Declaration from World Uranium Summit

The following was posted on a VFP group board by a very dedicated Activist as to the use of Uranium and Depleted Uranium.
I really feel this should be seen by many and is reason enough to post it up in hopes others will sign on and pass along, and get involved!

Check out, consider to sign and forward the petitions in the end of the message, thank you!

DECLARATION OF THE INDIGENOUS WORLD URANIUM SUMMIT
Window Rock, Navajo Nation, USA
December 2, 2006

We, the Peoples gathered at the Indigenous World
Uranium Summit, at this critical time of
intensifying nuclear threats to Mother Earth and
all life, demand a worldwide ban on uranium
mining, processing, enrichment, fuel use, and
weapons testing and deployment, and nuclear waste
dumping on Native Lands.


Past, present and future generations of
Indigenous Peoples have been disproportionately
affected by the international nuclear weapons and
power industry. The nuclear fuel chain poisons
our people, land, air and waters and threatens
our very existence and our future generations.
Nuclear power is not a solution to global
warming. Uranium mining, nuclear energy
development and international agreements (e.g.,
the recent U.S.-India nuclear cooperation treaty)
that foster the nuclear fuel chain violate our
basic human rights and fundamental natural laws
of Mother Earth, endangering our traditional
cultures and spiritual well-being.


We reaffirm the Declaration of the World Uranium
Hearing in Salzburg, Austria, in 1992, that
"uranium and other radioactive minerals must
remain in their natural location." Further, we
stand in solidarity with the Navajo Nation for
enacting the Diné Natural Resources Protection
Act of 2005, which bans uranium mining and
processing and is based on the Fundamental Laws
of the Dine. And we dedicate ourselves to a
nuclear-free future.


Indigenous Peoples are connected spiritually and
culturally to our Mother, the Earth. Accordingly,
we endorse and encourage development of renewable
energy sources that sustain - not destroy -
Indigenous lands and the Earth's ecosystems.


In tribute to our ancestors, we continue
centuries of resistance against colonialism. We
recognize the work, courage, dedication and
sacrifice of those individuals from Indigenous
Nations and from Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, Germany, India, Japan, the United States,
and Vanuatu, who participated in the Summit. We
further recognize the invaluable work of those
who were honored at the Nuclear-Free Future
Awards ceremony on December 1, 2006. And we will
continue to support activists worldwide in their
nonviolent efforts to stop uranium development.


We are determined to share the knowledge we have
gained at this Summit with the world. In the
weeks and months ahead, we will summarize and
disseminate the testimonies, traditional
Indigenous knowledge, and medical and scientific
evidence that justify a worldwide ban on uranium
development. We will enunciate specific plans of
action at the tribal, local, national and
international levels to support Native resistance
to the nuclear fuel chain. And we will pursue
legal and political redress for all past, current
and future impacts of the nuclear fuel chain on
Indigenous Peoples and their resources.


--
Jamie Kneen
Communications & Outreach Coordinator ofc. (613) 569-3439
MiningWatch Canada cell: (613) 761-2273
250 City Centre Ave., Suite 508 fax: (613) 569-5138
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6K7 e-mail: jamie@miningwatch.ca
Canada Mining Watch
Skype: jamiekneen

Join signing following petitions and forward, spread the word, thank you

Tell the Department of Energy that we reject Nuclear Bombplex 2030! (US Citizens only)


One million signatures against nuclear power



Britain is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has made 'an unequivocal undertaking' to accomplish the total elimination of its nuclear arsenal.

Sign Declaration against Nuclear Weapons


We undersigned strongly urge the City Council, the Mayor and Citizens
to take steady steps to join Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision and stating
that the City and Citizens support the Program to Promote the
Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons.


Campaign: International Petition to Ban Uranium Weapons

Safer Energy Policy for EU, Russia and World

Too Much BLOOD for OIL!!!!

Keith Olbermann | Bush's Legacy: The President Who Cried Wolf

Keith Olbermann writes: "Only this president - only in this time, only with this dangerous, even messianic certitude - could answer a country demanding an exit strategy from Iraq, by offering an entrance strategy for Iran. Only this president could look out over a vista of 3,008 dead and 22,834 wounded in Iraq, and finally say, 'Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me' - only to follow that by proposing to repeat the identical mistake ... in Iran."


~~~~~~~~~~

Big Oil Wins Iraq's Petroleum Resources
The long discussed plan to hand over most of Iraq’s oil assets to big foreign oil companies is about to happen. When people can't figure out what Bush means when he claims victory in Iraq, this is what he is talking about.

