If In DC This Weekend - Oct. 3rd and 4th

Joint MFSO/AFSC Press Release on Afghanistan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2009

Military Families, Veterans and Quaker Group Host Memorial on Eighth
Anniversary of the Invasion of Afghanistan

WASHINGTON D.C.- Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), a military family
organization opposed to war and The American Friends Service Committee
(AFSC), a Quaker organization dedicated to peace and non-violence, will host the
first ever memorial to the U.S. soldiers and Afghan civilians killed since the U.S.
invasion of Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. The exhibit will be October 3 & 4
on the south-east quadrant of The Ellipse, located in front of The White House in
Washington D.C.

Since the start of the war, 850 U.S. Soldiers have died and credible estimates put
the civilian casualties in the tens of thousands. The National Priorities Project says
that taxpayers in the U.S. will have paid $228 billion for total Afghanistan war
spending since 2001. According to a recent CNN Poll, 57 percent of Americans
who responded say they oppose the U.S. war and occupation in Afghanistan, the
highest percentage ever since the invasion in 2001.

Larry Syverson of Richmond, VA serves on the Board of Directors of MFSO and
is the father of three sons who have served in Iraq -- one of whom is currently
serving in Afghanistan. Syverson said:

“I feel that the war in Afghanistan was wrong to begin with, and Obama taking
it over does not make it right. Obama is out of touch with the American people.
Americans are turning against the war. Instead of increasing the troops, the
President should be bringing the troops home now.”

Maggie Pondolfino of Portland, Oregon is the mother of a soldier deployed to
Afghanistan after serving one deployment in Iraq; Pondolfino who serves of the
Board of Directors of MFSO says:

“The administration that briefly gave me new hope has sent my son to another
war with no clear mission and no exit strategy. I know that no good will come
from continuing the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, just more heartbreak,
sorrow, and tragedy.”

Peter Lems, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an analyst for the American Friends
Service Committee; Lems recently visited Afghanistan on a fact finding mission
and says:

“AFSC believes that conflicts can never be solved by military means, in fact true
security cannot be gained through arms. In order to move forward, the
aspirations and well-being of the Afghan people must be at the center of
rebuilding Afghanistan. The International community must respect this principle
if there is to be a secure, peaceful and stable future for the Afghan people.”

Members of Military Families Speak Out and Gold Star Families Speak Out are
available for interview including those whose loved ones are now serving in Iraq
and Afghanistan or will soon be sent there, those whose loved ones suffered
physical and psychological injuries in Iraq, and those whose loved ones died as a
result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that
includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace
and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of
every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and
injustice.

Military Families Speak Out (www.mfso.org) is an Organization of people
opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have loved ones or relatives
in the Military. MFSO was formed in 2002 by two military families and has
grown to over 4,000 members speaking out to end the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. New families are joining daily.

###

The True Cost of the War in Afghanistan



Invasion of Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 8 years of war and occupation!
On the weekend of October 3rd and 4th, Military Families Speak Out and American Friends Service Committee will be undertaking the first Eyes Wide Open Exhibit showing the Cost of War in Afghanistan!

Afghanistan 8yrs. Of War

cheney/bush Criminality and War Profitteering

Report: Official Impeded Blackwater {Xe} Probe

The Congressional report details allegations prior to the bloody Nisoor Square shootings that killed Kinani (right) and at least 13 other civilians on a street outside Baghdad in September 2007. Blackwater guards face federal charges.
The report alleges that former State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard impeded a Justice Department investigation into whether "a large private security contractor was smuggling weapons into Iraq." It was reported at the time that the contractor was Blackwater.
Click here to read the full report - PDF.
Krongard's brother, Alvin "Buzzy" Krongard, served on Blackwater's advisory board, and the report also concluded that Krongard had a conflict of interest in the matter...

The suit, filed in Wake County, buffers arguments that Blackwater guards acted recklessly by referencing the former employees' statements.

They include these allegations:

"I was asked to assist with unloading bags of dog food into the Armory. As I unloaded the bags of dog food, another Blackwater employee opened the bags and pulled out weapons from the dog food. Blackwater was smuggling weapons into Iraq." - John Doe #1 - PDF

"Mr. Prince made available to his employees in Iraq various weapons not authorized by the United States contracting authorities, such as hand grenades and hand grenade launchers." - John Doe #2 - PDF.

