasion." As the Guardian of London notes, the vote was 298 to 273 with "12 Labour MPs" voting "against the government." As noted yesterday, the Farewell Tour isn't going the way Blair's handlers planned it.
Neither is Iraq. From yesterday: "In addition CNN notes that 'at least 40 people' were kidnapped north of Baghdad." CBS and AP note that the 40 kidnappings are confirmed and that the death toll from the bombing of the wedding party yesterday has risen from 15 to 23 "including nine children." In addition, they report that two coaches were kidnapped in Baghdad today "by a group of men in SUVs". The violence and chaos continue daily and, as Michael R. Gordon (New York Times) reported, the US Central Command has just prepared a chart ("two weeks ago") to note that. It takes some a little longer.
Bombings?
Reuters reports many bombs: in Baghdad, 2 car bombs resulted in 7 deaths (and 7 wounded), one minibus bombing resulted in 3 deaths, and 1 roadside bomb resulted in 2 deaths (10 wounded); Ramadi, five dead three wounded from two car bombs; Mosul, two wounded from a roadside bomb; Baiji two wounded from a roadside bomb.
Shootings?
CBS and AP report that Izzaddin Abbas was shot dead in Baghdad and a Ministry of Industry employee was shot dead in Baghdad. Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) reports four shooting deaths in Mosul. In addition, Reuters notes that a policewoman was shot dead in Mosul.
Corpses?
CBS and AP note three corpses were discovered in Baghdad today ("blindfolded and bound at the wrists"). CNN notes that the number of corpses discovered in Baghdad grew to ten. And Reuters then updated to note thirty-five corpses were discovered in Baghdad, nine in Mosul, five in Falluja, and one in Numaniya. Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) notes that five corpses were discovered in "the Tigris River near Suwayrah".
In election news, though he may not grasp it, US Senator John Kerry's just taken himself out of the 2008 presidential race. It wasn't the remark he made ("You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."), it was the fact that he went through a variety of positions on it including hedging it, distorting it, saying he wouldn't apologize for it until finally doing just that. And on Don Imus, of all places, where the supposed Fighting John allowed Imus to Swift Boat him with ha-has of "wind surfing" and more. It's over, 2008 is now officially over for John Kerry. Those willing to give him the benefit of doubt despite his caving in Boston in the early morning hours of the day after the election had been told Fighting John would never cave again. "Good of the country" was the excuse that morning. There is no excuse for not fighting this go round, there is only the admission that Fighting John will buckle each and every time and that Fighting John lacks drive, lacks leadership, lacks passion and lacks committment. Send him his "Dear John" letter, it's over.
He was unable to defend either himself or the military he's spent the last few years hiding behind. What should have been an opportunity for the American public to have a serious exchange about exactly what Donald Rumsfled has done to the US military instead became a case of Save-My-Own-Ass.
The conversation will be had and it will be had without John Kerry. As the Miami Herald reported in October of 2005: "Army Secretary Noel Harvey and Gen. Richard Cody, the vice chief of staff, said Monday that the Army is using loose Defense Department rules that permits it to sign up more high school dropouts and people who score lower on mental-qualification tests, but they denied that this meant it was lowering standards." In February of this year, Kelly M. Greenhill penned an op-ed for the New York Times noting: "The Army inducted both more recruits without high school diplomas and more youths scoring in the lowest category of the Army's aptitude test, so-called Category IV recruits. Welcoming more such recruits into the military has obvious appeal at a time when recruitment numbers are slipping, while manpower needs remain acute. But the adoption of lower standards to fill the ranks is shortsighted and imprudent. Moreover, continuing or expanding this policy would be a mistake for the Army and for the recruits themselves. Pentagon officials should know this better than anyone: their previous experiments with lower standards were clear failures." USA Today noted in July of 2005: "The Army in 2005 began accepting up to 4% of those who score in the bottom third on the Armed Froces Qualification Test. Previously, it had a limit of 2% from that category." In October of this year, AP reported that the "new lower aptitude standards" allowed the U.S. army to meet its target goal and noted "13,600, were accepted under waivers for various medical, moral or criminal problems, including misdemeanor arrests or drunk driving. . . . Of those accepted under waivers, more than half were for 'moral' reasons, mostly misdemeanor arrests. Thirty-eight percent were for medical reasons and 7 percent were drug and alcohol problems, including those who may have failed a drug test or acknowledged they had used drugs." In 2005, Fred Kaplan (Slate) raised some of the concerns career officers in the military have with these lowered standards.
Need a face on this issue? Try Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi. In July of this year, AP noted that Steven D. Green (one of several accused in the rape of fourteen-year-old Abeer, her death and the deaths of three members of her family) was arrested in Janurary 2005 and "[d]ays later . . . enlisted in the Army."
The conversation will go on and will do so without John Kerry who may be next seen at a Democratic Convention saying, "John Kerry, reporting for wedgie." UPDATE: Reuters reports John Kerry is now going through a ceremonial ritual of apologies. Someone call Barbara Walters.
CNN reports two more US troop deaths were reported today bringing the number of US troops who died in Iraq in October to 105. The military tends to let those deaths trickle out after the press has done their monthly look back. Thom Shanker and David S. Cloud (New York Times) reported that the toll included forty who died in Baghdad and 37 who died in Al-Anbar Province. 'Conventional wisdom' (not speaking of the NYT report just noted) is that the deaths are up due to the 'crackdown' in Baghdad (that cracked up). Those spinning that conventional wisdom don't appear to be willing to address the whack-a-mole problem US Senator John McCain pointed out in August:

Senator John McCain: So, General Abizaid, we're moving 7,500 troops into Baghdad, is that correct?
General John Abizaid: The number is closer to 3,500.[. . .]
McCain: And where are these troops coming from?
Abizaid: Uh, the troops, the Styker Brigade, is coming down from Mosul.
McCain: From Mosul? Is the situation under control in Ramadi?
Abizaid: Uh, the situation in Ramadi, is better than it was two months ago.
McCain: Is the situation under control in Ramadi?Abizaid: I think the situation in Ramadi is workable.
McCain: And the troops from Ramadi came from Falluja, isn't that correct?Abizaid: I can't say senator, I know that --
McCain: Well that's my information. What I' worry about is we're playing a game of whack-a-mole here. We move troops from -- It flares up, we move troops there. Everybody knows we've got big problems in Ramadi and I said, "Where you gonna get the troops?" 'Well we're going to have to move them from Falluja.' Now we're going to have to move troops into Baghdad from someplace else. It's very disturbing.

Borzou Daragahi (Los Angeles Times) reports that "224 Iraqi security forces and 1,315 civilians were killed in October". That count seems low and the source of the figures isn't identified.
In Australia, the report from the military inquiry into the April 21st Baghdad death of Jake Kovco and the events after Kovco's death remains unreleased but remains in the headlines. Australia's ABC reports that Angus Houston has stated that the report maintains Kovco wasn't rushed home (which would explain the mix up that sent Juso Sinanovic's body to Australia and left Jake Kovco's in Iraq) to try to build on the Anzac Day coverage. Expect to hear a lot about what it reportedly says as opposed to what it actually says, AAP informs the report won't be released until next year.
Back in Iraq, the issue is over who's pulling who? (Sing it, Aretha.) Did Nouri al-Maliki manage to outsmart his puppeteers? The Australian reports that he did and that he's "exploiting Washington's vulnerability in the US congressional elections to flex his political muscle."
Closing with the reminder that Ehren Watada's father Bob Watada and his step-mother Rosa Sakanishi continue the speaking tour to raise awareness on Ehren -- the first commissioned officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq. Upcoming dates include:

Nov 1, TBA Miami, Florida Democracy for America Miami Dade and the South Florida Veterans For Peace Chapter 32 Venue and time TBA


Nov 2, TBA Cincinnati, OH Meet Dr. Victoria (Vic) Wulsin, candidatefor congress 2nd district Ohio currently leading Jean Schmidt whocalled Rep John Murtha from PA. a coward. Sponsor: Vietnam Veterans Against the War Venue: TBA

Nov 3, TBA St. Paul MN. Location: Quaker Peace Center -- 1725 Grand AvenueSponsors: Veterans for Peace Chapter 27 Contact: Barry Reisch, (H) 651-641-1087 © 612-269-8934 bwrvfp@earthlink.net

Nov 4, 11AM Milwaukee, WI. Location: Great Lakes Arlington EventContact: Mark Foreman, 441-760-9991, bethmark@execpc.comSponsor: VFP Chapter 102 * See the unveiling of a new "Arlington"


Nov. 5, 2PM Boston, MA Encuentro 5 33 Harrison Ave. 5th floor (Chinatown)Sponsors: Asian American Movement Ezine Asian American Resource Workshop Boston Hawaiian Club Chinese Progressive AssociationMassachusetts Global Action New England Japanese American Citizens League