~~~~~~~~~~

William Rivers Pitt | Politics in the Service of War

William Rivers Pitt writes: "In a sense, there was a time when the war in Iraq seemed to serve American politics, albeit in a gross and cynical manner. The war served the politics of those who knew that fear, uncertainty and rampant nationalism would help them win elections. The war served the politics of those who knew their radical policy ideas would never see the light of day without that fear and uncertainty. The war served to distract the populace from a series of mistakes and deliberate misdirections, thus defending the political standing of the perpetrators. It worked, for a time, until the inherent flaws within the DNA of these cynical abuses of power overwhelmed the whole."


~~~~~~~~~~

How Republicans win if we lose in Iraq
Bush and the GOP are shifting tactics just like Nixon did with Vietnam -- to win the next election, not the war.
Rosa Brooks
January 12, 2007

IF YOU THINK the growing similarity between Iraq and Vietnam is tragic but inadvertent, you're not being cynical enough.

~~~~~~~~~~

Number Of Iraqi Civilians Slaughtered In America's Rape Of Iraq - At Least 655,000 + +


Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America's Rape Of Iraq 3,017


The Rape of Iraq Costs $357,490,957,418
See the cost in your community

VFP ACTION E-Bulletin - 10 Jan 07

Veterans For Peace Launches Defend and Support the Constitution
(Stop The Madness of George Bush)
When: January 25th, 2007
Where: In the vicinity of or on the grounds of the National Capitol Building, Washington DC. (Exact time and place TBA)

On Thursday, January 25 Veterans For Peace will kickoff our Support and Defend the Constitution effort, to advocate for impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, force the President to follow the will of the people and Bring The Troops Home Now, stop illegal acts of the Bush administration such as unwarranted surveillance and torture and repeal laws that are in violation of the Constitution such as the Military Commissions Act. This VFP action will lead up to the January 27th Mobilization in Washington, DC to remind congress they were elected to end the war.
All veterans are welcomed to participate. The general public is welcomed and encouraged to attend.
The goals of the action are to:
To demand congress follow the will of the people, de-fund the war, use the money to Support Our Troops, Bring Them Home Now!
To restate our oath of service as veterans to support and defend the Constitution.
Remind Congress (House and Senate), that they took a similar oath, thus they have a responsibility to hold in check the powers of the Executive. Tell Congress they are a branch of our government, not an arm of the President.
To invite veterans across the nation to unite with us in our effort to defend and support the Constitution by advocating for the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney.
To highlight President Bush’s disregard for his oath of service and office, in contrast to VFP and other veterans continued commitment to Support and Defend the Constitution.
We ask Chapters and members to organize a similar event any date from January 25 to February 19th, President’s Day. We would like as many events as possible on Jan 25th.
Event components:
Reading of appropriate sections from Constitution.
Retaking oath to Support and Defend the Constitution
Review of Veterans For Peace charges for impeachment.
Try to follow up with a visit to your local Congressional Representative or Senators

There's abit more Information at Title link site above.


Appeal for Redress Takes Action
Soldiers deliver care packages to soldiers

Liam Madden is a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corp. He is stationed at Quantico, Va and co-founded the Appeal for Redress. Madden, along with Navy Seaman Jonathon Hutto, formed the organization which is comprised of active duty personnel appealing to Congress to "support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq."
Just in time for the holidays, active duty personnel and their families handed out hundreds of care packages to military personnel. The packages consisted of baked goods, the movies "Sir! No Sir!" and "The Ground Truth", along with a pre-addressed envelope for the Appeal for Redress, and information about various groups like VFP.
To date, the Appeal for Redress has over 1,000 signatures. It plans to wrap up it's signature and appeal drive on Martin Luther King's Birthday, January 15, 2007. For more information, go to Appeal for Redress

United for Peace and Justice

March on Washington D.C.
Join Veterans For Peace and United For Peace and Justice in Washington D.C. January 27 for a massive rally and march. We will call on Congress to bring an immediate end to the war and BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!

Congress has the power to end this war through legislation. We call on people from every congressional district in the country to gather in Washington D.c. - to express support for those members of Congress who are prepared to take immediate action against the war; to pressure those who are hesitant to act; and to speak out against those who remain tied to a failed policy.

Stay tuned to VFP for some action ideas, tips for contacting congress, and more details regarding the march on Washington.

