News Crawl 4-14-07

"He Was Sent Back"

"`My Brother Was Diagnosed With PTSD, Extreme Depression, And Still He Was Sent Back,' She Said"

Fort Carson Deaths Include Twice-Wounded Soldier On Third Iraq Tour

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- One was a sergeant who had survived a sniper attack and a roadside bomb in two earlier combat tours in Iraq.

"I keep thinking that, you know, he was my future. And now I don't know what I've got."

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*****

At 64, California grandmother blogs from Baghdad

BERKELEY, California -- Jane Stillwater is an unlikely war correspondent. She is 64, a self-described Berkeley "flower child, 40 years later."

Inspired by a sense of outrage and determined to blog from inside the war zone, Stillwater ate peanut butter sandwiches for months to save up for a ticket to Kuwait. She got a small Texas newspaper to sponsor her, and eventually boarded a troop transport to Baghdad.

Janes Blog

*****

Canada Offers Forum for Lecturer Barred From U.S.

By Jonathan Woodward

Unable to travel to the University of Washington, Riyadh Lafta -- best known for a controversial study that estimated Iraq's body count in the U.S.-led war in Iraq at more than half a million -- will arrive at Simon Fraser University in B.C. this month to give a lecture and meet with research associates.

*****

The Baghdad Gulag

By Pepe Escobar

There were hundreds of thousands, perhaps more than a million Iraqi nationalists, waving Iraqi flags - with no room for a religious divide - responding to Muqtada's call for "Occupation out!" The Shi'ite million-man march proved once again Sadrists rule the Shi'ite street - and are the most powerful political force among Iraqi Shi'ites.

*****

Dark of Heartness

A Journey Into The (Reputed) Soul of Conservatism

By David Michael Green

I have been haunted this last quarter-century, and especially this last decade, by the darkness that has descended over the American political landscape, a long shadow unlike any I remember from the first half of my life.

*****

Texas Gov. Rick Perry's Dangerous Database

By Jake Bernstein, Texas Observer

Texas is amassing an unprecedented amount of information on its citizens.

*****

Protest Grows over Blackwater U.S.A Training Camp

by Tony Perry

POTRERO, Calif. - With its isolation and rustic ambience, this sparsely populated hamlet in eastern San Diego County offers the privacy and quiet its residents crave."It's perfect: nobody here but us rural souls," Will Lee said as he headed to the Potrero General Store.

But Lee's solitude and sense of being far from the crowd may soon be ruffled.

*****

Al-Sarafiya bridge bombing..deja vu from Al-Askari shrine

Roads to Iraq Just like the bombing of Al-Askari shrine, Al-sarafiya bridge witnessed strange events hours before the bombing.

Iraqirabita quoting an eyewitness lives in Al-Atafiya - western side of the river says she woke up 07,10 this morning because of the unusual sounds of Americans helicopters above the river Tigris. I thought that this a beginning of an raid in our neighborhood, to be sure I went upstairs to see where are these helicopters are heading to. I saw with my own eyes a helicopter firing two missiles, I heard an explosion, then I saw the bridge collapsed. Another report says...It is interesting to note this morning Iraqi police blocked the traffic on the bridge for more than two hours, shortly before the explosion they allowed civilians cars to cross the river, which confirms that there is an orchestrated destruction of Al-Sarafiya bridge and resumption of movement by the time of the bombing was to cover up the actions of the "bombers"...

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'This Is Tough News': Soldiers and Their Families Brace for Extended Tours

By Joshua Partlow and Sylvia Moreno

“I was mad before I even heard about the 15 months.
“I don’t want to be here.
“I don’t think you need to sit here an extra three months to help people do what they don’t want to do for their dadburn selves,” said Sgt. Shawn Miller, 30.
“To me, if you’ve been here four years and the country ain’t straight, why extend another three months?
“Why don’t we just go?”

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April 2007: The deadliest month of the Iraq occupation

We're more than a third of the way through April now, and I haven't seen this actually reported in the media anywhere, but unfortunately this has been the deadliest month for the U.S.-led coalition forces -- on an average daily basis -- of the four-year occupation of Iraq. So far, according to icasualties.org, 47 American troops and six British soliders have died in the 11 days of April so far -- an average of 4.82 coalition deaths every day. And -- looking at the month to month statistics -- no month has been that high since Baghdad fell on April 9, 2003...

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Refugees Speak of Escape from Hell

Dahr Jamail, Inter Press Service Hussein, who left three months back, described Baghdad as a "city of ghosts" where black banners of death announcements can be seen hanging on most streets. The city, he said, lives on an hour of electricity a day, and there are no jobs to be had. "I was an ex-captain in the Iraqi Army, and I think that's why I was threatened," he said. Asked how many of his former army colleagues had also received death threats, he replied, "All of them." He said it was not safe for him to go back to the Iraqi Army because it was likely he would be killed. "Most of the deaths are due to the Iraqi politicians and their militias," he added. Security, electricity and potable water supply, healthcare and unemployment are all much worse than during the reign of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, refugees say. "The Americans are detaining so many people," Ali Hassan, a 41-year-old man from the Hay Jihad area of Baghdad told IPS. "My brother was killed by Shia militiamen after he refused to give them the keys to empty Sunni houses we were looking after." Hassan, a Shia who fled Baghdad just three months ago told IPS, "Now I can't go back. I am a refugee here, and I still don't feel secure because I still fear the Mehdi Army." The Mehdi Army is the militia of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr...

