Petraeus The Perfidious:

A Dishonorable Lying Rat Then And Now:

"A History Of Making Wildly Overoptimistic Assessments Convenient For His Political Masters"

September 6, 2007 By Karen DeYoung, Washington Post Staff Writer [Excerpts] & September 7, 2007 By PAUL KRUGMAN, New York Times [Excerpt]

Gen. Petraeus has a history of making wildly overoptimistic assessments of progress in Iraq that happen to be convenient for his political masters.

I've written before about the op-ed article Gen. Petraeus published six weeks before the 2004 election, claiming "tangible progress" in Iraq.  Specifically, he declared that "Iraqi security elements are being rebuilt," that "Iraqi leaders are stepping forward" and that "there has been progress in the effort to enable Iraqis to shoulder more of the load for their own security."

As he ended a year in charge of training the Iraqi security forces in 2005, then-Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus said that Iraq's military had made "enormous progress" and that its readiness to take over from U.S. forces was growing "with each passing week."

But now two more years have passed, and the independent commission of retired military officers appointed by Congress to assess Iraqi security forces has recommended that the national police force, which is riddled with corruption and sectarian influence, be disbanded, while Iraqi military forces "will be unable to fulfill their essential security responsibilities independently over the next 12-18 months."

IRAQ WAR REPORTS

Texas Soldier Killed In Baghdad

Spc. Rodney J. Johnson, 20, of Houston died of wounds when insurgents attacked his unit Sept. 4, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

Four Marines Killed In Anbar

September 7, 2007 Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory RELEASE No. 20070907-06

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Four Marines assigned to Multi National Force-West were killed Sept. 6 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province.

Three U.S. Soldiers Killed In Nineveh

September 7, 2007 Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory RELEASE No. 20070907-03

TIKRIT, Iraq – Three Task Force Lightning Soldiers were killed in Nineveh province Thursday when an explosion occurred near their vehicle.

Northeast Ohio Soldier Killed In Iraq

September 07, 2007 WCHS-TV8

STREETSBORO, Ohio

A soldier from northeast Ohio has been killed in a roadside explosion in Iraq.

The victim is Jason Hernandez of Streetsboro, whose 21st birthday was today. He was a 2005 graduate of Streetsboro High School.

The Streetsboro superintendent says officials were notified when Hernandez' mother came to the school to pick up her younger son this morning.

The younger brother, Aaron, is a JV football player and was made an honorary captain for tonight's football game against Crestwood. Post-game fireworks were dedicated in the soldier's honor.

British Soldier Killed In Iraq

7 Sep 07 Defense News

It is with deep sadness that the MOD must confirm the death of a British soldier from the Parachute Regiment in Iraq on Wednesday 5 September 2007.

The soldier sustained fatal injuries in the early hours of Wednesday while conducting routine operations in support of ongoing Coalition activity in Iraq.

Rogelio Ramirez:

Loved Ones Remember Marine Who Died In Iraq

Marine Pfc. Rogelio Ramirez of Pasadena was killed Sunday in Iraq. PHOTOGRAPHER: Walt Mancini

08/29/2007 By Emanuel Parker, Staff Writer; Pasadena Star News

PASADENA - As a child growing up in Oceanside, Rogelio Ramirez idolized the Marines he saw so often at nearby Camp Pendleton.

He longed to be one of them, his father, Jose Ramirez, of Pasadena, said Tuesday.

"I thought he'd grow out of it, but he didn't.  He watched the Marines, saw how they lived, saw them work as a team."

But before he could realize that dream, Rogelio had to work past his own demons.  Short in stature at 5 feet 5 inches tall, he felt picked on at school because of his size, said his sister, Tina Cordero.  As his self-esteem sank, Rogelio lost interest in education, dropped out of Pasadena High School and felt unappreciated.

"It was in his head," she said.  "He had some personal issues, some dark moments and times. We always saw the potential in him, but he didn't."

With rekindled determination, however, Ramirez in his late teens tried again to realize his dream of becoming a Marine, his family said.

But before the Corps would accept him, they told Ramirez he had to go back to school and earn his diploma, complete some college credits, clear up some truancy issues and cover over some tattoos, Cordero said.

Ramirez fulfilled all those requirements, she added.