Fayetteville Peace March & Rally

Veterans For Peace will travel to Fayetteville, North Carolina to join the Fayetteville Peace March & Rally. The two day event includes a march and concert on Saturday and an activist conference on Sunday.

Rebuilding in the Gulf Coast

Although this plan is still in the works, VFP plans to return to the Gulf Coast to rebuild houses in anniversary of the beginning of the War in Iraq.

Occupation Project

Voices for Creative Nonviolence is organizing the Occupation Project, a campaign of sustained nonviolent civil disobedience aimed at ending the U.S. war in and occupation of Iraq. The campaign will begin the first week of February 2007 with occupations at the offices of Representatives and Senators who refuse to pledge to vote against additional war funding.
We invite your participation and your organization's endorsement. To become involved with this campaign, please contact us via phone at 773-878-3815 or via email, Occupation Project.
Read the campaign's foundational document: The Occupation Project: A Campaign of Sustained Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End the Iraq War

Before You Enlist

OBJECTIVE: "Before You Enlist!" provides a rational voice to counter the seductive and often deceptive recruiting practices of the U.S. military. The message is not "don't enlist" but rather to provide young people and their families a more complete picture of the life-altering consequences of joining the military - especially in wartime. Release date: September 2006. Length: 14:30.
UPDATE: DVD copies are now available from the AFSC Store - $5 each (including shipping & handling!) or $30 for 10 copies. The program is also freely available for Internet viewing and download.
The video provides a brief introduction to the subject of military enlistment. For in-depth information, visit AFSC's Youth & Militarism site Youth4Peace.org.

Not The U.S. I Grew Up In - No More!

Guantanamo Unclassified



Blue Man Group on Global Warming

Lasting Effects Of War.....

Especially this conflict, and not only on the Military Troops but also the Civilian population of Iraq

Terrified Soldiers Terrifying People
Dahr Jamail and Ali al-Fadhily

FALLUJAH, Jan. 8 (IPS) - Ten-year-old Yassir aimed a plastic gun at a passing U.S. armoured patrol in Fallujah, and shouted "Bang! Bang!"

Yassir did not know what was coming. "I yelled for everyone to run, because the Americans were turning back," 12-year-old Ahmed who was with Yassir told IPS.

The soldiers followed Yassir to his house and smashed almost everything in it. "They did this after beating Yassir and his uncle hard, and they spoke the nastiest words," Ahmed said.

"At least half the deceased are women, children and elderly people," group co-director Mohamad Tareq al-Deraji told IPS.

Overstretched U.S. soldiers appear to be punishing civilians while suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. IPS reported Jan. 3 that new guidelines released by the Pentagon last month allow commanders now to re-deploy soldiers suffering from such disorders.
According to the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes, service members with "a psychiatric disorder in remission, or whose residual symptoms do not impair duty performance" may be considered for duty downrange. It lists post-traumatic stress disorder as a "treatable" problem.

Iraq Vets Left in Physical and Mental Agony

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan 3 (IPS) - On New Year's Eve, the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq passed 3,000. By Tuesday, the death toll had reached 3,004 -- 31 more than died in the Sep. 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

But the number of injured has far outstripped the dead, with the Veterans Administration reporting that more than 150,000 veterans of the Iraq war are receiving disability benefits.

Dr. Imbascini just returned from a four-month deployment to Germany, where he treated the worst of the U.S. war wounded. He said that an extremely high number of wounded soldiers are coming home with their arms or legs amputated. Imbascini said he amputated the genitals of one or two men every day.

"I walk into the operating room and the general surgeons are doing their work and there is the body of this Navy SEAL, which is a physical specimen to behold," he told IPS. "And his abdomen is open, they're exploring both intestines. He's missing both legs below the knee, one arm is blown off, he's got incisions on his thighs to relieve the pressure on the parts of the legs that are hopefully gonna survive and there's genital injuries, and you just want to cry."

Pentagon studies show that 12 percent of soldiers who have served in Iraq suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The group Veterans for America, formerly the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, estimates 70,000 Iraq war veterans have gone to the VA for mental health care.

According to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, servicemembers with "a psychiatric disorder in remission, or whose residual symptoms do not impair duty performance" may be considered for duty downrange. It lists post-traumatic stress disorder as a "treatable" problem.

"As a layman and a former soldier I think that's ridiculous," Steve Robinson, the director of Veterans Affairs for Veterans for America, told IPS.