"He Was Sent Back"

"‘My Brother Was Diagnosed With PTSD, Extreme Depression, And Still He Was Sent Back,’ She Said"

Fort Carson Deaths Include Twice-Wounded Soldier On Third Iraq Tour

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- One was a sergeant who had survived a sniper attack and a roadside bomb in two earlier combat tours in Iraq.


Another was a private counting down the days to May, when he and his wife would go on the honeymoon trip they had never had the chance to take.

The third was a Montana ranchhand who had bought his own ranch, but would never get to settle on it.

The three Fort Carson soldiers, all with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, died this week in combat in Iraq, although it was unclear Thursday if they were killed in the same attack.

Sgt. Ismael Solorio, 21, of San Luis, Ariz., died Monday during his third Iraq deployment, his older sister, Elvira Solorio said. She did not know how he died and the Department of Defense had not released details Thursday.

Pfc. Brian Lee Holden, 20, of Claremont, N.C., a gunner with the brigade’s 17th Field Artillery Regiment, was killed by a roadside bomb, his family said.

Pfc. Kyle G. Bohrnsen, 22, of Philipsburg, Mont., of the brigade’s 12th Infantry Regiment, died Tuesday after being wounded by a roadside bomb, the Pentagon reported.

"I’m not sure what I’m going to do," Holden’s widow, Amanda Holden, 19, said Thursday from their North Carolina home. "It’s really hard to be so young and have to go through this."

The couple had been married 13 months and had been saving every dime they made to buy a house, she said.

"He told me the other day he was ready to come home, buy a house, settle down and have kids," she said.

The two were planning a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., during his scheduled leave next month. She said it was going to be the honeymoon they were unable to take when they got married in March 2006, just months before he was sent overseas.

Those plans were changed when she returned home to find Holden’s mother and two Army officers in her living room.

"As soon as I saw them I knew," she said.

Her birthday is Saturday and she received a card from him this week.

While they were at Fort Carson together, she said they loved hiking the trails around Pikes Peak and taking their miniature pinscher to Memorial Park. He husband was never without a smile and had a knack for cheering people up, she said.

Solorio, a high school honor student, passed up college scholarships to join the Army, his sister said. With his parents’ permission, he enlisted at 17.

"I still can’t believe he’s gone," Elvira Solorio said from the family’s home in San Luis, Ariz., south of Yuma. "I think we all deep inside feel it’s not true. It’s not possible."


He enjoyed soccer, video games and playing his guitar along with Christian music CDs. He also recently bought a pool cue with hopes of honing his billiard skills.

Solorio’s family last saw him in January, when he was home on leave and was able to meet his infant daughter, Priscilla. Solorio had been home in September, hoping to be there when his daughter was born, but missed it by mere hours. He was on his way back to Fort Carson when his girlfriend went into labor.

"He was on the bus to Colorado, and we were in touch with him letting him know what was going on," Elvira Solorio said.

During his visit home in January, he married Priscilla’s mother, Iris.

"I think in his mind he had a feeling that something was going to happen," his sister said. "He wanted to leave his daughter protected. As soon as he got here, everything was very fast. He was only married two days before he was sent back."

In November 2004, he was shot in the head by a sniper and family members were told to be prepared for the worst. A bullet entered the side of his face and shattered his jaw and teeth.

His sister said he had "the biggest smile I know with no teeth." She said the family wonders how he could have been fit for a third tour; in another incident, he was hit by shrapnel from a roadside bomb. He was awarded two Purple Hearts.

"My brother was diagnosed with PTSD, extreme depression, and still he was sent back," she said of his third tour.

Elvira Solorio said her family will miss her brother’s generosity. When they were children, she said, her father would give them each $5 to spend on outings to the local swap meet. She spotted a music box for $10, and her brother gladly gave her his $5 to help her buy it. She still owns the box.

"One thing I know for sure is that he’s in heaven," she said, "because he deserved to be in heaven."

Bohrnsen, of Philipsburg, Mont., was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing and bought land near his parents’ ranch for when he left the Army, family members said. "He just had the kind of personality that everybody liked," said Geoff Bohrnsen, his father.

A lineman on his high school football team, Bohrnsen joined the Army about a year ago and loved the soldier’s way of life, family said.

For Amanda Holden, the man she fell in love with at first sight when they worked at Petsmart was her life, and she’s unsure of what to do next.

"I keep thinking that, you know, he was my future. And now I don’t know what I’ve got."

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Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

Excerpt:from the book: Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
By Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney



Had Enough? Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out! You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies.Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for.
I've had enough. How about you? I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to, as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us. Who Are These Guys, Anyway? Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them, or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy. And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together.
Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to action and make us stand taller? What happened to the strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to the courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do better. Where have all the leaders gone?
The Test of a Leader
I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the top. I've figured out nine points, not ten (I don't want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every true leader should have. We should look at how the current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this crew is going to be around until January 2009. Maybe we can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to screen the candidates who say they want to run the country. It's up to us to choose wisely.
So, here's my C list:

A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags about never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets his daily hour in the gym, with Fox News piped through the sound system, he's ready to go.
If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right.