PTSD: New War on An Old Foe

Big changes underway at the VA could mean better treatment for thousands of vets. A bureaucracy in transition.

They are the invisible wounds of war, the battered minds and bruised spirits we have come to recognize as posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. By one estimate, more than 300,000 of the nearly 2 million U.S. servicemen and -women deployed since 9/11 suffer from the often-debilitating condition, with symptoms that include flashbacks and nightmares, emotional numbness, relationship problems, trouble sleeping, sudden anger, and drug and alcohol abuse. The number of cases is expected to climb as the war in Afghanistan continues, and could ultimately exceed 500,000, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University. Mental-health experts say PTSD is the primary reason suicides in the military are at an all-time high; 256 soldiers took their own lives in 2008, the highest number since that data was first tracked, in 1980.

As NEWSWEEK and others have reported, the Department of Veterans Affairs has struggled to address this mental-health crisis, and thousands of veterans have suffered as a result. Now, thanks to new leadership and a new openness to collaboration, things appear to be changing at the VA, if slowly. Veterans still often face insufferably long waits for treatment and steep bureaucratic hurdles when filing disability claims. But there is a new sense of urgency under Eric Shinseki, the retired four-star Army general appointed to head the agency by President Obama, to change the culture within the 77-year-old VA. Shinseki has made PTSD a priority, with efforts underway to address concerns from the way claims are processed to the development of new, more effective treatments. "Brain injuries and the psychological consequences of battle are not new to combat," Shinseki tells NEWSWEEK. "We know from past wars that with early diagnosis and treatment, people can get better."...>>>>Rest Found Here

Be There 1st

Doctors Without Borders: Be There 1st

You have the opportunity to be there first with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and help people caught in crises all over the world.

Join our team in an exciting, interactive, online fundraising event.

Sign-up now to be a part of the campaign. Its easy to make a difference. Join the growing community of supporters who make it possible for MSF to be there first when an emergency strikes.

Doctors Without Borders: Be There 1st

Afghanistan: The Big Picture

Afghanistan, September, 2009

Today's entry is the first of a new regular feature on the Big Picture: a monthly focus on Afghanistan. From now on, I will post such an entry at least once every month as long as necessary. Violence in Afghanistan has reached its most intense of the eight-year-old war despite record levels of U.S. and NATO troops being sent to fight the Taliban. July and August were the two deadliest months to date for coalition forces, and September is already the 3rd-deadliest, with 38 U.S. deaths - 68 total including all coalition members. With an apparently resurgent Taliban and over 120,000 foreign troops on the ground, and a recent push for the U.S. to consider sending 40,000 more {beyond the additional 21,000 troops still committed but yet undeployed}, the situation in Afghanistan could possibly become even more intense in the near future. Collected here is a one-month collection of photos related to Afghanistan for September, 2009. {Past entries in category Afghanistan} {43 photos total}

These are some Outstanding Photo's, but must warn those with dialup or slow connections, they are not small photo's each is rather large on a long scroll page, so it might take time to download so you can view.

Playing for Change Foundation

The Playing For Change Foundation

The Playing For Change Foundation (PFCF) is thrilled to announce the opening of their first music school, the Ntonga Music School, in Gugulethu, South Africa! Located just 30 minutes outside of Cape Town, the school will provide the children with valuable skills development and mentorship designed to instill self-esteem and confidence.

From basic music reading and writing to performance and production; the Ntonga Music School will provide a safe, creative outlet for the children while connecting them to other students around the world through music. It is the first school of its kind in the area and will be a source of great pride and inspiration for years to come.

A Marine Dies Needlessly

Autopsy report released in Round Rock Marine's death

Chad Oligschlaeger is found to have died from multiple drug toxicity.

The U.S. Marine Corps has released the autopsy report for Cpl. Chad Oligschlaeger of Round Rock, who was found dead in his room at the Twentynine Palms Marine base in California on May 20, 2008.

Snip

The report shows that methamphetamine and the antidepressants sertraline and benzodiazepine were found in Oligschlaeger's system. Propranolol, a hypertension drug used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, and Quetiapine, an antipsychotic medication, were also found.

"There were no surprises there," Eric Oligschlaeger, Chad Oligschlaeger's father, said of the autopsy results. "The prescription drugs killed him."

Chad Oligschlaeger had returned from Iraq in early 2006, unsettled by flashbacks and nightmares.