"He was able to climb from that dark place to an honorable place," she said.

A year ago, Ramirez joined the Marines and later was sent to Iraq.  He was there just five weeks when his Humvee hit an improvised explosive device.

On Sunday, U.S. Marine Pfc. Rogelio Ramirez was killed in Iraq.  As of Monday, at least 3,731 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

The 21-year-old Ramirez left behind his immediate family, a girlfriend who is three months' pregnant with his child, and plans to buy a home, raise a family and get into real estate after returning home to Pasadena from his stint in the Marines, his relatives said.

His mother said the family plans to bury the young serviceman at Mountain View Cemetery & Mortuary in Altadena. Funeral plans are pending.

Knowing her son died doing what he wanted to do brings comfort to his family, his mother said.

"He was in the infantry, a gunner," said Irene "Binky" Ramirez. "He wanted to be the first one in. He said, `If I go, I don't want to be the handle on the sword, I want to be the tip of the sword."'

"He wanted to be an American hero," Cordero said. "He was short, but everybody looked up to him.  He had more heart than other guys and people liked to be around him. He was always looking to get the maximum potential out of a situation. He took pride in being a man."

Ramirez attended Wilson Middle School before going to Pasadena High.

"He was my little homie," said Carlos Martinez, who attended Pasadena High with Ramirez.  "I knew him since the 10th grade.  We did the same stuff together. We went through good and bad times together."

Before joining the Marines, Ramirez covered up a tattoo on his side with another, a quotation about war by John Stuart Mill. It read:

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things ... The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

Groveland Man Killed In Iraq

August 24, 2007 By CRAIG CASSIDY, The Union Democrat

A Groveland man has been identified as one of 14 soldiers killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday in northern Iraq.

Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, 30, was among 14 soldiers who died when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Kirkuk, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Tallman, who was based at Fort Lewis, is the son of Virginia Tallman of Groveland.

Matthew Tallman was a 1996 graduate of St. Lawrence High School in Santa Clara County, according to Union Democrat archives.

He leaves behind a wife, Nicci, 27, and two children, Ryley, 1, and Sandie, 6, according to a report in the Muskegon Chronicle newspaper in Muskegon, Mich.

"There was a whole little family destroyed," Vicki Whiting, of Norton Shores, Mich., Tallman's mother-in-law, told the paper.

"He wasn't just a number. I want people to know Matthew Tallman existed."

At the time of the accident, Tallman had served just two months in Iraq.  Prior to that, he had served a year in Afghanistan, Whiting told the Chronicle.

According to a DOD statement, Tallman was trained as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter repairman, and was posthumously promoted from his specialist rank.

He joined the military on Jan 18, 2000 and went through Basic Training at Fort Benning, Ga., the DOD said.

He reported to Fort Lewis on Aug. 19, 2005, where he was assigned to 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment.

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal (two awards), National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Jessy Pollard Remembered

August 28, 2007 KSMU

The first day of school at Glendale High in Springfield, Missouri looked and sounded like any other day…dimly lit hallways packed with students, teachers monitoring the groups of chattering teens. What made this day different was that it started with news that a 2003 graduate had been killed in Iraq the day before.

Most of the students weren’t around when Jessy Pollard was a student here but Tracy Bruton was.

She was his art teacher for three years. She says he had a special place in her heart.

"He really responded well to people who were genuine because he was genuine. He was who he was.  He was just a lot of fun to be around. He just kind of had that, that look in his eye.  There’s just enough orneriness to keep things interesting.  I love that and so I did, I really, really did adore him."

Jessy Pollard was also adored by his family and it’s evident in the photographs that hang on the walls of Jobie Goslee’s home.  Jessy Pollard was Goslee’s oldest grandchild…in one of the photographs from a few years ago, he’s reclining on the floor decked out in a party hat, a huge smile on his face.

Goslee: "There’s a good one.  That says Jessy’s raising cane, laying on my family room floor, smiling and enjoying being with the rest of his cousins."

Shelton: "You can just see what fun he was having, huh?"

Goslee: "Yes. Can’t you see with that picture?  That’s a good expression of how he was."