A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone should accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President, the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush,"Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't. Leadership is all about managing change, whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School.

A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him.

A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths. For what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy.

A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut family, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.
If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs.

To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION, a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President, four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake. It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership.

A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof.

A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. You know, Mr.they'll-welcome-us-as-liberators-no-child-left-behind-heck-of-a-job-Brownie-mission-accomplished Bush. Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world, and I like it here." I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

The Biggest C is Crisis Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day, and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero. That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq, a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you,I don't know what will.
A Hell of a Mess.
So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened. Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it? Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change? Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough
Excerpted from Where Have All the Leaders Gone?





'Impeach' bush For Blowing The Job

Banned in USA

Canada Offers Forum for Lecturer Barred From U.S.

By Jonathan Woodward

Unable to travel to the University of Washington, Riyadh Lafta -- best known for a controversial study that estimated Iraq's body count in the U.S.-led war in Iraq at more than half a million -- will arrive at Simon Fraser University in B.C. this month to give a lecture and meet with research associates.

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The Baghdad Gulag

By Pepe Escobar

There were hundreds of thousands, perhaps more than a million Iraqi nationalists, waving Iraqi flags - with no room for a religious divide - responding to Muqtada's call for "Occupation out!" The Shi'ite million-man march proved once again Sadrists rule the Shi'ite street - and are the most powerful political force among Iraqi Shi'ites.

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Dark of Heartness

A Journey Into The (Reputed) Soul of Conservatism

By David Michael Green

I have been haunted this last quarter-century, and especially this last decade, by the darkness that has descended over the American political landscape, a long shadow unlike any I remember from the first half of my life.

Rageh Inside Iran

Rageh Omaar embarks on a unique journey inside what he describes as one of the most misunderstood countries in the world, looking at the ... all » country through the eyes of people rarely heard - ordinary Iranians.



It took a year of wrangling to get permission to film inside Iran but the result is an amazing portrayal of an energetic and vibrant country that is completely different to the usual images seen in the media.

The more we learn about others the more we learn about ourselves, we see ourselves in them and they see themselves in us, the more we find out the more we recognize that we are all very similar in our daily lives, wants, actions, thoughts, feelings, everything!

Costs Rise for Veterans' Health Care

Care for Brain-Injured Veterans Carries High Financial, Emotional Costs

The Veterans Administration system cares for an estimated 1,600 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with traumatic brain injuries. The NewsHour takes a look at the challenges of treating these veterans.

April 12, 2007

RealAudio| MP3: Caring for troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan may cost the country $75 billion to $150 billion dollars over the next 40 years, some experts predict, as service members survive with traumatic brain injuries and other serious wounds. Meanwhile, some think that the Veterans Administration should be doing even more to help injured soldiers.

Iraq: An ever-worsening crisis

Civilians without protection – The ever-worsening crisis in Iraq

Geneva (ICRC) – In a report issued today in Geneva, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expresses alarm about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Iraq and calls for urgent action to better protect civilians against the continuing violence.

Full report - pdf

MILITARY RELEASES FIRST DOCUMENTS ON CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

CIVIC Worldwide



MILITARY RELEASES FIRST DOCUMENTS ON CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
Following the ACLU’s release of nearly five hundred cases of civilian harm caused by US forces, Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC) said for the first time the American public has a snapshot of what happens after bombs and bullets harm Iraqi and Afghan civilians.
Want to know more? [read more of what CIVIC is saying]


Marla Ruzicka


Civilian Claims on U.S. Suggest the Toll of War


On March 11, 2004, Miad Matar got $2,000 from Sgt. Guadalupe Sorola after her husband was killed by American forces at a checkpoint in Iraq.

In February 2006, nervous American soldiers in Tikrit killed an Iraqi fisherman on the Tigris River after he leaned over to switch off his engine. A year earlier, a civilian filling his car and an Iraqi Army officer directing traffic were shot by American soldiers in a passing convoy in Balad, for no apparent reason.
The incidents are among many thousands of claims submitted to the Army by Iraqi and Afghan civilians seeking payment for noncombat killings, injuries or property damage American forces inflicted on them or their relatives.
The claims provide a rare window into the daily chaos and violence faced by civilians and troops in the two war zones. Recently, the Army disclosed roughly 500 claims to the American Civil Liberties Union in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. They are the first to be made public.

Civilian Deaths -
The Human Cost of War
Press Release: ACLU Releases Files on Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq

Americans Have a Right to Unfiltered Information About the Human Costs of War, ACLU Says

Claims Filed Under the Foreign Claims Act by Civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq
(Released by the ACLU on 4/12/07)

They represent only a small fraction of the claims filed.

Glimpses of Marla, Founder of CIVIC Worldwide, RIP Marla!