How many others are OD'ing on the drugs the military are giving the soldiers who develop PTSD or even from their physical injuries of War! According to this short report they don't think it was a suicide.

More Help On The GI Bill Education Funding Problems

This Press Release, from General Shinseki and the VA, is just coming out and hitting subscriber in-boxes as well as being posted on the VA site:

Secretary Shinseki Announces Ability to Sign Up for Emergency Education Benefit Payments on VA Web-Site this Friday

September 30, 2009

Vans to Help Veteran-Students

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced further outreach to Veteran-students eligible for a special emergency payment of their education benefits. Veterans can now apply online beginning Oct. 2. Veteran-students can also request courtesy transportation to VA regional benefits offices.

“Our Veterans went the extra mile for their country,” Shinseki said. “One of our top priorities in transforming VA is to be, first and foremost, the advocate for Veterans.”

Last week Shinseki announced that on Friday, Oct. 2, VA’s 57 regional benefits offices will begin providing on-the-spot emergency payments up to $3,000 to students who have applied for their education benefits but who have not yet received a government payment.

Citing the distance many Veterans would have to travel to apply in person at a VA benefits office, Shinseki announced Veterans can also apply online at Department of Veterans Affairs, starting Oct. 2. The online application will guide Veterans through the process to supply needed information. Shinseki noted that online applicants will receive their emergency payments through the mail after processing.

“VA is adapting to meet the financial needs of our Veteran-students who are on campus,” Shinseki said. “They should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties.”

Students without their own transportation can also request free van service, provided by volunteers, to carry them to the nearest benefits office. To obtain this service, Veterans would have to call their nearest VA medical center and ask for the “Volunteer Transportation Coordinator.” Transportation will be on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis. Veterans can find a map and list of medical centers at Veterans Health Administration Directory.

Whether traveling by personal vehicle or volunteer van, VA officials suggest students check their mail boxes and banking accounts before leaving home, since some Veterans will find their checks have already arrived. VA would like to recognize the volunteers and Veterans Service Organizations for partnering with the Department to ensure that Veterans’ needs are met.

The emergency checks are an advance on each student’s education benefits, and the amount will be deducted from future benefits payments. Checks will be written at the regional offices for Veterans who bring a photo ID and evidence of their enrollment. VA officials emphasize that $3,000 is the maximum payment, with many Veterans receiving smaller payments based upon their likely monthly education benefits.

A map and list of the participating VA regional benefits offices is available on the Internet at Veterans Benefits Administration. The most updated information regarding VA issuing emergency checks will be available at VA’s web site Department of Veterans Affairs starting Oct. 1.

Applications from approximately 25,000 Veterans are currently being processed for Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit payments to students or schools.

# # #

While this is what one would call fast action for something, if this country had funded the technology advances, that probably would never have happened if they had you have to be impressed with the thought process covering something that might have been overlooked, like this:

Whether traveling by personal vehicle or volunteer van, VA officials suggest students check their mail boxes and banking accounts before leaving home, since some Veterans will find their checks have already arrived.

We have intelligent minds once again being allowed to function in our Government Agencies!

Iran

Iran Seeks Image of Defiance With New Missile Tests

Iran test-fired its most advanced missiles today. The move demonstrated Iran's ability to strike targets as far away as Europe, and it increased tensions over its nuclear program. Analysts break down the details of the development......>>>>

JUDY WOODRUFF: Is it possible we're making too much of this, making too big a deal of this?

MICHAEL ELLEMAN: Of the missile tests themselves?

JUDY WOODRUFF: Yes.

MICHAEL ELLEMAN: Yes, I think we're making much more fuss over what I would call just ordinary developments.

KARIM SADJADPOUR: I would agree with that. I always look at the institution of the bazaar. And I say that, when you go into a carpet bazaar and you see a carpet you like, never show the merchant how much you like that carpet, because if he knows you're not going to leave the shop without the carpet, he can extract a very high price for it.

I think from -- from the Iranians' vantage point, they say, well, if the Americans feel so strongly about our nuclear program, then they should offer us the corresponding price. And I actually once posed this to an Iranian official. I said that, I don't think this nuclear pg was ever so important for Iran until it became so important to the United States. And he said that's absolutely right.....>>>

Iran's doing what any country, with the ability, would do when constantly being threatened, they're developing and testing defensive weapons. We and Israel do same and cheer on our positive results, then we actually continue the testing by engaging in war, Israel with the Palestinians and Lebanese, we in the present with Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, making sure the tested weapons and high tech toys do their job, Kill and Destroy!!