Nov 5, 7PM Cambridge, MA. Location: Unitarian Church, Harvard SquareSponsor: Veterans for Peace Chapter 9, Smedley Butler Brigade and Chapter 45, Samantha Smith Chapter Contact: Lee VanderLaan, 978-257-2350

Nov 6, 2-4:30PM Boston, MA Location: University of Massachusetts/BostonSponsor: The Institute for Asian American Studies William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequence Time: 2-4:30 pm

Nov 6, 7PM Worcester, MA. Location: Clark University University Building, Lurie Room Sponsors: Veterans For Peace Chapter 10 Contact: Bob Flanagan, 508-755-1479, IrishBob54@aol.com


A full schedule can be found at Veterans for Peace and those interested in hosting a Bob Watada speaking engagement in their area are urged to contact Doug Zachary.










Posted by at

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Kyle Snyder, Danny Schechter, John Kerry, Iraq

Kyle Snyder came
back to the United States from
Canada Saturday and he turned himself
in at Fort Knox. You'd know about that if
you read any of the following: "War resister Kyle Snyder returns to the US tomorrow"; "'I said NO and I will never regret it' -- Kyle Snyder, war resister"; "Iraq Snapshot"; "Editorial: Kyle Snyder's return to the US is part of a movement of resistance" and "AWOL U.S. Soldier Surrenders". That last one? It's an AP story at CBS. Where's indymedia? Go to BuzzFlash right now and see where the link for a story on Kyle Snyder is? You won't find one. Go to Truth Out, same thing. Common Dreams, same thing.

Does war resistance matter?

It matters to me and it matters to a lot of people. But the link-people can't find the time to cover it.

What does that tell you? If you figure it out, let me know. The AP story CBS is running is at like 63 mainstream news sites. Where's our left linkers?

It's really getting sick. We saw pretty much the same thing with Darrell Anderson and Ricky Clousing and Mark Wilkerson. We're seeing it now with Ehren Watada.

After the 2006 election, the US will still be in Iraq. In fact, the US will be in Iraq until people start getting serious. Propping up laughable Democrats (Harld Ford Jr. and all the rest) will just get you more of the same mess.

C.I. points this out in the snapshot but I want to note up here too because it really is some strong writing, Danny Schechter's "Time To Take The Iraq Quiz:"

What was once hailed as a heroic mission is now being dismissed as a fiasco, error and “mistake,” and to some former war boosters, even a "noble mistake."
In fact, that’s the view that seems to be framing what debate there has been on the war. It is still--AAU--All About Us. In this view, all that matters is our policy objectives but rarely our economic or geo-political agenda. Iraq as a nation, as a culture, and a people barely exists.
For the most part the American debate leaves out the Iraqis except as victims or killers. The leaders that they said to have elected don’t seem to count with Washington giving them orders and pulling their strings. Prime Minister Maliki had to have a press conference to announce he works for the Iraqi People, not the Bush Administration. He knows that if he is to survive politically and personally, he has to distance himself from his wannabe benefactors. How many of us know that the Iraqi Government we trained is running death squads? How many Iraqis do we ever see, or more importantly HEAR on the air?
The Democratic Party line mirrors this America First philosophy.. Never ready to challenge the deeper assumptions and interests guiding the war, most of the Democrats instead harp on the stupidity and failures of the war’s instigators and managers who are considered incompetent. According to the NY Times, The Democrats are "running to the right," self-consciously becoming conservative and moderate candidates who posture at being tougher on national security that the Repugs. (Oddly the International Herald Tribune ran almost identical stories ten days earlier.)
So in the same way that Fox News pushed all other news outlets to the right, the GOP has imposed its worldview on the whole political spectrum. As a result, many Dems are not challenging this distorted ideology, only the personalities identified with it.

That's what independent media should be talking about but it's not really happening. (See "'Independent' media?") I was talking to Rebecca and I'm just not even reading The Nation until after the election unless someone I trust says, "Go read . . ." It's just not worth it. Same thing with The Progressive. I'm just not interested in hearing how wonderful each and every Democrat is and how they are going to change everything when they get control of at least one House of Congress and how butterflies will fly out of butts instead of farts.

I always remember after the election of 2004, what I saw, what everyone saw. Rebecca talks about this speech C.I. gave that picked up spirits the day after and I can't believe that we're all being lied to and hyped again. Is it important to vote? Yep and I'll be voting. But it's not going to change the world and a lot of people on the left are going to be disappointed even if Democrats win because they've been sold and sold on all this fraud. That's really what it is, journalistic fraud. When people know better but won't say so, it's journalistic fraud.