Jessy Pollard had wanted to be a soldier for a long time and after high school he joined the army and volunteered for Ranger school. Physically, he was such a big guy, that he served as a back-up for the commanding officer of his platoon.  He shipped out late last year and surprised his family just weeks ago when he came home for a short leave. Jobie Goslee knew when his grandson visited, he’d want to kid around about his height.

"I’m six, four and he was very tickled and rubbed it in to his granddad when he became taller than I.  He had a lot of fun with that. Whenever he would come home, he’d kind of put his arm around my shoulder and say, 'Hi, Grandad.’ And kind of look down at me you know?  So, I’d remember that he was now taller than me."

Sydney Croxdale says she was like a grandmother to Jessy Pollard. She was there for many of the "firsts" in his life.  As she’s grieving, those are the moments that come to mind.

"For some reason we were keeping him for an evening and took him out and bought him his first ice cream cone.  And managed to take home a chocolate ice cream-covered little boy who was very happy."

Those who knew Jessy Pollard say he kept that happiness as he grew up. His high school art teacher, Tracy Bruton remembers him as an endearing young man, trying to find his place in the world.

"I think of that puppy, that big gangly puppy whose feet are too big.  And eventually, he grows into those feet.  And it sounds like…it sounds like, he grew into those feet and did it in a very, very good way."

Jessy Pollard had been expecting to transfer to Hawaii in October and his family says he was thinking about becoming a career soldier.

Great Moments In U.S. Military History

Mass Murder In Mansour;

11 Homes Destroyed As U.S. Air Force Bombs Enemy Capital

Houses destroyed overnight in a US air strike in the al-Washash neighbourhood of Mansour district in west Baghdad.  US combat helicopters and tanks bombarded a Baghdad neighbourhood in pre-dawn strikes, killing 14 sleeping civilians and destroying houses, angry residents and Iraqi officials said.  (AFP/Ahamd Al-Rubaye)

9.6.07 By Haider Salahaddin (Reuters)

U.S. airstrikes on a Shi'ite neighborhood in Baghdad overnight killed at least 14 people including one woman and destroyed 11 houses, Iraqi police and residents said on Thursday.

The U.S. military said U.S. special forces called in the strikes after coming under fire.

One man said soldiers had raided his home in search of a suspect and had confiscated mobile phones and separated the men from the women.

Many residents were sleeping on the roofs of their houses at the time, trying to keep cool in the oppressive summer heat.

"We are a peaceful neighborhood. Why is this happening to us?" said Abu Talib, an elderly man with a white beard.

Wamidh Abdul Jabbar, a doctor, was sleeping with her children on the roof of her home when she heard machinegun fire.  "Then we heard the planes bombarding and the sound of buildings crashing. I took my children and we hid under the stairs," she said.

A Reuters cameraman saw residents pulling the body of a woman from the rubble of one house, while one man picked up flesh from the street and placed it into a plastic bag.

"This is a catastrophe. We have pulled 24 bodies from the rubble," said an official at Sadr's office in Washash who declined to be named.

Two police sources said 14 people were killed and nine wounded in the air attack on Washash, a poor Shi'ite neighborhood in western Baghdad's Mansour district. They said the operation took place in the early hours.

Reuters television footage showed at least 11 buildings caved in or leveled in three adjoining streets in the densely packed neighborhood.

A neighbor carries Montadar Ali, 4, second from left, who lost his entire family when his house was destroyed in an early-morning U.S. attack in the Washash area, western Baghdad, Sept. 6, 2007.  (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

WELCOME TO IRAQNAM:

HAVE A NICE DAY

US  troops from 1-30 Infantry Battalion set fire to an field during a patrol along the Tigris river, south of Baghdad, 02 September 2007.  (AFP/File/David Furst)

US soldiers wade through a canal during a patrol, August 2007.  (AFP/File/David Furst)

Family Says Florida Soldier Wounded In Bomb Attack In Iraq

September 7, 2007 GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP)

A Gainesville family says their son was among five soldiers riding in a Humvee that was attacked with a bomb earlier this week in Iraq.

John Mixson says his 21-year-old son Joseph is being transported to an Army hospital in Texas, with serious injuries to his legs and left arm.

John Mixson says his son enlisted in 2005, despite his family's attempts to dissuade him.

Three other soldiers died and another was wounded in Tuesday's attack in Baghdad.