Divide and Rule:

Bush's Doomed Plan for Baghdad

Revealed: a new counter-insurgency strategy to carve up the city into sealed areas. The tactic failed in Vietnam. So what chance does it have in Iraq?

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Now the South Erupts

The eruption of demonstrations in the south of Iraq this week could rob the occupation forces of what was considered a critical bastion of support.

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'Surge' Architect Rejects 'War Czar' Job

Commander - In - Chief{?}, War pResident, Bored with this adventure, just like he was with serving his country at a time of another Debacle, but can't find new appointed Commander - In - Chief to take the Blame, and Daddy doesn't seem to want to help neither, not this time!

The widespread doubts within U.S. military and intelligence circles that George W. Bush’s Iraq War “surge” can succeed were underscored when one of the plan’s architects, retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, was one of three generals to rebuff a White House offer of a new job dubbed “war czar.”

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West Point grads exit service at high rate

Recent graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point are choosing to leave active duty at the highest rate in more than three decades, a sign to many military specialists that repeated tours in Iraq are prematurely driving out some of the Army's top young officers.

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Hidden Camera - Baghdad

Adel, one of the Hometown Baghdad Iraqi videobloggers, recklessly hides a video camera in his bag and goes out to film the deserted, rubbish littered streets of his neighbourhood, a Sunni stronghold in Baghdad. The guy deserves a medal for this. If he were caught sneakily filming like that by insurgents or militias, he would be executed on the spot for being a suspected "spy" for either side.

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"Exams" - Hometown Baghdad


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"Mentally F-ed Up" - Hometown Baghdad

Supplemetal For Troops OIF and OEF?

But what is it covering really?

The Bloated Department of Defense Budget is supposed to be what is needed, in part, for All of the Military Troops needs as well as Operations, you start a War those costs are figured in for the next fiscal year, along with the Military Industrial Complex contracts and anything needed by Defense.

But what have we here:

Reenlistment budgets soaring after four years of Iraq war

After four years of war in Iraq, the campaign to entice Army soldiers and Marines to stay in the military has passed the one billion-dollar mark.

Military Reenlistment Budgets Soar Past $1B
$174M Budgeted In 2003, When Iraq War Started

Bonuses can range from a few thousand dollars, up to $150,000 for very senior special forces soldiers who re-up for six years.

1/34th BCT Surpasses $15 Million in Reenlistment Bonuses

A Minnesota Army National Guard unit surpassed $15 million in reenlistment bonuses awarded to Soldiers in the unit who have extended their military obligations since deploying here less than a year ago.

Sailors Earn $500,000 to "Stay Navy"

Navy SRBs average from $2,000 to $90,000 depending on an individual’s critical skill. SRBs on Boxer range from $2,000 to $45,000. Four of Boxer’s Sailors have received its highest amount.

Now with all this cash being doled out the numbers are staying the same, and they are also still doing the following, but with No Cash:

Will Glass Recovers From TBI, Expresses Frustrations With Military Policy
Bitter Deployment: Soldier's Tour in Iraq Extended, Then an IED Hits

Amelia and Will Glass blame his injury not only on the enemy that planted the bomb, but also on the Pentagon's stop-loss policy, which allows the military to issue orders keeping soldiers overseas even after their active-duty commitments have ended.
You can watch Almost Killed by a 'Back-Door Draft' by hitting that link.

Than of course these little tidbits of the corruption going on:

Congressional Report: Gross Mismanagement of Iraq Funds

A damning report issued last month by the nonpartisan research arm of Congress says the Department of Defense continues to overstate its financial needs - by tens of billions of dollars - to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The agency also casts serious doubt on President Bush's statements that money to fund the war will dry up by the end of the month if his budgetary demands are not immediately met.

The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11 - pdf

Funny how a quick search can't bring up the Supplemental under question now between the Congress and the Corrupt Administration, so here's the 2006 Request:

Department of Defense FY 2006 Supplemental Request for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - pdf

And we now know, what really many already had known but no one was listening, who is Not getting the funding needed because of these Debacles of the Civilian/Military Leadership of this country, the Ones who Actually need it:

VA REPORT FOUND WALTER REED PROBLEMS IN 2004

Bush administration officials have claimed that they were unaware of problems with veterans' care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center until a flurry of media reports earlier this year brought the hospital's shortcomings to their attention...

As this Lying Power Hungry Administration, and the previous Congresses, Destroys what once was a Proud Professional Military and a Once Proud and Respected United States of America!

How much is 'Blackwater', our mercenary army, getting, what's in this for 'Haliburtan', the so called private contractor that are the Only Ones that Can Do whatever it is Their Doing as their stock rises!

How much are we still paying the so called Coalition Country's, the ones that still have a handfull of troops in theater, and the ones that never did but who's Support, in words only, was needed to boast the War Drums!

Questions, questions, questions, that seem to have no answers as they fight for more Billions to grease their palms with, and their buddies palms.

Those who take some sort of relief in the "We are fighting them over there so we won't be fighting them here!", Better Rethink their Future, or rather their Childrens Future!!

