Women of Afghanistan

Rethink Afghanistan (Part 5): Women of Afghanistan

Watch the new Rethink Afghanistan segment "Women of Afghanistan," and please consider a donation to RAWA to help provide food and blankets for families displaced by war in Afghanistan:

Life for women in Afghanistan has gotten worse since the Taliban were removed from power. Once they chafed under the slavish conditions the Taliban imposed on their daily lives. Today they suffer under the exact same conditions, this time under the rule of the regime of warlords put in place by the U.S.-led coalition. And in addition to this oppression, women in Afghanistan are forced to cope with war.

Gen. David Petraeus and envoy Richard Holbrooke

Last night the News Hour carried a report and the discussion with Petraeus and Holbrooke.

This is the site page link where you'll find the transcript as well as the links for audio and video.

This link will give you their Video Player to watch from here.

There is No win in this now debacle. One thing about warfare these last couple of decades, outside of the bloviated power hawks talking tough to each other as others are sent to do the actual fighting, is every invasion turns to Guerilla Insurgency. It's lost as soon as the Bombs start dropping, the Missiles Destroy, the Military Invades, 'Hearts and Minds' turn to Hate as their countries are destroyed but more important as their Loved Ones and Friends and Fellow Citizens are Blown To Bits or Cut Down by the Bullets Sprayed, than add in the arrests of Innocents, the Blackhole Worldwide Prisons and most of all Torture, Innocents become Enemies Real Fast, Real Fast! They either fight back or support those who do! It becomes an extreme uphill battle to win back a majority of those 'Hearts and Minds'!!

Just ask yourself "What would you do if you were them?"!

Just think how many here felt after 9/11 and how that was used to kill and destroy many times over since!

Afghanistan stopped being about 9/11, in their eyes and the worlds eyes and minds as soon as the drums started beating towards Iraq. Security and money Stopped coming in to Stabilizes after the Taliban were removed and al Qaeda were forced to run, It Became The Quagmire That Exists Today and has expanded into Pakistan thus Inflaming the whole region even more!

Can stability be brought back, it's possible, but the Hate will be Deeply Embedded, especially in the children growing up in the destruction and death, the ones that survive, and will linger for their decades of life!!

The only way a Guerilla Insurgency ends is on their time Not The Occupiers, but it than can be inflamed when policy is perceived to be against those common folks, and they've got the fighting experience!!!!!!!

Just an added note, the Escalation, not 'surge', did not bring down the death and destruction in Iraq, the Iraqi people, sects, did. And that situation is a match just waiting to relight at anytime, the world can only dampen that match so it doesn't until the Iraqi's decide. We destroyed that Pandora's Box, it's up to us to try and help rebuild a new one but only if they want the help, and ours is shit in that country, others will fill the void!!

"Finding Our Voices" Trailer


Visit Finding Our Voices to order the film, download discussion materials, host a screening and much more!

“The only foes that threaten America are the enemies at home, and these are ignorance, superstition and incompetence.” - Elbert Hubbard

Lets Look At The 'surge'

I wasn't planning on posting anything today, have to much to do and other thoughts on my mind.

But yesterday I watched, as many have seen by now, someone who should have a much better understanding, above that of it's citizens, what this countries policies are and their implementation.

McClatchy has a couple of reports that hit on a couple of the Points of the 'surge':

Political: The 'surge' Working, Take 1

Iraqi army prepares assault in Diyala as election law vetoed

Some members of the Sunni Awakening, tribesmen paid by the United States to fight al Qaida Iraq, are fleeing. "They think the security plan will target them after the insurgents," Mulla Sh'hab Alsafi, leader of one local Awakening group, told McClatchy.

Kurds on the streets of Kirkuk were adamant in their opposition to the election law. "Without the Kurdish people, we can't talk about any shiny future for Iraq," said 32-year old Fa'iq Mohammed Qadir. "What happened in the parliament is like a coup against Kurds," said Aso Raheem Sarawi. "It is not constitutional and illegal."

Iraqi Military: The 'surge Working, Take 2

Iraqi forces aren't quite ready to take charge

There's a Video report at the top of this one.

And if this wasn't such a tragic mistake, the invasion and occupation, you might find this report amusing. It reads like a 'Keystone Cop' movie, great descriptive honest take after 6plus years and still going.

Now I would add a quote or two from the above, but there's just too many that could be highlighted, and I did in sending it out, you really have to read the whole thing, and the Video touches on much of it also.

Earlier today I posted up a reply over at VetVoice to a thread about the McCain outlook on the 'surge' and 'counter insurgency', how he figured that combination was going to work still has me baffled.