"If I've got a soldier who's on Ambien to go to sleep and Seroquel and Qanapin and all kinds of other psychotropic meds, I don't want them to have a weapon in their hand and to be part of my team because they're a risk to themselves and to others," he said. "But apparently, the military has its own view of how well a soldier can function under those conditions and is gambling that they can be successful."

Robinson said problems with the policy are already starting to arise.

The Failed Policies will Haunt Us and the World for Decades!

A Voice from Gitmo's Darkness

A current detainee speaks of the torture and humiliation he has experienced at Guantanamo since 2002.

By Jumah al-Dossari, JUMAH AL-DOSSARI is a 33-year-old citizen of Bahrain. This article was excerpted from letters he wrote to his attorneys. Its contents have been deemed unclassified by the Department of Defense.
January 11, 2007


Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba — I AM WRITING from the darkness of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo in the hope that I can make our voices heard by the world. My hand quivers as I hold the pen.

In January 2002, I was picked up in Pakistan, blindfolded, shackled, drugged and loaded onto a plane flown to Cuba. When we got off the plane in Guantanamo, we did not know where we were. They took us to Camp X-Ray and locked us in cages with two buckets — one empty and one filled with water. We were to urinate in one and wash in the other.

At Guantanamo, soldiers have assaulted me, placed me in solitary confinement, threatened to kill me, threatened to kill my daughter and told me I will stay in Cuba for the rest of my life. They have deprived me of sleep, forced me to listen to extremely loud music and shined intense lights in my face. They have placed me in cold rooms for hours without food, drink or the ability to go to the bathroom or wash for prayers. They have wrapped me in the Israeli flag and told me there is a holy war between the Cross and the Star of David on one hand and the Crescent on the other. They have beaten me unconscious.

What I write here is not what my imagination fancies or my insanity dictates. These are verifiable facts witnessed by other detainees, representatives of the Red Cross, interrogators and translators.

During the first few years at Guantanamo, I was interrogated many times. My interrogators told me that they wanted me to admit that I am from Al Qaeda and that I was involved in the terrorist attacks on the United States. I told them that I have no connection to what they described. I am not a member of Al Qaeda. I did not encourage anyone to go fight for Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden have done nothing but kill and denigrate a religion. I never fought, and I never carried a weapon. I like the United States, and I am not an enemy. I have lived in the United States, and I wanted to become a citizen.

I know that the soldiers who did bad things to me represent themselves, not the United States. And I have to say that not all American soldiers stationed in Cuba tortured us or mistreated us. There were soldiers who treated us very humanely. Some even cried when they witnessed our dire conditions. Once, in Camp Delta, a soldier apologized to me and offered me hot chocolate and cookies. When I thanked him, he said, "I do not need you to thank me." I include this because I do not want readers to think that I fault all Americans.

But, why, after five years, is there no conclusion to the situation at Guantanamo? For how long will fathers, mothers, wives, siblings and children cry for their imprisoned loved ones? For how long will my daughter have to ask about my return? The answers can only be found with the fair-minded people of America.

I would rather die than stay here forever, and I have tried to commit suicide many times. The purpose of Guantanamo is to destroy people, and I have been destroyed. I am hopeless because our voices are not heard from the depths of the detention center.

If I die, please remember that there was a human being named Jumah at Guantanamo whose beliefs, dignity and humanity were abused. Please remember that there are hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo suffering the same misfortune. They have not been charged with any crimes. They have not been accused of taking any action against the United States.

Show the world the letters I gave you. Let the world read them. Let the world know the agony of the detainees in Cuba.


Veterans Do NOT Condone Torture

The Failed Policies will Haunt Us and the World for Decades

Deja Vu All Over Again - As Has Been!

Vietnam All Over Again

By Bobby Muller Posted January 11, 2007.



A well-known leader of Vietnam vets, paralyzed in combat, describes the frighteningly familiar path that is leading us into a widening conflict.

As a soldier who fought in the Vietnam War -- the United States' only lost war -- President Bush's imminent decision to increase the U.S. force in Iraq by thousands of troops brings to mind events more than thirty years old.

In 1968, shortly after Clark Clifford succeeded Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense, Secretary Clifford met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss the war in Vietnam. He quickly learned that America's top military leaders did not know how many troops were needed nor did they know what constituted victory.

During March 1968, despite this discovery, President Johnson agreed to send 24,500 more troops to Vietnam on an emergency basis. President Johnson and Secretary Clifford thought that this increase in U.S. troops would lead to U.S. victory there. And in an address to the nation on March 31 President Johnson stated: "We have no intention of widening this war."