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

Iraq - Niger Docs

* EXCLUSIVE: Two Explosive Books Tell the Inside Story of the Forged
Iraq-Niger Docs That Helped Build the Case for War *

In his January 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush declared the
infamous sixteen words: ³The British Government has learned that Saddam
Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.² The
claim was central to the administration¹s claims that Saddam Hussein was
seeking weapons of mass destruction and served as a basis for launching the
Iraq invasion less than two months later. Bush¹s declaration was based on an
intelligence document that provided evidence about Iraq¹s purchase of
uranium from the African country of Niger. But there was one problem: the
document was a fake. In a Democracy Now! broadcast exclusive, we speak with
the authors of two explosive new books. Carlo Bonini is the Italian reporter
who broke the Niger story. His new book is called Collusion: International Espionage and the War on Terror. Peter Eisner is a veteran foreign
correspondent and is currently an editor at the Washington Post. His new
book is The Italian Letter: How the Bush Administration Used a Fake Letter to Build the Case for War in Iraq.

Listen/Watch/Read

Viet Namese, RoK Veterans Join In Fight for Agent Orange Victims

South Korean and Vietnamese veterans of the Vietnam War stood together Monday to demand compensation from US manufacturers of Agent Orange, which they say has caused them ongoing illnesses.

In front of a 31-meter tower at South Korea's national cemetery, they burned incense and paid a silent tribute together to honor the hundreds of thousands of war veterans buried there, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The veterans share a bitter past as well as the same agony in the present – what they claim are the lingering after-effects of the deadly defoliant sprayed by the US during the war.

They are fighting together to receive compensations from the US makers of Agent Orange.

The victims of the fatal chemical carry a continuing legacy of the Vietnam War, which ended three decades ago.

More than 4.7 million Vietnamese are said to continue to suffer from a range of illnesses, including birth defects, cardiovascular disease, cancer and nervous disorders because of the chemical defoliant dropped during the war in which South Korea fought alongside the US. South Korean activists estimate the number of Korean victims of the chemicals at around 150,000.

South Korea dispatched about 320,000 soldiers to Vietnam to become the largest foreign contingent of U.S. allies fighting in the war, with 5,000 killed in action and nearly 11,000 others wounded, according to official data.

"The past is bygone. South Korea and Vietnam are friends and partners for now and the future," Do Xuan Dien, a Vietnamese veteran, told Yonhap News Agency.

The 75-year-old former army major general arrived in Seoul earlier in the day for a week-long stay in his capacity as vice president of the Vietnam's Association of Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA).

He is heading a nine-member delegation from the VAVA, which paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the National Cemetery in Seoul, along with around 120 members of the South Korean group of Agent Orange victims.

"We are preparing for a lawsuit against the makers of Agent Orange. So we want to learn from the South Korean group's experience," the grey-haired Vietnamese man said.

Last year, a South Korean court ordered Dow Chemical Co. and Monsanto Co., two makers of Agent Orange, to pay US$62 million in compensation to thousands of South Korean Vietnam war veterans and their families.

Story from Thanh Nien News
Published: 09 April, 2007, 21:06:13 (GMT+7)
Copyright Thanh Nien News

Vietnam Embassey

04/10/2007

Veterans from Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) who once stood on opposing sides of the American war more than thirty years ago, are now cooperating in an effort to aid the victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin sprayed in Viet Nam by the US army.

A delegation from the Viet Nam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA), led by Vice Chairman Do Xuan Dien, visited the RoK on April 9, to gain insights into its experiences in conducting lawsuits against the US chemical companies.

“The war has gone. We are willing to put the past aside to befriend people from all countries, even if they used to stand opposite to us in the battlefield. We are considering accelerating the process of conducting lawsuits against the AO/dioxin producers, and we need to learn from the RoK experiences in this regard,” Dien said in an interview with the Viet Nam News Agency correspondent in Seoul.

Seo Cheoul Jae, Vice President of the AO-Connected Disabled Veterans of the RoK, said his association has opened representative offices in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City to share the RoK context with the Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims.

The RoK sent around 320,000 troops to Viet Nam during the American war and it is estimated that nearly half of them became victims of the toxicants sprayed by their own side. RoK veterans exposed to Agent Orange have been stricken with amongst others the diseases of respiratory and prostate cancer, spina bifida and leukaemia.

In 2006, the RoK Supreme Court ordered 69 million USD in compensation be paid out to 6,800 RoK victims and their families by US Agent Orange/dioxin manufacturers.

VNA

Final Countdown for Baghdad's Children

Video

Baghdad's last refuge for orphaned and traumatised children is in danger of closing later this month when it finally runs out of funds. The man who runs it says he will take the children, many of them orphaned by the violence, into his own home rather than see them on the streets. His co-worker has already been murdered by a death squad.

In the second in a series of three films about the ordinary lives of people in Baghdad, GuardianFilms and ITN look at what has happened to the city's most vulnerable children.

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Regrets of the Statue Man
Video

To mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, GuardianFilms and ITN have produced a series of films that look at ordinary daily life for Iraqis in 2007, using local Iraqi journalists and directors to bring us these shocking portraits of a tortured nation.

In the first of three films, we hear how the man who pulled down Saddam's statue on that iconic day in 2003 now bitterly regrets it.