AFGHANISTAN WAR REPORTS

Private Damian Wright And Private Ben Ford Killed North Of Lashkar Gah, Another Soldier Wounded

6 Sep 07 Ministry of Defence

It is with great sorrow that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the deaths of Private Damian Wright and Private Ben Ford who were killed in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, on Wednesday 5 September 2007.

The soldiers, both from the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters), were taking part in a routine reassurance patrol 17km north of Lashkar Gah when, shortly after 0915 hours local time, the Land Rover vehicle they were travelling in was caught in an explosion.  Sadly they were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Another soldier and an interpreter who were injured in the explosion were flown by helicopter to the ISAF medical facility at Camp Bastion for treatment. The interpreter later died of his injuries.

2 More Foreign Occupation Soldiers Killed, "Several" Wounded, Somewhere Or Other In "Southern Afghanistan

September 7, 2007 BY CHRIS BRUMMITT, Associated Press Writer

Bomb blasts killed two NATO soldiers and wounded several others Thursday as insurgent attacks in the country are running at its highest level since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

The soldiers were killed and wounded in two separate attacks in southern Afghanistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement.

Romanian Sergeant Killed In Afghanistan By Makeshift Landmine, Two Wounded

September 7, 2007 Afriqu En Ligne

A Romanian soldier was killed on Thursday in Afghanistan and two others were wounded after their armored personnel carrier ran over a makeshift device.  According to Romanian daily Evenimentul Zilei, this brings up to seven the number of Romanian soldiers dead on the 'anti-terror' front in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sergeant Major Aurel Marcu, 31, died immediately. Four other members of the team were all injured. Two of the soldiers, lieutenant Nicolae Grigore and lead-soldier Alex Zafiu, were transported by helicopter to a Kandahar military hospital, a Romanian Defense Ministry release informs. The other two received medical assistance in Qalat.

Sergeant Aurel Marcu was married and had a three-year-old child. He is the seventh Romanian Army fatality in the Middle East front, where there have been three victims in Iraq and four in Afghanistan.

Resistance Action

Sep 5 (AFP) & AP & AFP September 7, 2007 BY CHRIS BRUMMITT, Associated Press Writer

A bombing in the northern town of Kunduz on Tuesday killed two Afghan policemen.

Wednesday, insurgents detonated a remote-controlled bomb under a police vehicle in neighboring Helmand province, killing two police and wounding three, said Abdul Manan, a local official.

The coalition also reported two new battles Tuesday in Kandahar province that erupted after rebels ambushed two separate military patrols.

The area, called Shah Wali Kot, is one of the flashpoints in the Taliban's intensifying insurgency.

Two cars carrying Afghan deminers were reported to be missing in eastern Patika province, said provincial deputy police chief Ghulam Dastager.

On Wednesday, a joint Afghan and coalition force on combat patrol in southern Kandahar province came under attack from insurgent small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenades, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement.

Afghan Collaborators Lose Ground Previously Won By Canadians;

"Many Of The Checkpoints Have Either Been Abandoned By The Afghan National Police Or Overrun"

September 07, 2007 Andrew Mayeda, CanWest News Service

HOWZ-E-MADAD, Afghanistan -- Leaning on his rickety bicycle at the side of the road, Ainadeen shrugs when asked where the explosions came from.  All he knows is that they kept coming, which is why he and other villagers fled to the relative calm of the desert.

"The police couldn't provide security here," said Ainadeen, who like many Afghans goes by a single name.

Around last Christmas, Canadian Forces rolled into this sparse but strategically located village without much resistance from the Taliban.

But now, residents and local police officials say a small cell of Taliban fighters has entrenched itself in the grape fields behind the crumbling mud walls.

As recently as last month, in fact, the black-and-white flag of the Taliban could be seen flying above the village.  Until Canadian combat engineers arrived this week to build a new security outpost, Taliban fighters and police engaged in daily firefights, said the village's deputy police chief, Hafiz Ullah.

The failure of Afghan security forces to hold villages such as Howz-e-Madad underscores the challenges that Canada and its NATO allies face as they try to pacify [translation: occupy] the southern province of Kandahar with a limited number of troops.