I'm bringing that here and expanding abit:

CounterIsurgency = surge??

Watching last night's show I sat there scratching my head, than it dawned on me why the head scratching and the reason it seemed the present day Military Leadership, forget the idiots on the civilian side, didn't understand what they were going into in invading a country, what would quickly follow, and Especially CounterInsurgency, if McCain is even partially right in his confusing statement.

I hate to keep putting wartime pilots down, but except for Chopper Pilots, they haven't a clue as to the how to fight wars, nor the policies that are established to supposedly win them, such as CounterInsurgency, they aren't on the ground implimenting the policies, and they rarely see, up close and personal, the damage done by their required actions, bombing etc., except in pictures.

When I went through CI and SERE before 'Nam, CI was sold as the complete Opposite of this new McCain Doctrine, Nixon was Pulling Troops Out Of Country, we were turning over the fleets of River Boats to the S.Vietnamesse and placing one American onboard as an Adviser. We were told we would have a Counter Part when arriving In-Country, never met mine nor got one as others with me had same.

One of the main parts of CounterInsurgency was working with Less Soldiers and working not only with the countries military forces but the civilians, Winning Hearts and Minds, setting up programs to help them, rebuilding or overseeing that by giving security etc..

And we were all labeled as 'Advisers'.

CounterInsurgency had Absolutely Nothing to do with any Escalation In Forces and Heavy Engagements!!

And by the way:

In turning over the River Boats they were quickly breaking down, which they weren't prior to, my brothers on the rivers found out Nobody were PMing the boats, just running them, so the U.S. was stuck with fixing them or scrapping them.

I'm sure this wasn't a lone occurrence, and the other service branches were finding similar.

There were good military forces as well as lax forces in the S.Vietnamesse military, that we were training, that's life.

Let me expand abit on the above.

The United States Population seems to have this thing about Country and Patriotism that more than borders on the total arrogance and apathy that we live in. We somehow think that because we happened to be born here we are Superior beings as to those who were born elsewhere, Yet our forefathers and mothers came here from all over those other places and many still do. And our history shows our brutal treatment of those, we almost eliminated, who actually are native to this big patch of earth.

When one Invades and Occupies another's land and they fight back they are called Enemies, and in todays language they're known as Terrorists, forgetting the Fact they were born there, live there, raise families there, and are even more Patriotic towards their countries as their families heritage is well endowed in those lands, much longer than our own.

Some will take up arms and anything they can find or develope and fight the invaders/occupiers, and the more that is destroyed and their countries citizens killed the more they will fight and others will join them. They also get support from those not willing yet to fight.

Some will start working with the invaders/occupiers as their way of hoping by doing so they will leave quickly.

Than you have some who will either work both sides or use the invaders/occupiers to their advantage, like the politicians, business persons, etc..

Surge: Now most know how this 'surge' in Iraq was sold, and except for those who keep trying to change, revisionist history, that meaning and it's goals, most still know and understand. The two reports at the top show quite clearly it isn't working on more two a couple of it's stated goals.

Escalation An escalation of forces into an occupation is just what it says, bringing more forces into the theater of occupation for a long period of time for added security, and in a Guerilla/Insurgent conflict the only thing it does is put the people fighting the occupation into hiding or laying low, in clear view, untill. And that 'untill' is a weapon of an insurgent, Time.

Counter Insurgency How someone could tie those two words to 'surge' just baffles, especially anyone who was a part of any Counter Insurgency, It is what it says, and I explained in short above. It's a Counter to those who live in the country occupied saying to the people, look we want to help to reestablish what we destroyed and get the Hell Out. Looking to win the Hearts and Minds of the majority by helping them reestablish a government we toppled, their infrastructure we blew up, their homes and businesses we destroyed, their lives we put into total disarray, and more, and once again Get The Hell Out. It is working with as many people as possible not increasing the numbers of fighting forces.

Oh and now they also keep saying the 'surge' is over, sorry it ain't, the escalation is still in effect reportedly with some 15,000 military troops now there over what was before the 'surge'.

Surge and Counter Insurgency are Opposites of a conflict, not working together Policies!

bush Drawdown

Gen. Petraeus Wonders:

If Our Courageous Military's Day-In Day-Out Service & Sacrifices Will Make America Safer



1-2-3 What are we fighting for?

Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn. The next stop is Vietnam.

5-6-7 Open up the pearly gates.

It ain’t no time to wonder why. Yippee! We’re all going to die.