At that time, approximately 24,000 U.S. service members had died in Vietnam. By the end of that war, more than 58,000 U.S. troops had been killed. More U.S. soldiers died winding down the war than had in starting it. In addition, by the end of the war, the United States had greatly expanded the war into Cambodia and Laos.

But, little more than a year later, after he left office, Clifford wrote: "Nothing we might do could be so beneficial ... as to begin to withdraw our combat troops. Moreover ... we cannot realistically expect to achieve anything more through our military force, and the time has come to begin to disengage."

By recommending to President Bush that U.S. troops in Iraq should be increased, with no clear plan for achieving victory there, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates risks following in the footsteps of Clark Clifford. As with Secretary Clifford, Secretary Gates has succeeded the architect of a U.S. military failure. Like Clifford, Gates has proven incapable of calling for a dramatic change in course.

Iraq is in the midst of a civil war. In addition, some in the U.S. government blame neighbors such as Iran and Syria for exacerbating sectarian tensions in Iraq. Increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq increases the likelihood that the United States will be pulled further into an intra-Iraqi struggle and deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf -- apparently in an effort to warn Syria and Iran and to increase the flexibility for commanders in the region -- reminds me of the decision by U.S. military and civilian leadership to expand the war in Vietnam beyond the borders of that country.

Today, the U.S. military is, in the words of the Pentagon, stretched "to the breaking point." Almost 30 percent of the 1.5 million U.S. service members who have been deployed since September 11, 2001 have been deployed more than once. Thousands of members of Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) have been called up in what many term a "backdoor draft." Military recruiters are struggling to meet their goals; the Pentagon is considering greatly increasing the number of noncitizens in the U.S. military; more than 16,000 single mothers who are in the U.S. military have been deployed. And, most importantly, more than 3,000 service members have been killed in Iraq and tens of thousands wounded. Finally, more than $350 billion has been spent on the Iraq war.

It is time for the U.S. Congress to ensure that the voice of the American people -- including the voices of those who have served in Iraq and before -- are heard. Clearly, President Bush missed the central lesson of the November elections and the Iraq Study Group: that Americans want a dramatic change in course in Iraq, one that does not include deepening the U.S. involvement there.

Fortunately, not only Democrats have come out opposing the surge. Most prominently, Republican Senators Chuck Hagel, Gordon Smith, Susan Collins, and Norm Coleman have made clear their opposition to the president's plan.

Hard questions must be asked regarding the possibility of increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq; the effect that such a choice will have on those who have volunteered to serve their country in the military must be carefully considered.

With such a small percentage of the U.S. population bearing the vast majority of the burden of the war in Iraq, the sense of shared sacrifice has been lost. The social contract between service members and their government and society must be repaired. It is time for members of Congress -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- to come together to make it clear to President Bush the folly of the surge.

Otherwise, the United States risks repeating the failures of Vietnam.

Bobby Muller is President of Veterans for America (formerly the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation), and a co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.



But this is Much Worse than Vietnam, than they only wanted us Out Of Their Country, now National Security, not only here but Around The World, are The Aces In The Deck!!

And those Aces have already been dealt!

The Failed Policies will Haunt Us and the World for Decades!

Host A House Party To Support IAVA Veterans

If you can't make it to DC on the 27th, 28th, and 29th Here's what YOU Can Do!!!


Iraq and Afganistan Veterans of America-IAVA

Throw a party in support of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: Join us for the first-ever national IAVA house parties!

The War Tapes Trailer



Tonight President Bush is expected to announce that he's sending an additional 20,000 troops to Iraq. Whether you agree with him or not, this makes it even more important that our troops and veterans get the care they need. Hosting a house party is an easy way to support IAVA and spread the word about the issues facing our newest veterans.

On Saturday, January 27th, IAVA supporters nationwide will be throwing house parties to help Iraq and Afghanistan veterans get the counseling they need. You can join us. Just get your copy of "The War Tapes," the first documentary filmed by soldiers on the ground in Iraq, and download a free packet of materials with everything you need to host your own house party. Click here to buy the DVD and sign up your party now.

Across the country, IAVA supporters are going to get together to screen the film, take part in a free conference call with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff and Iraq Veteran Steve Pink, star of The War Tapes, and help us collect signatures for a petition to Jim Nicholson, Secretary of the VA, calling for increased mental health funding at VA hospitals.