During last fall's Operation Medusa, the biggest and bloodiest offensive that Canada has fought in Afghanistan, Canadian troops flushed the Taliban out of its stronghold in Panjwai district, west of Kandahar City.

The operation prompted the governor of Kandahar to declare that the Taliban had been "eliminated" from Panjwai and parts of neighbouring Zhari district to the north.

Meanwhile, Canadian Forces set up police checkpoints along Highway 1, a well-travelled road that links Kandahar with Kabul to the northeast and Herat to the northwest.

But many of the checkpoints have either been abandoned by the Afghan National Police or overrun by the Taliban.  At Howz-e-Madad, for example, British and Canadian soldiers built a checkpoint last winter that was to be manned by the ANP.

But Ullah, the deputy police chief, said his small team of 15 officers has struggled to hold the Taliban at bay.

"I have only one magazine, and when I reach for the second I have nothing. I cannot provide security in this way," he said through an interpreter.

With few men and little firepower, the police have had their hands full with a group of about 20 Taliban fighters believed to have found refuge in the village.

Ullah said the situation is comparable at many of the checkpoints along Highway 1. He said seven police at a nearby checkpoint were recently killed by the Taliban.

"Some of the checkpoints were lost.  There were so many of them with so few ANP, and that probably caused them to be lost," said Capt. Daniel Morin, second in command at Patrol Base Wilson, a forward operating base further east toward Kandahar City.

As a result of the collapse of the ring of security along Highway 1, Canadian Forces have launched Operation Garanday Zmarny (Strong Lion).  Under the operation, Canadian soldiers have been reinforcing checkpoints in the region that were lost or abandoned.

Canada's top military commander in Afghanistan, Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche, said recently the checkpoints will eventually be protected by a combination of Afghan police, soldiers and Canadian troops.

But the need for joint checkpoints is a troubling admission of the ANP's inadequacy at a time when NATO troops are already stretched thin.

TROOP NEWS

Big Surprise

Large Majority Of Americans Don’t Support The War;

Want Troops Home

September 07th, 2007, World Public Opinion [Excerpt]

Three in five Americans (61%) think US forces should get out of Iraq within a year, including 24 percent who favor immediate withdrawal and 37 percent who prefer a one year timetable.  Another 32 percent of Americans say the forces should stay until security improves.

THIS IS HOW BUSH BRINGS THE TROOPS HOME:

BRING THEM ALL HOME NOW, ALIVE

Major Lara Teran comforts a wounded U.S. soldier outside the operation room of the 28th Combat Support hospital in Baghdad August 21, 2007.  REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Iraq Vets Against The War Host "Send Off" Show At Ft. Drum Coffee House

September 03, 2007 Via BpVETforPEACE

Nearly 4,000 Troops from the Army's 10th Mountain Division are deploying to Iraq, as I type. (OIF)

IVAW ( Iraq Veterans Against the War ) hosted a "Send Off" show for the 10th's 1st Brigade Combat Team, at IVAW's Ft Drum-Watertown, NY, Coffee House.

Many Iraq Vets from area IVAW Chapters were also present, including the activists from the Binghampton, Ithica, & Syracuse Triangle, the Prez of the D.C. Chapter, Geoff Millard; Prez of Chicago Chapter, Aaron Hughes; the Philly IVAW Posse, and National IVAW Executive Director, Kelly Dougherty, and an army of other IVAW, were all present to lend support to our Active Duty Sisters and Brothers. 

While we're doing shout outs, G.I. Rights folks (1-877-GIRIGHTS) and your favorite Disabled American Veterans Claims Counselor was also there.

During the "Send Off" show, The 1st ever hard copy of IVAW's publication, SIT-REP (a phrase that's been around ever since the Military began using communication devices,

meaning Situation Report) had its' introduction.  The goal of SIT-REP is to provide an open, hard copy outlet for Service Members and recent Veterans to express their opinions, and share their experiences in a non-censored environment. 

For submissions, and feedback:  editor@IVAW.org.  Snail Mail: IVAW, attn: SIT-REP, P.O. Box 8296, Phila., PA 19101.  FYI, all other info:  http://www.IVAW.org

2,400 From Oklahoma National Guard Off To Bush’s Imperial Slaughterhouse

9.3.07 Army Times

The 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Oklahoma National Guard has received its mobilization order for duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, officials announced Aug. 22.