John Kerry's one of my senators (Ted Kennedy's the other) and it was so disappointing when he lost in November 2004. (You can say the election was stolen and I'll agree with you but he didn't get inaugurated so it was still a loss.) I'm really not in the mood to see people feeling as low as I did then. And it wasn't just me, it was my whole family, all of my friends. Becoming a community member was a real education (and still is!) because I didn't know then about how Naomi Klein was saying in the summer of 2004 that we needed to keep up the pressure on Iraq.
I didn't know about that then. I do now. And I'm disgusted that we've done it again. As long as we keep giving passes and turning mini-moderates into larger-than-life heroes with hype, the war isn't ending.

And look what's happened with John Kerry, he speaks some truth and gets slammed. He even has to slightly back off. He shouldn't. Wally and Cedric wrote about it and I tried to call them both but they were already out doing their voter drive efforts. Wally called back as I was about to write and I go, "Cool catch on Boston Globe!" It was too. Wally goes, "We tried to give C.I. credit but C.I. goes, 'All I did was tell you a reference.'" I should have known that was a C.I. thing. "The computer." :D That's a nickname for C.I. Rebecca compares C.I. to Katharine Hepburn's character in Desk Set. :D That's a Christmas movie that's pretty funny. And the character Hepburn plays is a researcher in a network's library who always knows where to find everything. :D

But I love Wally's "THE FAUX LEFT 'ADVISES' JOHN KERRY" and Cedric's "Taylor Marshall, advise yourself" so I'm putting it in here in full (Wally goes, "Just remember to leave in the links!" :D):

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
IN CALIFORNIA ON MONDAY, U.S. SENATOR JOHN KERRY SPOKE TO STUDENTS AND SAID THE FOLLOWING, "YOU KNOW EDUCATION, IF YOU MAKE THE MOST OF IT, YOU STUDY HARD, YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND YOU MAKE AN EFFORT TO BE SMART, YOU CAN DO WELL. IF YOU DON'T, YOU GET STUCK IN IRAQ."
THOUGH IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT WHITE HOUSE SNOW JOB TONY SNOW IMEDIATELY STARTED SPUTTERING NONSENSE, IT IS SHOCKING HOW MANY IDIOTS ON THE SUPPOSED LEFT WENT INTO PANIC-MODE.
TAKE THE WOULD-BE-LEE-GRANT-LOOK-ALIKE (IF LEE GRANT WENT TO SUPERCUTS) TAYLOR MARSH WHO, WRITING AT THE HUFFINGTON POST, STATED: "KERRY SHOULD JUST ADMIT HE SCREWED UP HIS STATEMENT. IT MAY BE UGLY, BUT IT'S THE TRUTH."
QUEEN OF THE SURRENDERS AND ALWAYS TO BE FOUND AMONG THE FAUX LEFT, TAYLOR MARSH GLORIFIES IN THE ABSENCE OF FACT CHECKERS AT THE HUFFINGTON POST.
FOR TAYLOR MARSH AND ALL THE OTHER FAUX LEFT IDIOTS, KERRY IS 100% CORRECT.
PRESUMABLY, JOHN KERRY READS THE BOSTON GLOBE. THERE'S NO INDICATION THAT THE FAUX LEFT READS ANYTHING OR EVEN KNOWS HOW TO READ.
CHARLIE SAVAGE REPORTED IN THE BOSTON GLOBE NOVEMBER 29, 2004:

STUDENTS FROM MCDOOUGH ARE AS MUCH AS SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN THOSE FROM MCLEAN TO JOIN THE MILITARY, A DISPARITY THAT IS REPLICATED ELSEWHERE. A SURVEY OF THE MILITARY'S RECRUITMENT SYSTEM FOUND THAT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ZEROES IN ON SCHOOLS WHERE STUDENTS ARE PERCEIVED TO BE MORE LIKELY TO JOIN UP, WHILE MAKING FAR LESS EFFORT AT SCHOOLS WHERE STUDENTS ARE STEERED TOWARD COLLEGE.