There's allot to say about Iran's human rights and more, but condemning them while threatening them and doing what we claim they will do, at the same time, is even more then hypocrisy, and nobody is listening!!

Iran won't do a First Strike against anyone, but watch out when any first bombs are dropped or another's missiles hit them!!

And they'll look like they already do to many, around the World, especially in that region and with occupation forces pretty much surrounding them, The Victims Of The Aggression Already Laid Forth In What This 21st Century started On!!

"CASKET IN GRAVE REMAINS UNKNOWN,"

Millions in contracts, no work completed

An Arlington National Cemetery official keeps sending work to the same small group of associates, with few results

Sept. 29, 2009 | A top official at Arlington National Cemetery steered millions of dollars to a handful of contractors operating a series of different companies over the past several years. When the contractors would leave one company and start another, the official would hire them again, yet the work they were hired to do has never been completed. The firms have ostensibly worked since 2003 to computerize burial records at the cemetery, but to date, despite receiving as much as $5.6 million, they have produced almost nothing in return.

The small group of contractors, all favored by Deputy Superintendent Thurman Higginbotham, includes one currently facing more than a dozen counts of child sex offenses and a company that a cemetery information technology manager felt was so unqualified to handle sensitive private data that the manager resigned in disgust.

Snip

For example, Salon reported this past summer on workers who went to bury a service member in an active part of the cemetery only to find unknown, unmarked remains already there even though paper records said the grave was unoccupied. The cemetery at first claimed such things do not occur. When Salon produced the grave card labeled "CASKET IN GRAVE REMAINS UNKNOWN," and photos of the unmarked grave, the cemetery admitted the error -- but insisted that is the only case.

In a 2008 report to Congress, the cemetery admitted to poor record-keeping across the cemetery, including Section 60, the final resting place of troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. "There are numerous examples of discrepancies that exist between burial maps, the physical location of headstones, and the burial records/grave cards," the report admits. Despite that admission and the claims of current and former employees, top cemetery officials insist the correct remains are always beneath the headstones above them.....>>> Rest Found Here

Recognition Well Deserved

2009 Federal Employee of the Year

This medal recognizes a federal employee whose professional contributions exemplify the highest attributes of public service.

Janet Kemp

Position: National Director, Suicide Prevention Program

Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

Location: Canandaigua, New York

Residence: Canandaigua, New York

Achievement: Established a national suicide prevention hotline for veterans, which has resulted in more than 3,000 immediate rescues.

2009 Federal Employee of the Year from Partnership for Public Service on Vimeo.

What would you do if you were having an online video chat with your son and you saw him put a gun to his head and threaten to commit suicide?

The mother of an active duty soldier called 1-800-273-TALK.

It saved her son’s life....>>>Rest Found Here

You can find other 2009 awards handed out Visiting this link

Today: Sept 27th, Gold Star Mothers Day

Gold Star Mother's Day in United States

Gold Star Mother’s Day is observed in the United States on the last Sunday of September each year. It is a day to for people to recognize and honor those who have lost a son or daughter while serving the United States Armed Forces.

Gold Star Moms Website

Gold Star families gather at the Capitol



Yesterday the 26th, short article here

Gold Star Mothers And Wives To Be Honored Sunday



Written article by Kimberely Scott WJBF News Channel 6 Can be found Here

In shadow of U.S. Capitol, families of wars' fallen share pride, pain

WASHINGTON -- Pamela Schwarz arrived at the U.S. Capitol yesterday wearing a blue T-shirt with a photo of her late son and a credential bearing a gold star hanging from her neck.

All around her, thousands wore the same gold star as reluctant members of a proud, but tragic, club.....>>>>

PBS News Hour: Silent Honor Rolls



As Of September 27 2009, Gold Star Mothers Day, There Are 96 Pages w/5 'Silent Honor Rolls' Each, Number Of KIA's Varies With Each 'Silent Honor Roll';
Many have numbers in the teens and twenties
In Honor - In Memory


With all this purely racist rhetoric, racist posters leading already to devastating actions against many, coming for no reason but hatred and fear, I would suggest that people, on the Gold Star Mothers Day 2009, visit the News Hour site page and watch some of these "Silent Honor Rolls' and look at the faces and names of those who have died serving this Country in our latest Wars and Occupations of Choice!