On Oct. 19, more than 2,400 soldiers will mobilize for duty. Soldiers from the 45th IBCT recently completed 28 days of pre-mobilization training at Camp Gruber, Okla., and Fort Chaffee, Ark.  Before they mobilize, the soldiers will complete 15 more days of training beginning Sept. 10.

The soldiers will leave in mid-October for Fort Bliss, Texas, for about 10 weeks of pre-deployment training.  The soldiers are scheduled to deploy to Iraq in early 2008.

IRAQ RESISTANCE ROUNDUP

No Comment Necessary

Mahdi Army militiamen celebrate the withdrawal of British troops from Basra Sept. 7, 2007.  Hundreds of supporters of nationalist Moqtada al-Sadr took to the streets on Friday, celebrating the British handover of presidential palaces to the Iraqis . (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

Iraq Insurgent Group Names Minister

September 3rd, 2007 AP

An insurgent coalition in Iraq announced Monday the appointment of an education minister to the group’s so-called 10-member "Islamic Cabinet," set up in April to challenge the Iraqi government.

In a statement posted on an Islamic Web site, the Islamic State of Iraq, made up of eight insurgent groups, said its leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi chose Mohammed Khalil al-Badria for the education position.

Al-Baghdadi tasked al-Badria with "protecting our sons against moral and ideological deviation and raising a new generation of sons of Islam based on true Islamic teachings and away from the filth of secular tenets."

The formation of the Cabinet in April was meant to present the Islamic State of Iraq as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed d administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki _ and to demonstrate that it was only growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.

The group includes Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, as "war minister" and Sheik Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Falahi as "first minister."  The U.S. military has identified al-Muhajer by a different pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri.

Resistance Action

Sept 5 (KUNA) & Ireland.Com & 06 Sep 2007 Reuters & By Mohammed Al Dulaimy, McClatchy Newspapers & Reuters 07 Sep 2007

Around 10 a.m. a road side bomb targeted a convoy of the Iraqi army military intelligence commander in Basra Colonel Jabar Al Saad. Two of the body guards were killed in the explosion.

The bodies of four policemen were found with gunshot wounds in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, on Thursday, police said.

Seven Iraqi police officers were injured when an improvised bomb targeted their patrol in the city of Kirkuk, Iraqi police said on Wednesday.  A police source told KUNA the bomb targeted a police patrol in one of Kirkuk's main streets, injuring the seven police officers.

In the north, a truck bomb exploded at a police checkpoint in Mosul, killing one policeman and wounding 2, police Brig. Saeed Ahmed al-Jubouri said.

FORWARD OBSERVATIONS

Making Contact With Troops Who Hate The War Is Not Rocket Science:

"A Couple Of Them Cursed The War As I Did"

[GI SPECIALS, PENN STATION & BEYOND]

From: Alan Stolzer, The Military Project

To: GI Special

Sent: September 04, 2007

Subject: Penn Station

I noticed the National Guard patrolling Penn Station [New York City] was younger than the ones I’d given GI Specials to before. 

A couple of them cursed the war as I did when I handed them an issue.   All were polite and thankful that anyone gave support

I realized I had only one GI Special left and thought I’d better save it since I’d covered most of the Station anyway.

I went into a deli nearby for a bite to eat.  A young guy in military shirt and trousers walked by. 

I didn’t think he was a serving troop but approached him anyway, asking if he was in the military.   He said his clothes were his brother’s. 

When I asked him how his brother felt about the war he became animated, telling me how much he hated it.   The remaining GI Special came in handy. 

As I handed him the copy his eyes grew wide and he blurted out how happy his brother would be to receive such material. 

His brother had told him how the Army lies about all kinds of issues and nobody was doing anything about it. 

I gave him my phone number and asked him to give it to his brother. 

His brother, serving in the Reserve, lives in Brooklyn and is stationed at Fort Hamilton.  I await his call.

"How To Dissent Within The Ranks Of The Military"

[Thanks to Mark Shapiro, who sent this in.]

Nation Books

Navy Petty Officer Jonathan W. Hutto, Sr. enlisted in the United States Navy in January of 2004.  Two years later, along with a small group of fellow service men and women, he helped build one of the first active duty anti-war groups since Vietnam.