TAYLOR MARSH SHOULD JUST ADMIT THAT, LIKE CAPTAIN LEWIS IN PRIVATE BENJAMIN, SHE SHOULDN'T BE SO QUICK TO WAIVE THE WHITE FLAG.
THE FAUX LEFT, DESTROYING AMERICA AND INTELLIGENCE 1 TOPIC AT A TIME.
JOHN KERRY SHOULD SHOW TONY SNOW, TAYLOR MARSH AND THE WHITE HOUSE THE MIDDLE FINGER AND NOT BACK DOWN. HE IS RIGHT.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:
War resister Kyle Snyder self-checked out of the US military in April 2005 and moved to Canada where he remained until last Saturday. Today, Brett Barrouqere (AP) reports is the day that Kyle Snyder will turn himself at Fort Knox. While serving in Iraq, Synder saw many actions go uninvestigated, he saw his girlfriend's pregnancy turn to tragedy -- "The military took my child," Snyder told Karen Button in an interview. He saw Iraqis died who shouldn't have, he saw Iraqi women brought on to bases as prostitutes. What he didn't see was reconstruction going on. As Courage to Resist notes Snyder saying, "The only reconstruction I saw was building Army bases."
In Canada, Synder attempted to be granted asylum. During the Vietnam era, the Canadian government had done that. However, the government has so far refused to offer refugee status. Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey are appealing decisions right now. Hinzman has been attempting to be granted refugee status since January 2004. At end of last month, war resister Darrell Anderson returned to the United States from Canada. Snyder, Hinzman, Anderson, Hughey, Camilo Mejia, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Ehren Watada, Stephen Funk, Patrick Hart, Corey Glass, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Clifford Cornell, Katherine Jashinski, Agustin Aguayo, Ivan Brobeck, Joshua Key, Joshua Despain, Kevin Benderman, are among those making up the growing movement of war resistance within the military. Last Friday, Different Drummer in Watertown, NY became the first G.I. coffeehouse of this war. David Zeiger's documentary Sir! No Sir! charts the resistance within the military during the Vietnam era. More information on war resisters can be found at Courage to Resist and at War Resisters Support Campaign.
[. . .]
In the United States, Bully Boy continues to attempt to elude consequences for his illegal war while others aren't as fortunate. The AFP reports that there are now 150,000 US troops in Iraq "the largest number reported this year" and the numbers are also "the highest levels since December 2005 when US commanders built up US troop levels for the Iraqi elections." In another report, the AFP attempted to get a response on the increase in US troop numbers from the Pentagon press secretary Eric Ruff. Ruff: "This is news to me. Talk to MNF-I (Multi-National Forces -Iraq). That's General Casey's decision." Again, the Pentagon's press secretary responds, when asked about the fact that the number of US troops has increased in Iraq, "This is news to me."
That head-up-the-ass moment is rivaled only by last week when Bully Boy, attempting to convince the American people that he's hands-on and following the war, stated "we've lost 93 service members in Iraq" when that day (Wednesday) the count was 91 and would remain 91 until the US military announced more fatalities on Thursday.In both cases, Ruff's and Bully Boy's, it's their job to know the numbers.
[. . .]
And Kyle Snyder has now turned himself in at Fort Knox. Prior to that, he held a news conference in Lousiville (at a Presbyterian church) and, Dylan T. Lovan (AP) reports, stated: "I don't see a lot of positive things coming from this war. I see it as a counterproductive mission." Lovan also reports that, according to his attorney James Fennerty, Kyle Snyder "will receive an other-than-honorable discharge. That would be the same punishment received by . . . Darrell Anderson".

Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"'I said NO and I will never regret it' -- Kyle Snyder, war resister"
"US troops killed in Iraq hits 103 for the month of October"
"Reading and growing up (Betty)"
"Tina Turner, Ani DiFranco, & more"
"now celebrates 40 years"
"Third, Marjorie Cohn, Iraq"
"Bully Boy puts Americans last (parody)"
"THIS JUST IN! FAT AND FLUFFY, BULLY BOY 'FESSES UP"
"AWOL soldier expected to surrender on Tuesday"

Be sure to check out Elaine's thoughts at Like Maria Said Paz. She's here and we're going to a party so I need to wrap up pretty quick. But I forgot to mention Ma's "Appetizers in the Kitchen" Monday, so check that out too. Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