Can you host a party? Click here to sign up and get all the materials you'll need. Not available to host a party? You can also search for parties in your area.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have already sought care for mental health issues like depression, anxiety and PTSD. But a recent government report concluded that:
'the Administration's failure to adequately increase staffing and other resources for Vet Centers has put their capacity to meet the needs of veterans and their families at risk.'
Vet Centers were created after the Vietnam War to give combat vets a place to get counseling from fellow veterans. They helped hundreds of thousands of veterans cope with their experiences. Join us in calling for better funding for these vital centers.

If you plan on hosting a party, be sure to sign up and get your copy of The War Tapes in time for the 27th. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Rob Timmins
IAVA Field Director
Iraq Veteran

Soldier Diagnosed With Mental Problems

Give diagnosis, Give drugs, Tell him to get more Sleep, Send him back on partrols, where he Rapes a Young Iraqi Girl and Kills Her and the Entire Family, and THE ARMY KNEW!!!!!!

Putting All U.S. Trops into even More Danger than they already were, the Army Itself is complicent in this Atrosity

By RYAN LENZ
Associated Press Writer

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) -- An Army private charged with the slaughter of an Iraqi family was diagnosed as a homicidal threat by a military mental health team three months before the attack.

Pfc. Steven D. Green was found to have "homicidal ideations" after seeking help from an Army Combat Stress Team in Iraq on Dec. 21, 2005. Green said he was angry about the war, desperate to avenge the death of comrades and driven to kill Iraqi citizens, according to an investigation by The Associated Press.

The treatment was several small doses of Seroquel - a drug to regulate his mood - and a directive to get some sleep, according to medical records obtained by the AP. The next day, he returned to duty in the particularly violent stretch of desert in the southern Baghdad suburbs known as the "Triangle of Death."

On March 12, 2006, Iraqi police reported a break-in at the home of a family in Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles from Baghdad. The intruders shot and killed the father, mother and two young daughters. The older girl, 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, was raped and her body set afire.

The carnage first was assumed to be the work of insurgents. That changed in late June when two members of Green's unit told their superiors of suspicions that soldiers were involved in the killings. Now the Army believes Green and four other soldiers are responsible. One of them has confessed and provided information to prosecutors; in testimony at his court-martial, the soldier identified Green as the ringleader.

If the charges are true, the attack would be among the most horrific instances of criminal behavior by American troops in the nearly four-year-old war. It also would represent a worst-case scenario for the military's much-criticized practice of keeping mentally and emotionally unfit personnel in the killing fields of Iraq.

Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, psychiatry counsel to the Army Surgeon General, would not specifically discuss Green when contacted by The AP. She defended the military's policies regarding the treatment of emotionally or psychologically distressed soldiers.

"If unresponsive to treatment and/or a persistent danger to self or others, they will be evacuated," Ritchie told The AP in an e-mail.

The 101st Airborne Division also declined to comment, noting it is an open federal case.

The Army and the Marines, who have the most personnel on the ground in Iraq, have been faulted for the manner in which troops with mental and emotional difficulties are being treated.

Sending troops already in Iraq who have been diagnosed with mental illness back to combat duty - often under medication that has not been prescribed long enough to have provided relief - has been a particular criticism.

Green has been charged with the murders and rape and pleaded not guilty in federal court in Kentucky. He is being tried in federal court because his arrest came after he had been discharged from the Army. Three others face the same charges and will be court-martialed.

From interviews with people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized by the military to discuss the case, and from viewing the Army's medical and investigative records, the AP also has learned:

- Three months passed without Army doctors and clinicians from the Combat Stress Team having any contact with Green. He was summoned for a second examination on March 20, 2006 - eight days after the killing of the family. Green was diagnosed as having an anti-social personality disorder and declared unfit for service. The process of discharging him began a week later and he was sent home.

- The Army's own investigation of Green's initial treatment, prompted by concerns he and others would use mental health problems as a defense in trial, is highly critical. Among the most salient findings from a July review of Green's treatment: "Although a safety assessment was conducted, there is no safety plan addressing how Soldier (Green) will keep from acting on his homicidal thoughts."

- Lt. Col. Elizabeth Bowler, a psychiatrist and Army reservist from California who took over the Combat Stress Team with Green's unit in January, recommended his discharge after the second examination in March. Yet she wrote a final evaluation that said Green exhibited no traits that would indicate dangerously erratic or homicidal moods, according to documents viewed by The AP.