Drawing on his own experience as an activist, as well as the experiences of the GI resistance movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Hutto reminds us of the citizenship rights of active duty, reserve and National Guard forces, while providing guidance and expertise for those who wish to be heard.

In the short term, writes Hutto, the goal is to "mobilize hundreds and thousands of military members throughout the world to file their grievances and reservations with members of Congress on the Iraq War."  In the long term: "To build permanence with the formation of an Active Duty Network that can advocate on behalf of active duty members on a range of issues to all levels of government."

Navy Petty Officer Jonathan W. Hutto, Sr. enlisted in the United States Navy in January of 2004.  Hutto previously worked for Amnesty International USA as Membership Program Coordinator (MPC) for the Mid-Atlantic United States from May 2000 to January 2003.  As the MPC, Hutto provided direction and guidance to over 250 student youth chapters.  In the fall of 2001, after the brutal killing of Howard alumnus Prince Jones by a Prince George's county officer, Hutto initiated a police accountability project in Prince George's County, Maryland to combat police brutality which affected mostly Black and Latino citizens.

Before joining AI, Hutto worked for the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area (ACLU/NCA) as their Community Outreach Director.

OCCUPATION REPORT

Good News For The Iraqi Resistance!!

U.S. Occupation Commands’ Stupid Tactics Recruit Even More Fighters To Kill U.S. Troops

A group of Iraqi citizens are held prisoner by foreign occupation soldiers from the U.S. Delta 112 Cav. Battalion as others search the men’s' house during an armed home invasion near the city of Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad,, Aug. 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo)

U.S. occupation soldiers of Bravo company, 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment search inside a house during a night armed home invasion in the Zafraniya neighborhood, southeast of Baghdad, September 5, 2007.  REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Iraqi citizens have no right to resist home invasions by occupation soldiers from the USA.  If they do, they may be arrested, wounded, or killed.

[There’s nothing quite like invading somebody else’s country and busting into their houses by force to arouse an intense desire to kill you in the patriotic, self-respecting civilians who live there.

[But your commanders know that, don’t they?  Don’t they?]

U.S. Marines Under Command Orders To Engage In Mass Executions:

OK To Kill All Iraqis Running Away From IED Explosions

September 7, 2007 By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times,

CAMP PENDLETON -- -- A Marine facing murder charges in connection with the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqis in Haditha, Iraq, told a hearing officer Thursday that he shot five men as they ran away from a roadside bomb explosion that killed a Marine and injured two others.

Under the Marine Corps' rules of engagement, which are taught to infantry Marines at Camp Pendleton and in Iraq, it is permissible to shoot and kill persons running away from a roadside bomb attack, even if they are unarmed and there is no proof that were involved in the attack, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing for another Marine in Wuterich's squad.

"As If The Mahdi Army Can Be Disbanded By An Order >From The Occupation..."

[Thanks to Pham Binh, Traveling Soldier & The Military Project, who sent this in.  He writes: As if the Mahdi Army can be disbanded by an order from the occupation...]

9.5.07 By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Iraq's security forces will be unable to take control of the country in the next 18 months, and Baghdad's national police force is so rife with corruption it should be scrapped entirely, according to a new independent assessment.

The report offers a scathing assessment of Iraq's Interior Ministry and recommends scrapping Iraq's national police force, which it describes as dysfunctional and infiltrated by militias.

The study, led by retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, is a sweeping and detailed look at Iraq's security forces that will factor heavily into Congress' upcoming debate on the war. Republicans see success by the Iraqi forces as critical to bringing U.S. troops home, while an increasing number of Democrats say the U.S. should stop training and equipping such units altogether.

The United States has spent $19.2 billion on developing Iraq's forces, and plans to spend $5.5 billion more next year.

Iraq Study Panel’s Shocking, Stunning Discovery

09.07.07 By ANNE FLAHERTY, AP [Excerpt]

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces in Iraq should be reduced significantly, according to a new study on Iraq's security forces that inflamed debate in Congress on how quickly that can happen without hurling the country into chaos.