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The regrets of the man who brought down Saddam

His hands were bleeding and his eyes filled with tears as, four years ago, he slammed a sledgehammer into the tiled plinth that held a 20ft bronze statue of Saddam Hussein. Then Kadhim al-Jubouri spoke of his joy at being the leader of the crowd that toppled the statue in Baghdad's Firdous Square. Now, he is filled with nothing but regret.

The Merritt Center, Free Returning Veteran Program

The Merrit Center was founded in 1987 by Betty Merritt and is dedicated to individual and group renewal and empowerment. Retreat programs are held in a charming rustic lodge tucked away in the rural community of Payson, Arizona; endowed with a rugged inheritance of mountains and trees (elevation 5,000 feet): healthy meals, hiking, hammocks, hot tub, and clean mountain air. Therapeutic body work and forest walks are specialties of the Lodge. Located 90 miles north of Phoenix, a beautiful 1 1/2 hour drive from Sky Harbor airport through spectacular desert mountain terrain to one of the largest stands of Ponderosa pine in the world. All programs are limited to fewer than 30 participants; double/single occupancy rooms; private and shared baths.

FREE RETURNING VETERAN PROGRAM INFORMATION HERE!
More on this below.

Their Purpose
We are a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education in renewal and empowerment via classes, workshops and experiential programs in a climate conducive to personal and organizational growth. Ideal setting for persons and organizations in transition.

Free Weekend Retreats in Payson for Returning Combat Veterans
The Merritt Center is offering a special retreat program for combat veterans. With the assistance of mentors, who are veterans themselves, and healing practitioners; returning vets will open the program with a Talking Circle to begin to release the experiences of war and to begin to create the dream of a new life.
Through group and individual activities, participating veterans will learn to recognize the triggers of negative combat experience and learn ways to release negativity and reorder their personal priorities. They will learn to cleanse themselves of toxins of mind, body, emotions and spirit. The final retreat weekend will include family members who will join in a celebration of service and the awakening of a new vision of their future.
All returning veterans are welcomed to participate free of charge.
Seeking Women participants to form the next returning veteran group. For more information on this retreat and resources for women vets contact us.

There is more information, and testimonials, along with pdf applications, at the site.

‘No more Iraq war,’ kids cry

Youngsters lead peace parade to Grand Army Plaza


Marchers in this weekend’s peace parade head to Grand Army Plaza.

By Joe Maniscalco


Marchers in this weekend’s peace parade head to Grand Army Plaza.
A cadre of enthusiastic youngsters carrying homemade banners and balloons called for an end to the Iraq war this weekend in a kid-centric “peace parade” stretching from the playgrounds of Carroll Park to the arch at Grand Army Plaza.

“Money for schools, not for war,” the children shouted from their Razor scooters and inline skates as they moved up Union Street. “Impeach Bush.”

Adults from Midwood to Park Slope including members of Brooklyn Parents for Peace, First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn, the New York State Green Party and a drum corps called The Himalayas accompanied the kids, filling three-quarters of the block between Smith Street and 3rd Avenue at the outset of the march.

One Carroll Gardens mom said that her 10, 9 and seven-year-old children knew “quite a bit about the war” and that she was worried about what effect the conflict is having on them.

“They talk about it at school,” she said. “They see it in the newspaper, they see it on TV. I don’t know if they understand all the difficulties involved in it, but I think it’s hard to portray war as good for kids.”

At Sixth Avenue, onlookers outside the Union Market applauded and cheered on the children while moms on porches unfurled banners denouncing the Bush agenda.

Automobile horns and joggers flashing peace signs greeted the marchers at 7th Avenue.

By the time the procession reached 8th Avenue, the kids were shouting “Stop the war now, we want our money back.”

Local dad Floris Verschoor walked behind his son, Nick, at the head of the parade and hoped his boy wouldn’t enter his teen years with the war in Iraq still ranging.

“There’s no reason for our troops to be over there,” he said.

At Grand Army Plaza, the kids formed something of their own “mosh pit of peace” dancing with drummers and chanting “We need forests, not a Bush.”

Iraq war veteran Fabian Bouthillette looked out over all the peace signs stenciled on helium balloons and kid-crafted slogans like “Iraqi Children Make Peace” and “War Is The Opposite Of Life,” and addressed the crowd.

“I get choked up seeing all these kids,” said Bouthillette, now a teacher in Manhattan. “Seeing these kids is energizing. It’s all I need to keep going.”

A member of Iraq War Veterans Against the War, Bouthillette said he was studying at the naval academy when war broke out and was later stationed on a destroyer in the Arabian Gulf where three of his shipmates were killed by suicide bombers.

“I’m sick of seeing yellow ribbons and ‘support our troops’ bumper stickers,” he said. “They mean nothing. This idea that anti-war is anti-troops is completely backwards. Bush has been more detrimental to our Constitution that anything else.”

The Iraq war veteran blasted the billions of U.S. dollars already poured into the conflict – 10 percent of which he charged could have been used to restore hurricane ravaged New Orleans.

One of the hardest things he’s ever had to come to grips with, Bouthillette revealed was, “coming to believe” that George Bush – his commander-in-chief – had lied to him about the war.