Green deployed to Iraq in September 2005 from Fort Campbell with a battalion from the 101st Airborne Division's 502nd Infantry Regiment. The unit was charged with security operations and assisting Iraqi army units in the "Triangle of Death."

Eleven days before Green's first visit with the stress team in December 2005, he and five others were manning a checkpoint when an Iraqi civilian approached, according to testimony in military hearings. The civilian was familiar because of his status as a sometimes informant. He greeted the soldiers warmly before pulling a pistol from his belt and shooting two of them at point-blank range.

Green's behavior worsened after that, according to commanders. He was directed to visit doctors a second time. Eight days later, Bowler told commanders that Green was unfit for service, according to documents. The discharge process for Green concluded in May 2006.

The Pentagon issued new guidelines in November that prevent personnel with certain pre-existing mental problems from deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan. Clinicians evaluating whether a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan is fit for service are now required to review all medical records. Mental illnesses that are not expected to be resolved in one year will be cause for discharge.

The Army's hearings on the family's murder concluded in August. Those who testified put forth this outline of the crime:

The plot to rape and kill was hatched as the soldiers hit golf balls at a checkpoint. They had seen the older daughter on patrols in the area. After drinking whiskey bought from Iraqi policemen, they masked their faces and crept through backyards in afternoon daylight to get to the family's home.

They knew the family kept a gun in one bedroom for protection.

Once in the house, Green herded the father, mother and 5-year-old daughter to another room, closed the door and shot them dead. Green had blood on his clothes and boots when he returned.

Green and at least two others took turns raping the other daughter before killing her with the family's AK-47. They set her body on fire with kerosene dumped from a lamp in the kitchen in an effort to hide evidence.

Steven Green is in custody at an undisclosed location in Kentucky, according to federal law-enforcement officials. Prosecutors have not said if they will seek the death penalty.

Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman, 22, of Chambersburg, Pa.; Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, 24, of Barstow, Calif.; and Pfc. Bryan L. Howard, 23, of Huffman, Texas, have been charged with rape and murder and await courts-martial. They are in custody at Fort Campbell.

Spc. James P. Barker, 24, of Fresno, Calif., pleaded guilty in November as part of an agreement to testify against the others.

MLK Day Press Conference in Norfolk, VA

WHAT: Public Press Conference by Active Duty, Reserve and Guard, US military personnel and Appeal For Redress to raise community awareness about the urgency of ending the war in Iraq, bringing the troops home now and taking care of them when they get here. A second event is being planned in Washington, DC after Jan. 15 in order for military personnel to respectfully present the signed petitions to Congress.




WHERE: Unitarian Universalist Church of Norfolk, 739 Yarmouth Street, Norfolk, Va 23510 on the Hague in Ghent.




WHEN: January 15, 2007 at 5:00 pm., national ML King Holiday




WHY: To generate support by raising public awareness and active Congressional support for the mission of conscience to bring the troops home as soon as possible and end the Iraq war before more irreparable damage is done and more US troops and innocent civilians perish.




PRESS: All media contacts radio, TV & print will be professionally handled by FENTON COMMUNICATIONS of Washington, DC.




SUPPORTERS: Include national organizations such as Veterans for Peace (VFP), Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) and Iraq Veterans Against War (IVAW). Statewide supporters include Virginia Anti-War Network (VAWN) and The Richmond Defenders-for Freedom, Justice & Equality. Guests will include members of these organizations as well as national, statewide and local social justice groups, academics/educators, community members, the faith community, medical professionals and supportive Congresspersons.

This Deserves A Little Posting.....

A number of us, Old Foggie, 'Nam Vets have tried to Re-Enlist, not to mention the 'Raging Grannies', Now With The Escalation We Can Save The little 'chimps' Butt, before we Indict the Whole Bunch!!!!!;c}

SENIOR CALL-UP APPROVED!!!

Bring The Yougin's Home, NOW!!

They've got Families to Raise and Lives to Live!!



The Failed Policies will Haunt Us and the World for Decades!

ACTION on "ESCALATION"

A call has gone out for Actions on the day of the call for Escalation or the following day, days!
I am using one of the groups involved letter as the opening in this post, information and coalition groups involved follows that!
Get Involved, in large groups, small groups, individually, for as before this Escalation in forces will Not Work and will only fan the already Blazing Fires, causing much more Destruction and Devestation!
The Iraqi people have Suffered Enough from our Imperialism and Arrogance!
What is needed is the engagement of the neighboring countries for it is their region, their cultures, their neighbors, and their shared religious ideologies. They must use their diplomacy to help bring down the sectarian violence.
We don't just walk away, for we have completely broken a country and it's people and We Must Pay for what we have done with Real Reconstruction of the infrastructure and the Iraqi peoples lives!