The report, authored by a 20-member panel comprised mostly of retired senior military and police officers and led by retired Gen. James Jones, said the massive deployment of U.S. forces and sprawl of U.S.-run facilities in and around Baghdad has given Iraqis the impression that Americans are an occupying, permanent force.

DANGER: POLITICIANS AT WORK

Bush Says He’s "Kicking Ass" In Iraq

[Thanks to Mark Shapiro, who sent this in.]

[Thanks to Phil G, who sent this in.]

September 7, 2007 By PAUL KRUGMAN, New York Times [Excerpt]

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, on Tuesday Mr. Bush told Australia's deputy prime minister that "we're kicking ass" in Iraq.

Bush’s Retirement Plan:

Making More Millions

3rd September 2007 Daily Mail [UK]

"I can just envision getting in the car, going down to the ranch," said Mr Bush, 61, already estimated to be worth $20 million.  "I’ll give some speeches to replenish the ol’ coffers.

"I don’t know what my dad gets, it’s more than 50-75 (thousand dollars per speech) and Clinton’s making a lot of money."

The scope of Mr Bush’s ambitions when he steps down in January 2009 was revealed in interviews with GQ magazine.

Talking to writer Robert Draper, Mr Bush sat with his feet on his desk and ate lowfat hot-dogs.

Imperial Democrat Leaders Announce Plans To Kill More U.S. Troops;

No Withdrawal For Them

September 7, 2007 By Robin Wright and Jonathan Weisman, Washington Post Staff Writers

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) has said that he could drop his demand for a firm troop withdrawal next spring to win GOP votes.

And Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said this week that she will allow a vote on bipartisan troop legislation that, without requiring a redeployment, would force the administration to begin publicly planning for a withdrawal.

LIAR

SOLDIER-KILLER

DOMESTIC ENEMY

DESPICABLE PIECE OF SHIT

WANTED FOR THE MURDER OF U.S. TROOPS AND CITIZENS OF IRAQ:

THE TRAITOR PELOSI

LIAR

SOLDIER-KILLER

DOMESTIC ENEMY

DESPICABLE PIECE OF SHIT

varifrank.com/images/Preacher_Reid.jpg

WANTED FOR THE MURDER OF U.S. TROOPS AND CITIZENS OF IRAQ:

THE TRAITOR REID

Craig Withdraws Resignation:

Idaho Senator Arrested In Men’s’ Room Says I Will Not Blow This Job

September 6, 2007 The Borowitz Report

Less than one week after announcing his intention to resign from office, embattled Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) changed course today, telling reporters in Washington, "I will not blow this job."

Over the past few days, there had been whispers in Republican circles that Sen. Craig had, in the words of one of the Idaho senator’s associates, "pulled out too early,"

"At the end of the day, Larry does not want to blow this job," the associate said. "He will do whatever it takes to win back the support of his constituents, even if it means getting down on his knees."

Another associate of Sen. Craig’s agreed that the Idaho senator announced his intention to vacate his Senate seat too hastily: "I think Larry now feels that to leave office on September 30 would be a premature evacuation."

Sen. Craig got a key vote of support from Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn), who held a press conference at the Senate today to call the charges against the Idaho senator a "bum rap."

But even as Sen. Craig picked up the support of Sen. Specter, a source close to the Republican caucus indicated that most Republicans are "backing away" from Sen. Craig.

For his part, Sen. Craig told reporters that he would take whatever steps are necessary to find favor with his Republican colleagues: "I will absolutely bend over backwards."

Elsewhere, after a B-52 pilot flew over several U.S. states carrying nuclear warheads, the Air Force said that it would discontinue its use of Mapquest.

CLASS WAR REPORTS

Capitalism At Work:

"Only The Most Affluent One-Fifth Of US Households Had Net Income Gains Between 2000 And 2006"

September 3, 2007 By Robert Kuttner, The New York Times Company [Excerpt]

THIS LABOR DAY, America’s working families do not have a great deal to cheer. According to the new Census report on economic trends in 2006, median earnings for fulltime year-round workers last year fell by about 1 percent, even with a booming economy.

Only the most affluent one-fifth of US households had net income gains between 2000 and 2006.

The rest had declines, despite productivity growth averaging about 3 percent per year. The share of people with health insurance provided by employers declined, as did those with guaranteed pensions. And all of this discouraging news happened before the current financial turbulence.

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