-- Country Joe and the Fish

Country Joe McDonald - Woodstock 1969


Us 'Nam Vets and the present, so called, War On Terror Veterans are now Locked at the Hips as Brothers and Sisters of this country's power elites grasp once again for 'Empire Building', Supreme World Dominance!

This Apathedic Society, we live in, cannot be allowed, once again to Forget the Real Lessons of the Destructive Folly of the Arrogant!

This Country, as a whole, said "We should never Forget the lessons of Vietnam!", they never even tried to understand them, and that includes the Military Complex, as we've seen!

The real lessons must be learned and not forgotten, and those lessons are not the Military lessons of engagement.

THE PEOPLE'S REPORT

From Veterans For Peace E-Bulletan and Produced and distributed by United for Peace and Justice

A response to the Petreaus Report on Capitol Hill

Written with the help of Phyllis Bennis, Erik Leaver, and Saif Rahman at the Institute for Policy Studies, United For Peace and Justice is publishing the People's Report. Feel free to print this report and share it with your Congressional Representatives.

"The so-called Petraeus Report-actually written within the White House-is supposed to evaluate "progress" in the U.S. war and surging occupation of Iraq based on a set of congressionally-determined benchmarks. Those evaluations will ostensibly provide an overview of how far along U.S.-occupied Iraq is in achieving "stability," "democracy," "equity between groups," and more."

"But however the White House drafters and General Petraeus and the spindoctors assess the benchmarks, what the report will almost certainly NOT do is provide a true glimpse of what the shattered lives of the 25 million Iraqis look like today."

Folded Pamphlet pdf file.

Four page version pdf file.


From inside the report:

But however the White House drafters and General Petraeus and the spindoctors assess the benchmarks,
what the report will almost certainly NOT do is provide a true glimpse of what the shattered lives of the 25
million Iraqis look like today.

And this country seems not to understand 'Why Others Hate Us!'.

Open it up, either the pamphlet or the four page version.

Many of us have already known the growing costs, but you might know someone who either doesn't or just doesn't care, they need to be educated!

Print it and pass it out!

The Sutras of Abu Ghraib

New book by Iraq veteran, objector Aidan Delgado

The Sutras of Abu Ghraib: Notes from a Conscientious Objector

'The Sutras of Abu Ghraib' is the story of a soldier who refused to succumb to violence. In chronicling the struggles of military life and the dehumanizing effects of war, Aidan Delgado examines the attitudes that make prisoner abuse possible and explores his own developing Buddhist beliefs against a brutal backdrop. It is a tale of physical bravery, moral courage, and the cost of holding on to your identity while everyone around you is losing theirs.

"Aidan Delgado is a powerful, eloquent writer. His description of how he was transformed by the horrors of Iraq is unforgettable. He is a diamond in the rough, sandblasted in the desert of Iraq." — Amy Goodman, Democracy Now

In explaining why he wrote the book, Aidan Delgado explained, "Throughout my career as an activist, I have always wanted to talk to people in depth, away from the politics and the rhetoric. I hope this book will finally allow me to speak to people in the way I always intended: person to person."

From Publishers Weekly
Delgado, one of the few soldiers to gain conscientious objector status during the Iraq War, paints a grim picture of an army suffused with casual racism and capricious violence. After signing up to become an army reserve mechanic—he completed the paperwork on September 11, 2001, minutes before the first tower was hit—Delgado found himself drawn to Buddhism, and his faith ultimately clashed with the military service he faced in Iraq. Having lived in Egypt as a teenager, Delgado was alarmed by the ignorance of Islam and xenophobia among his fellow soldiers. He attributes those attitudes to the abuses at Abu Ghraib, where he was stationed for much of his tour of duty. Delgado's commander, who did not look favorably upon applications for CO status, took his body armor away and didn't return it, even when the unit was under continual mortar bombardment. This slim and readable volume is best when recounting the author's conversations, altercations and adventures in Iraq; his meditations on pacifism are sometimes repetitive and tendentious. In the end, he offers a welcome corrective to much of the aggressive rhetoric that has pervaded the debate over the war in Iraq.

Reviews
Publishers Weekly : "he offers a welcome corrective to much of the aggressive rhetoric that has pervaded the debate over the war in Iraq."

Booklist, ALA : "an absorbing and worthy story that offers one man's perspective on a conflict that continues to divide our nation."

Available from Courage to Resist for a $25 donation.