Howdy MMOB -- {Mainstreet Moms: Organize or Bust

I just got a call from Matt Holland at True Majority and he is very much hoping MMOBsters (known for action!) would be some of the first to join a national push to get out and say NO MORE TROOPS as soon as Bush makes his expected announcement of pointless escalation this week. (See America Says NO and below for details)
We're thinking we should harken back to MMOB's "Rush Hour Roadside VOTE Shows" with this, and get out on street corners with the "NO MORE TROOPS" posters True Majority has (or make your own!), tape posters in car windows for the commute, do some yard banners, t-shirts on our dogs of course, whatever inspires. There is an additional effort to get millions of signatures on a petition for NO MORE TROOPS that this True Majority/Coalition campaign will deliver to Congress on the 27th. Please post any other ideas on the MMOB list serv.
As you'll see below, the America Says NO suggestion is to have a gathering the night of the announcement, take a photo, and upload it to the campaign to show this "surge of protest." This sounds good, but so does getting out in public the next day! Either way, please consider joining in with your own brand of NO MORE TROOPS sentiment, large or small. If you scroll down, you'll see the big stack of organizations we're joining by doing this.
Finally, if you're going to do something on your own, please consider registering your rabblerousing as an event, but just mark it "private" and send in a picture if possible. This will help paint a truer picture of the 'surge protest' when the dust settles!
If you're game, but have questions, post them on the MMOB list serv.
Very best to everyone,

Megan & the MMOB

WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT:

Americans Say NO! A Nationwide 'Surge' of Protest Events

Americans DO NOT want more troops in Iraq!
You're one of our best activists. Can you host an event to make that point loud and clear?

President Bush is expected to give his "new direction in Iraq" speech around Wednesday, January 10th -- and you won't like what he's planning to say. He wants to increase the number of men and women sent to Iraq, even though we just elected a new Congress to help get us out of there. We have to make it clear that Americans do NOT want more troops in Iraq and we have to act fast! Which is why I'm writing to you on a Saturday.
Can you host an event in your community to say NO to the President's escalation plan?

America Says NO

This is just the beginning. On January 27th, we'll be delivering a petition signed by tens of thousands of Americans at the huge March on Washington in D.C. We know not everyone can board a bus to Washington to speak out, so these local events are a great way to get everyone in your community signed on.

Click below to get started:

America Says NO
Here's how it works:
The Americans Say No events are simple, and easy to host. We'll all converge on the evening after the President's speech with some ready-made signs and petitions carrying our message. You can read out the names of the service members from your state who have already died in Iraq, or simply hold a silent vigil. Then, pass the petition around and be sure to take a digital photo of your event to add to an online collection.

Volunteer to lead an event by visiting America Says NO. We've got lots of information to get you started, and more is on the way. Hosting these events is almost as simple as 1, 2, 3:

1) Pick a time and location for the event
.
2) Download an event kit full of tools and ideas to make your event easy and successful.

3) Let your friends and neighbors know about the event. Point them to the website True Majority-America Says NO so they can RSVP.
And be sure to contact True Majority Action with any questions or ideas about the event. It's folks like you that have lead the movement to end the war in Iraq, and together we're going to make it happen.

From Matt Holland
TrueMajorityACTION Online Director

Other groups in the surge, along with MMOB:
20/20 Vision
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities
Center for International Policy (CIP)
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Council for a Livable World
Families USA
Feminist Majority
Fourth Freedom Forum
Friends of the Earth
Global Exchange
Greenpeace
Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)
MMOB (Mainstreet Moms Organize or Bust)
MoveOn
NAACP
National Council of Churches
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Organization for Women (NOW)
NETWORK A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Pax Christi USA
Peace Action
Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR)
Psychologists for Social Responsibility
Rainbow/Push Coalition
Shalom Center
Sierra Club
Sojourners
Soulforce
The Tikkun Community
TrueMajority
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
United Church of Christ
United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society
Us Foundation
USAction
War Resisters League
Veterans for Peace
Women's Action for New Directions (WAND)
Working Assets
Artists United to Win Without War
Musicians United to Win Without War

Bring Them Home, NOW!
The Failed Policies will Haunt Us and the World for Decades