October 31, 2006. Chaos and violence continue in Iraq, war resister Kyle Snyder prepares to turn himself in at Fort Knox, Tony Blair's long-goodbye continues to go off the rails, turns out the Pentagon's not sure how many US troops are in Iraq, Tony Snow Job attempts to attack (but comes off like he's humping Bully Boy's legs), and more tensions between the puppet (al-Maliki) and DC.
Starting in the United States. War resister Kyle Snyder self-checked out of the US military in April 2005 and moved to Canada where he remained until last Saturday. Today, Brett Barrouqere (AP) reports is the day that Kyle Snyder will turn himself at Fort Knox. While serving in Iraq, Synder saw many actions go uninvestigated, he saw his girlfriend's pregnancy turn to tragedy -- "The military took my child," Snyder told Karen Button in an interview. He saw Iraqis died who shouldn't have, he saw Iraqi women brought on to bases as prostitutes. What he didn't see was reconstruction going on. As Courage to Resist notes Snyder saying, "The only reconstruction I saw was building Army bases."
In Canada, Synder attempted to be granted asylum. During the Vietnam era, the Canadian government had done that. However, the government has so far refused to offer refugee status. Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey are appealing decisions right now. Hinzman has been attempting to be granted refugee status since January 2004. At end of last month, war resister Darrell Anderson returned to the United States from Canada. Snyder, Hinzman, Anderson, Hughey, Camilo Mejia, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Ehren Watada, Stephen Funk, Patrick Hart, Corey Glass, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Clifford Cornell, Katherine Jashinski, Agustin Aguayo, Ivan Brobeck, Joshua Key, Joshua Despain, Kevin Benderman, are among those making up the growing movement of war resistance within the military. Last Friday, Different Drummer in Watertown, NY became the first G.I. coffeehouse of this war. David Zeiger's documentary Sir! No Sir! charts the resistance within the military during the Vietnam era. More information on war resisters can be found at Courage to Resist and at War Resisters Support Campaign.
As Kyle Snyder stands strong, Bully Boy's poodle yelps. In England, Tony Blair's long goodbye continues to go off the rails. The glad handing, easy photo-ops and glossy stories that were supposed to abound as he entered his final months of prime minister just can't get traction. The Scotsman reports he spent "today fighting desperately to avoid a damaging defeat at Westminister over a deman for an immediate inquiry into the Iraq War and its aftermath. Labour whips were frantically trying to persuade rebels -- including Edinburgh East MP and former Cabinet Minister Gavin Strang and potentially Midlothian's David Hamilton -- not to back the Nationalists and the Liberal Democrats' call for an investigation." Nick Assinder (BBC) offers: "It is just possible that, more than three years after the Iraq invasion, Tony Blair will be defeated in the House of Commons over the war" and notes that Blair, like Bully Boy, is attempting to defocus by stating a debate on the war would be a 'victory' for terrorists. Nonsense, responds William Hague of the Conservative Party. AP quotes him stating: "A responsible government should want all possible lessons to be learned from the efforts to bring order and reconstruction to Iraq and should not be afraid of giving these issues the most searching examination."
The Evening Times notes "a possible Commons defeat tonight over the handling of the Iraq war" and Nick Assinder (BBC) notes that Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond states that "a defeat for Mr Blair would mean his tenure would be measure in hours and days rather than weeks and months. Yet even Mr Salmond believes defeat is unlikely". Regardless of the outcome, Blair's efforts to be Eco-Man of the People (this week's push) were destroyed as the War Hawk was once again confronted with the consequences of his actions.
In the United States, Bully Boy continues to attempt to elude consequences for his illegal war while others aren't as fortunate. The AFP reports that there are now 150,000 US troops in Iraq "the largest number reported this year" and the numbers are also "the highest levels since December 2005 when US commanders built up US troop levels for the Iraqi elections." In another report, the AFP attempted to get a response on the increase in US troop numbers from the Pentagon press secretary Eric Ruff. Ruff: "This is news to me. Talk to MNF-I (Multi-National Forces -Iraq). That's General Casey's decision." Again, the Pentagon's press secretary responds, when asked about the fact that the number of US troops has increased in Iraq, "This is news to me."
That head-up-the-ass moment is rivaled only by last week when Bully Boy, attempting to convince the American people that he's hands-on and following the war, stated "we've lost 93 service members in Iraq" when that day (Wednesday) the count was 91 and would remain 91 until the US military announced more fatalities on Thursday.In both cases, Ruff's and Bully Boy's, it's their job to know the numbers.
The rise to 150,000 US forces in Iraq comes at a time when, as John F. Burns and David E. Sanger (New York Times) reported, whispers among "American officials" are centered on talk of increasing the number of American and Iraqi troops patrolling Baghdad. The 'crackdown' cracked up, in all its forms. And three years after the illegal war began, the talk centers on how to 'pacify' the capital. David Martin (CBS) reports that George W. Casey Jr. ("U.S. Commander in Iraq") wants to increase Iraqi forces by 100,000 which would also mean increasing US forces to train them. (Remember, the US government decided not to continue training Iraqi soldiers in Jordan.)
The talk of Iraqi forces is misplaced as well. Amit R. Paley (Washington Post) notes George W. Casey Jr.'s optimistic predicition from last week (a year to a year-and-a-half before Iraqis can take over their country) and reports the reality on the ground as seen by the US military (which predicts that would take decades) and by Baghdad's chief of police, Salah al-Ani: "None of the Iraqi police are working to make their country better. They're working for the militias or to put money in their pocket."
Meanwhile, CNN reports that the checkpoints in the Sadr City section of Baghdad have been opened after Muqtada al-Sadr called a strike on Monday in which "[m]ost shops, schools and government buildings" closed down. To the surprise of only those who've been waiting each day since mid-June for the 'crackdown' to demonstrate positive results, the BBC reports: "The week-long restrictions, checks and searches caused increasing resentment in the densely-populated neighborhood." The puppet of the occupation, Nouri al-Maliki broke with the US over this and ordered the checkpoints opened. It's being seen as a victory for Sadr City residents; however, they, and all of Baghdad, remain under a nightime curfew. In addition, Lara Logan (CBS) reports that though the checkpoints are open, they are still physically present and that it "took weeks to put [them] in place . . . and it will take as long as that to dismantle them".