The Great Baghdad Surge

“They Were All Dry Holes”
As U.S. And Collaborator Commands Fight Each Other, Troops In The Field Find Nothing Much

Feb 9 By RYAN LENZ, Associated Press Writer

Iraqi commanders are urging the Americans to go after Sunni targets as the first focus of the military push to secure Baghdad, displaying a sectarian tilt that is delaying full implementation of the plan to drive gunmen from the streets, U.S. officers say.

American officers, interviewed at the sprawling Camp Victory base at the western edge of the capital, also acknowledge they are finding little in their initial searches of Baghdad neighborhoods — suggesting either they received faulty intelligence or that the massive publicity that preceded the operation gave militants time to slip away.

The chief military spokesman, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, said Wednesday that the much-anticipated Baghdad security operation was under way.

U.S. officers told The Associated Press that the delays in implementing the plan were in part a result of disagreements between American and Iraqi commanders about what neighborhoods should be cleared first.

During joint planning sessions, the Iraqis have been urging U.S. officials to focus on neighborhoods believed to harbor Sunni insurgents, according to officers familiar with the discussions. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the subject is sensitive.

But one Iraqi general, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged there were differences between U.S. and Iraqi planners on the best way to conduct the operation, with each side insisting on the final say.

The Iraqi said his colleagues have the feeling the Americans "don’t trust us."

The U.S. officers said they had no intention of knuckling under to the Iraqi demands and were confident the Iraqis would come around in the end. But the dispute has resulted in delays, they said. [The nerve of those Iraqis. If they don’t like it, why don’t they go back where they came from?]

Those differences have also held up a final decision how to carve up the city into the nine zones and where to deploy Iraqi units that are being sent in for the operation, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.

Iraqi commanders are supposed to send about 8,000 mostly Shiite and Kurdish troops into the city from southern and northern Iraq.

Although Iraqi units have been arriving on schedule, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week that they were coming with only 55 to 65 percent of their intended troops.

This week, a joint U.S.-Iraqi force swept through Shaab, a largely Shiite neighborhood in northeast Baghdad where militiamen clashed with American soldiers last year.

The search was the largest so far since the new operation began.
But the troops managed to capture only 16 suspects and seize three Kalashnikov rifles in a neighborhood that intelligence said was a hotbed of bomb-makers.

"I don’t know if it’s bad information, bad intelligence, of if they knew we were coming and left," said Capt. Isaac Torres of the Army’s 3rd Brigade Stryker Combat Team.

"They were all dry holes."

Famous Last Words
A U.S.-Iraqi offensive against militants in Baghdad will begin within days and take place on a scale never seen during four years of war. Washington Times, February 5, 2007

VOTEVETS - Stop Escalation

LEADS THE CHARGE AGAINST ESCALATION IN NEW TELEVISION AD


VoteVets, with Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, is leading the charge against the President’s escalation of the war in Iraq with a new television advertisement today. We’re targeting a number of Senators who still have not come out in favor of the strongest Senate resolution, sponsored by Senators Joe Biden and Chuck Hagel. We are backing up the ad with a two-day, seven-city tour, that will take this battle right into the Senators’ back yards.