Demonstrations like the one that occurred this weekend in Brooklyn make it easier for others service men and women like him to speak out, Bouthillette said.

City Councilmember David Yassky urged those opposed to the war to continue pressuring their elected officials in Washington, D.C. to stop it and bring the troops home.

“The war was a mistake from the beginning, and it is a fiasco now,” he said. “Every American soldier sent from here on is a tragedy.”

Assemblymember Joan Millman and City Councilmember Bill de Blasio also lent their support to the peace parade.

Reps. Yvette Clarke and Nydia Velazquez, however, faced a rough time addressing a crowd unhappy about their support of the latest supplemental spending bill that allocates more money for the war.

But the representatives maintained that the vote was necessary to avoid giving President Bush a “blank check” and empowering Republicans in Congress.

Still, chorus after chorus of “impeach Bush” went up from the crowd.

Gloria Mattera, co-chair of the New York State Green Party, said that Republicans would oppose Democrats no matter what so “Why not stand up for something that really has meaning?”

Fourteen Democrats did oppose this latest round of funding for the war, including New York Rep. Michael McNulty.

Brooklyn Parents for Peace co-founder Carolyn Eisenberg blamed “Republicans and moderate Democrats” like Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton for putting Democratic opponents of the war in a tough position.

“They believe it is good policy to threaten war with Iran,” she said. “We don’t need baby steps. We need giant steps to end this war.”

Velazquez, who voted against the war as well as the PATRIOT Act, argued that for the first time since Bush took office Democrats have the “power of the gavel” and are providing oversight of the administration.

Eisenberg jeered Bush, saying that the president’s insistence of war in Iraq was “delaying the time when that country can heal.”

“Permanent war is not acceptable,” she said.

Local mom and peace parade organizer Helen Selsdon closed out the event quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

SUICIDE, Veteran, Under U.S. Flag, VA Medical Center

I'm One Pissed Off 'Nam Vet!
I posted this Suicide at VA Hospital Fayetteville NC up at ePluribus Media on the 5th of this month, the incident happened apparently on the 3rd.

Below is part of that ePluribus posting with Finally an Update and some comment.

Have checked for an update about wether this was a Veteran but so far the Fayetteville Observer has only the first report, nothing more.
This is an E I received when inquiring about an Update to the initial report and wether he was a Veteran and if so a Patient of the Clinic.

Thanks for your e-mail. I'll ask our folks to look into this and see if we can post an update as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Charles Broadwell
The Fayetteville Observer

The Fayetteville Observer still has not updated any information on this incident yet it was posted up, a few days ago, as the most visited story at their site.

Below is the first report, than another, with pic, from a local News Station these were posted on the 3rd of the month:

Man shoots himself in front of VA center

A staff report

 A man shot himself in front of the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Ramsey Street on Tuesday.

The identity and condition of the man had not been released at press time.

The shooting happened about 12:30 p.m. near the flag pole in front of the main entrance, said Norman Byrd, a hospital spokeswoman.

The center remained open, Byrd said, but Fayetteville police and hospital workers blocked the front entrance with barricades.

Drivers were told to use side entrances, Byrd said. Police cordoned off the area around the flagpole.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating, Byrd said, because the medical center is a federal facility.

Police investigate the scene of an apparent suicide outside the VA Medical Center in Fayetteville.

Man Shoots Himself Outside Veterans Hospital

Posted: Apr. 3, 2007

Fayetteville -- A man committed suicide Tuesday in front of the hospital operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, authorities said.

The unidentified man drove onto the VA Medical Center grounds and parked near the flagpole in front of the building, a hospital spokeswoman said. He then got out of his pickup truck and shot himself, she said.

The spokeswoman declined to say whether the man had been a patient at the hospital or if he was seeking treatment there.

Fayetteville police and the FBI were investigating the incident.

Finally we get an Update three days later. He was a Veteran, and at 59 probably, like myself and many many others, of service In-Country Vietnam.

Identity Known of Man

Identity Known of Man Who Shot Self in Front of VA Hospital
Suicide outside Fayetteville VA Medical Center
Posted: Apr. 5, 2007
Updated: Apr. 6, 2007
Fayetteville — WRAL has learned the identity of a man who committed suicide in front of Fayetteville's VA hospital earlier this week.

Harold J. Nealey, 59, of Chadbourne, N.C., drove onto the property of the VA Medical Center grounds, got out of his pickup truck and shot himself in the chest on Tuesday.

Hospital staff refuse to say if Nealey was a patient there, but funeral directors confirm he was a veteran.

Nealey, who went by the nickname "Rusty," leaves behind two sons, four brothers and two sisters.

Why is there a problem with reporting an update on this incident, could it be that because it's a Federal Facility the FBI is investigating, especially as Mr. Nealey was a Veteran and this took place in a heavy Military town, Ft. Bragg and Pope Airforce Base along with other nearby Military Facilities.
Is this Another slap in the Face to 'Nam and 'Nam Era Veteran's? Hush Hush lets keep this lowkeyed as pretty much everything else about Veterans is done in this Apathedic Society, who sends their Military into Invasions while Cheering them on than go into Denial when they Return!
Support The Troops - Magnetic Ribbons Ya Right, as long as they Don't have to Sacrifice the Monies needed to Care For Them, a Magnetic Ribbon and Occasional sent card or package is a Cheaper Form of Support!