The Sadr City 'crackdown within a crackdown' began when a US solider went missing Monday night. AP identified him on Friday as Ahmed Qusai al-Taei. On Sunday, reports surfaced that the US soldier had left the Green Zone not to visit an aunt as previously reported, but, as Michael Luo and Qais Mizher (NYT reporters reporting in the Times' International Herald Tribune) explained, it was now being stated that he was "visiting an Iraqi woman whom he had secretly married three months ago" when he was kidnapped according to the woman's family. al-Taei remains missing.
And chaos and violence continue throughout Iraq.
Bombings?
In Baghdad, CNN reports a car bomb left members of a wedding dead or injured: 15 dead and 19 wounded. The dead included four children, as Aileen Alfandary noted on today's KPFA's The Morning Show. Also in Baghdad, Reuters reports, a car bomb and a roadside bomb left at least four dead and at least thirteen wounded. Outside of Baghdad, Reuters notes a roadside bomb in Falluja (two dead; two wounded);
Shootings?
Reuters reports a police officer was shot dead (and three wounded) in Baquba and that two shop owners (also in Baquba) were shot dead, an Iraqi soldier was shot dead in Falluja, and one in Tal Afar as well as four "gunmen".
Corpses?
CNN reports that ten corpses were discovered in Baghdad. Reuters reports eight people were discovered in Suwayra and eight in Baquba.
In addition CNN notes that "at least 40 people" were kidnapped north of Baghdad.
In ridiculous news, CBS and AP report that the White House (which can't even give an accurate count on how many US troops have died in Iraq -- not even one that matches their own Pentagon's count) is attacking US Senator John Kerry as a 'troop basher' because he noted in a California speech on Monday: "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." The truth in those remarks (recruiters target the lower class with less hopes of a college education) struck too close to home with the White House leading Tony Snow to demand that Kerry apologize to all those serving. The apology should come right after Bully Boy apologizes for (a) starting the illegal war and (b) using Daddy's connections to get out of serving in Iraq and yet not even bothering to show up for his National Guard Training.
Instead of demanding apologies from John Kerry, the White House might be better off apologizing to the families lied to by their government. AP reports: "The families of seven soldiers who died in Iraq or Afghanistan were given incorrect or misleading information about the deaths, the Army has concluded after a review of war casualty reports." White House flack Tony Snow Job should grasp that lying to the families of the dead was the "absolute insult."
In reality news, News Dissector Danny Schechter examines the 'strategy' of those who (my summary, not his) kind-of-sort-of-maybe think the illegal war wasn't such a good idea but would rather talk 'strategy' than reality and reduce Iraqis to extras in the supposed story of their own lives and also notes the effects of this on the Democratic Party: "So in the same way that Fox News pushed all other news outlets to the right, the GOP has imposed its worldview on the whole political spectrum. As a result, many Dems are not challenging this distroted ieology, only the personalities identified with it. Bush's message points, Cheney contentiousness, and Rumsfeld's ravings make them a perfect foil for those who say what they want to do is right -- but the way they are going about it's wrong." Meanwhile Jack Randon (PEJ News) pens an open letter to Iraq's parliament: "You have a problem. The occupiers are pushing you to disarm the militias yet you are acutely aware that any community left unprotected will be swept away in the next wave of violence. Your people would hold you accountable for the bloodbath that followed. You cannot comply. Conseuqently, the Americans will accuse you of being unable and unwilling to govern -- yet if you did comply, there would be open rebellion. If you stand up to the occupiers, you will surely lose their support. You will be evicted from the Green Zone and cast out in the streets where the price of politicans and collaborators is cheap."
In other reality news, the US troops death toll for October has reached 103. That puts it behind three other months -- January '05 (107), February '04 (135) and November '04 (137). It also needs to be noted that 103 may not be the final toll since the US military has a way of releasing numbers a few days 'late' -- usually after the press has written up their "monthly count" story. If the number sticks, it's the fourth worst month of the illegal war for US troops. Three years-plus after the illegal war began. The worst month for Iraqis is each advancing month as The Lancet study pegs the number dead due to the war at approximately 655,000 and the UN has to update their estimates for daily deaths every few months.
Turning to Australia, a report has been handed to Angus Houston who is the Air Chief Marshal of Australian's military NEWS.com reports. The report is the product of the military inquiry into the April 21st Baghdad death of Jake Kovco and into the events that immediately followed. Throughout much of the summer, the inquiry heard testimony. Some witnesses 'testified' about things they never observed. When asked who had passed that on to them, in one instance, a witness was allowed to get away with offering up Nah-Nah-Nah-I-don't-want-to-say-and-you-can't-make-me. Theories were floated that had no basis in DNA science but it took a DNA expert's testimony to bury that nonsense. The proceedings included the testimony-counter-testimony of Houston and Brendan Neslon (Minister of Defence) over whether or not Nelson was warned not to be a Chatty Cathy. (Houston maintained Nelson was warned -- the larger question of why Nelson needed a warning not to talk to the press about things he knew nothing about went unexplored.) There is no word on when the report will be made public.
And Kyle Snyder has now turned himself in at Fort Knox. Prior to that, he held a news conference in Lousiville (at a Presbyterian church) and, Dylan T. Lovan (AP) reports, stated: "I don't see a lot of positive things coming from this war. I see it as a counterproductive mission." Lovan also reports that, according to his attorney James Fennerty, Kyle Snyder "will receive an other-than-honorable discharge. That would be the same punishment received by . . . Darrell Anderson".
In other war reistance news, Ehren Watada's father Bob Watada and his step-mother Rosa Sakanishi continue the speaking tour to raise awareness on Ehren -- the first commissioned officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq. Upcoming dates include:

Oct 31, 7-9PM Norman, OK Location: Cleveland County Fairgrounds - Lobby 615 E. Robinson Sponsor: Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War Contact: Jeri Reed, 405-307-0352, cell 405-606-9598, jlreed@ou.edu

Nov 1, TBA Miami, Florida Democracy for America Miami Dade and the South Florida Veterans For Peace Chapter 32 Venue and time TBA


Nov 2, TBA Cincinnati, OH Meet Dr. Victoria (Vic) Wulsin, candidate for congress 2nd district Ohio currently leading Jean Schmidt whocalled Rep John Murtha from PA. a coward. Sponsor: Vietnam Veterans Against the War Venue: TBA

Nov 3, TBASt. Paul MN. Location: Quaker Peace Center -- 1725 Grand AvenueSponsors: Veterans for Peace Chapter 27 Contact: Barry Reisch, (H) 651-641-1087 © 612-269-8934bwrvfp@earthlink.net

Nov 4, 11AM Milwaukee, WI. Location: Great Lakes Arlington Event Contact: Mark Foreman, 441-760-9991, bethmark@execpc.com Sponsor: VFP Chapter 102* See the unveiling of a new "Arlington"


Nov. 5, 2PM Boston, MA Encuentro 533 Harrison Ave. 5th floor (Chinatown) Sponsors: Asian American Movement Ezine Asian American Resource Workshop Boston Hawaiian Club Chinese Progressive Association Massachusetts Global Action New England Japanese American Citizens League

Nov 5, 7PM Cambridge, MA. Location: Unitarian Church, Harvard Square Sponsor: Veterans for Peace Chapter 9, Smedley Butler Brigade and Chapter 45, Samantha Smith Chapter Contact: Lee VanderLaan, 978-257-2350

Nov 6, 2-4:30PM Boston, MA Location: University of Massachusetts/Boston Sponsor: The Institute for Asian American Studies William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequence Time: 2-4:30 pm

Nov 6, 7PM Worcester, MA. Location: Clark University University Building, Lurie RoomSponsors: Veterans For Peace Chapter 10 Contact: Bob Flanagan, 508-755-1479, IrishBob54@aol.com


A full schedule can be found at Veterans for Peace and those interested in hosting a Bob Watada speaking engagement in their area are urged to contact Doug Zachary.
























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