Click Here To Keep Their Ad On The Air

Eid al Fitr at the End of Ramadan

Alive In Baghdad - Video

Ramadan is a time of fasting and introspection for Muslims. Muslims give up vices and even fast through the day, to understand the plight of the poor and less fortunate.
Eid Al-Fitr is the celebration upon the end of Ramadan. According to wikipedia,for Muslims, Eid ul-Fitr is a joyous occasion with important religious significance, celebrating of the achievement of enhanced piety. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory, peace of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims celebrate not only the end of fasting, but also thank God for the help and strength that they believe he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control. It is a time of giving and sharing, and many Muslims dress in holiday attire, and compare the spirit of the holiday to the “Christmas spirit” recognized by Christianity.
This week, Sunnis in Baghdad describe their experience of the Fitr holiday, and the breaking of the fast at the end of Ramadan.

~~~~~~~~~~

Repeats Failed WWI Strategy in Iraq

As with WWI troop escalation, the "Big Push" in Iraq will likely do nothing to end the war and much to light the fuses of future ones.

"I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of
gratitude" - The pResident {Yep up to 655,000 are really Grateful, many in
their Mass Graves, as are their Survivors}


"I think once they get in harm's way, Congress's tradition is to
support those troops," Mr. Hadley said. {Harms Way, shows what the
administration thinks of the Troops, it's called a Strong Defense!}

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

Ft. Benning Troops Headed For Iraq Refuse To Cheer For Bush:

Maj. Gen. Refuses To Allow Them To Talk With Reporters;
"If Any Of Them Harbored Doubts About Heading Back To Iraq, Many For The Third Time, They Were Kept Silent"

Bush gets cool response from troops set for Iraq
By Joseph Curl
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
January 12, 2007




FORT BENNING, Ga. -- President Bush sought a friendly audience and a patriotic backdrop yesterday to continue to make his case for sending 21,000 more troops to Iraq, but he received only tepid applause at this Army base, where the commanding general forbade soldiers from talking to reporters.
The president's speech was similar to the national address he delivered Wednesday night, but he used firm language when speaking about what is coming for insurgents in Iraq. He also hailed efforts by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki against militias responsible for continual waves of sectarian killings in Iraq.
"Yesterday, the resolve was seen when Prime Minister Maliki made it clear that illegal militias, including the Mahdi Army, have a choice to make: either lay down your arms or face justice," Mr. Bush said. "That's the kind of leadership that the Iraqi people expect, and that's the kind of leadership I expect, and the American people expect."
He added, "Our support is not open-ended. If the Iraqis demonstrate a willingness to fight for a better future, we'll help them. It's in our interests that we do so. Not only do we expect to see action militarily, as I mentioned, we expect to see them fulfill the benchmarks that they laid out for their people."
Mr. Bush visited Fort Benning because the base will send a combat brigade to Iraq earlier than planned, by March instead of late May or early June. The brigade has done two tours in Iraq, and on its last yearlong deployment, in 2005, 34 soldiers from the 4,000-member unit were killed.
In his speech, Mr. Bush also reiterated the warning he gave in his prime-time address: His planned troop surge would not be a quick fix.
"The new strategy is not going to yield immediate results. It's going to take awhile," he said. "The American people have got to understand that suicide bombings won't stop immediately."
Before meeting with families, Mr. Bush watched as five members of a parachute team floated to the ground in a demonstration of base training.
"We're proud of you," he told the men.
Earlier in the day, the president awarded the Medal of Honor to the late Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham of Scio, N.Y., who covered a hand grenade in Iraq two years ago, saving the lives of his comrades. He is the second Iraq war soldier to receive the prestigious award.
"I've lost my son, but he became a part of history," Cpl. Dunham's mother, Deb, said after the ceremony, which drew tears from Mr. Bush. "It still hurts as a parent, but the pride that you have from knowing he did the right thing makes it easier."
The 300 soldiers who, with their families, heard the afternoon speech were banned by Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski, commandant of the 32,000-soldier base, from talking to reporters. Journalists were barred from re-entering Freedom Hall, where Mr. Bush delivered the speech, or from approaching soldiers outside the hall.
While the president met with family members of 25 soldiers from the base who were killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, several reporters waited for word from the base on whether the ban would be lifted. A senior administration official said, "We have no control over that."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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

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

Tin Soldiers.......'The Surge'

OR




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

Tin Soldiers.......

Tin Soldiers

from the album Distant Thunder by Mark Wenning

Ten tin soldiers
waiting in line
tough and tested
and the there were nine
Nine tin soldiers
don't have to wait
someone suggested
and then there were eight
Eight tin soldier
believing in heaven
prayed real hard
and then there were seven
Medivac medivac
please come soon
take me back take me back
please have room
Seven tin soldiers
taught all the tricks
caught in a crossfire
and then there were six
Six tin soldiers
with no place to hide
from the in coming
and now there are five

CHORUS
I feel warm blood
in my palm
it's real my blood
I am calm
it flows - I hope
I feel no pain
I know - I hope
it's not in vain

Five tin soldiers
there's not many more
got in a firefight
and now there are four
Four tin soldiers
and it's too dark to see
snagged a tripwire
and then there were three
Three tin soldiers
brave and true
and then they got mortared
and then there were two

CHORUS
Will you die for your country
or for good or evil?
Will you die for the movies
will there be a sequel?
Unwarranted action
provockeing destruction
men killing men
fulfilling their function
The kiss of death for a piece of pride
saddle up, saddle up
saddle up and ride

Two tin soldiers
started to run
when a sniper got lucky
and then there was one
One tin soldier
threw down his gun
walked all the way home
and then there were none

CHORUS
See to the end of the story
run to the end of that road
forget the guts and glory
the pain you'll never know

The section of lyrics below belongs as a chorus just before the seventh stanza -- they don't appear in the song as presented, but should:

Medivac medivac
please come soon
take me back take me back
please have room


With the coming 'Surge' {i.e. Escalation} and over 3000 U.S. Military Personal Killed, how many More will be added to the Earth, as well as the Iraqi Innocent................