RIP Harold

It's extremely sad it had to come to this though, Brother

True troop support alert for OK, TX, AR, KS & thereabouts

REGIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP ON GI RIGHTS REGARDING DISCHARGE FROM MILITARY
Oklahoma City, April 20-22

Please help us get the word out by distributing this message to your networks.

On the weekend of April 20-22, the Oklahoma Committee for Conscientious Objectors is holding a training workshop on GI Rights (full details in the press release below) for potential hotline volunteers and others who want to REALLY help the troops.

As you know, the rates of active duty military personnel seeking discharge is rising every day. You may not know that Ft. Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma, is one of two main processing centers for discharges. So our area gets more than our share of active duty military seeking information and support. Our hotline was established to serve this urgent need.

Don't be shocked, but the military does not provide complete or accurate information to its troops as to under what circumstances discharge can be sought -- and obtained. That's where we -- and you -- come in!

Please consider taking this training and becoming familiar with issues of military law pertaining to types of discharges, the process of filing, courts martial, etc. The training will be conducted by very experienced lawyers from the National Lawyers Guild Military Law Task Force and will give a good overview of the regulations and requirements involved.

Our main purpose for the training is to put our hotline into full operation, with well-informred volunteers. But even if you don't think you have the time to staff the hotline, the training would be invaluable to you if you want to be able to talk to those in the military, their families, friends.

We also are inviting those from outside Oklahoma to attend the training, so you can provide a similar service in your community.

If you are an attorney, social worker, therapist or religious, you need this workshop to address the needs already being raised by your clients and members.

If you are a concerned citizen who just wants to help soldiers and guardsmen learn the truth about their options, you will find the training invaluable.

While the entire three sessions of the training is highly recommended, you may be able to miss some of the sections, depending on your background and experience. Scholarships are available, so money should not be an issue for anyone interested.

If you have any question, contact Rena at info at Oklahoma Objector or 405-615-2700.
___________

NEWS RELEASE

Workshop will train volunteers for GI Rights Hotline

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma Committee for Conscientious Objectors will sponsor a regional GI Rights Hotline training workshop in Oklahoma City from April 20 -22.

The workshop will equip volunteers to serve as counselors to inform active-duty soldiers of their rights -- including the right to conscientious objector status - and provide information and assistance to those who wish to leave the military.

Featuring trainers from the National Lawyer's Guild Military Law Task Force, the workshop is open to anyone who seeks to help service members learn about their legal options. Participants in the Oklahoma City area who complete the workshop will be qualified to work on the local hotline, while out-of-towners will be encouraged to create or support similar services in their own communities.

"Considering War and Personal Conscience" a forum at Mayflower Congregational Church on Friday, April 20, at 7 pm, will kick off the workshop weekend. The forum is open to the public and will serve as an introduction to the workshop for its participants. Veterans and conscientious objectors will be part of the panel. Intensive training sessions are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Oklahoma City University's Walker Center.

Legal background is not required for participation; the workshop will address the primary legal issues that come up with callers and present guidelines for when a lawyer experienced in military law should be consulted.

The lead trainers of the workshop are Luke and Marti Hiken, both of whom work with the Military Law Task Force and have many years of experience in GI Rights services and training. They will be joined by Oklahoma City lawyer James Branum, who specializes in military law. He is also a co-founder of OCCO.

Costs for the workshop are set on a sliding scale, based on ability to pay, from $25 to $100. This does not include meals or accommodations. Scholarships are available and donations are welcomed to help cover the costs of those who cannot afford to pay. The deadline for pre-registration is April 16. Participation is limited, and the workshop organizers recommend early registration. If space is available, same-day registration will be available

For an application form, send a self-addressed, stamped #10 envelope to OCCO, c/o Joy Mennonite Church, 504 NE 16th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104. A copy is also available on OCCO's website, www.okobjector.org.

The workshop is being funded in part by a grant from the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute, which supports organizations that promote the principles and practice of nonviolent social change.

For more information, call 405-615-2700, or go to Oklahoma Objector.

Traumatic Brain injury, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Musculoskeletal injuries

Army lawyer slams disability retirement system

The Army disability retirement system stacks the deck against injured soldiers by forcing them to prove they have post-traumatic stress disorder, demanding physical evidence for traumatic brain injuries, and restricting access to rules and regulations they need to make their cases, said an Army lawyer who helps soldiers appeal their claims.

The most troublesome cases involve injuries that can’t be proven with medical evidence, Engle said. One major issue: soldiers with PTSD must prove they witnessed a traumatic event.

In one case, he said, a soldier watched a buddy die in Iraq and has since suffered nightmares, played the event over in his mind continuously, and remains hyper-alert to possible danger.

To help prove he had PTSD, the soldier was told to contact the family of his dead friend to get documentation that the friend had died. Then, Engle said, he was told to prove he witnessed the death.

“He just couldn’t do it,” Engle said.