What Is So Patriotic About Hysteria?

The loudest voices on the right never tire of telling us that they are the truest patriots. They claim to be the deepest believers in our system, the strongest defenders of our Constitution, the most upbeat, bold and courageous Americans anywhere. But now that the government is finally prepared to put the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on trial, these same patriots are the first to spread doubt, instigate anxiety and abandon constitutional principles.

When did fear-mongering in a time of war become an act of patriotism?...>>>>>

Where is HE Now?

Does Obama have a back room deal in place to protect George W. Bush from criminal prosecution? If not, why is Bush flaunting his escape from justice so brazenly? This shocking montage contrasts gushing footage from CNN about the life of luxury Bush has mapped out for himself, with the trail of bodies he leaves in his wake.

Legacy of Wars............

Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin

Backround
From 1961 to 1971, U.S. military forces sprayed more than 20 million gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides on forests and crops in southern and central Vietnam. The campaign had both human and environmental consequences. The immediate effect was to defoliate and destroy vegetation over wide areas. The delayed impact came from dioxin, a highly toxic chemical in Agent Orange that is critically harmful to humans................

Above comes from an embedded link in an article found at Mother Jones Agent Orange: Treatment For Vets Still Lagging, Says Report

The Ford Foundation will release a report Tuesday calling for continued study of the environmental and health effects of Agent Orange, as well as for stepped-up diagnosis and treatment of US veterans exposed to it. Used as a defoliant in Vietnam to destroy vegetation used as food and cover for the Viet Cong, the dioixn--named for the orange stripe on its label--has been the subject of controversy ever since its first use in 1962. Over the ensuing ten years of hard combat, some 20 million gallons of Agent Orange and other toxic herbicides were sprayed over six million acres of Vietnamese jungle. (See the box below for a selection of Mother Jones' earlier coverage of Agent Orange and the federal government's history of inadequate response to veterans' complaints.).............the rest found here

With linkbacks to a couple of previous articles on our subject of 'Agent Orange' and the other Defoliants used than.

Back to the Ford Foundation site link at the top you'll find the video above along with links to their strategy and those partnering with them, the members of the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group, and finally the grant program totals so far and more.

I've done a few posts on Agent Orange and Defoliants from the occupation many many many of us served in, one just recently. All of them, in these last couple of years of renewed discussion by just a few, lead to this site Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign - VAORRC and were posted leading up to and following a Vietnamese delagation that traveled to the U.S. on their court case against the United States and the Chemical manufacturing companies, loosing again. But we did have abit of good news just recently, US Doubles Funds for Agent Orange Cleanup, it's a drop in the bucket of what we owe to those who've suffered all these years since, as well as those of our brothers, many now gone from the results of their contamination and suffering!

Wars Don't End, what is done, especially in these Wars of Choice that become more of testing grounds for the billions of dollars spent on extremely high priced weapons of mass destruction, is leaving behind for those that fight them and especially those that live in these occupied countries lifetime suffering, some of that carried into further generations!

We've now had, since Vietnam, Gulf War Syndrome still not resolved as those exposed are suffering from a variety of ailments, many having died already, and births of their children with physical problems!

There are many questions about our use of Depleted Uranium, nuking others, in our artillery and use in the vehicle armor. We have some soldiers returning that are now suffering ailments. some devastating and life threatening, from possible exposure to a whole host of chemicals and contaminants from the burn pits at bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These aren't the only problems of aftermath of these occupation, there's land mines, cluster bombs that didn't explode, and a whole host of other dangers right along with the trauma that's been caused!

Tens of thousands are killed, they don't suffer the after! Do you think those that survive will forget, or how about the young and those newborn during that grew up these years, that's all they know!

Wars Don't End!!

Another Loooong Battle Getting Attention/Action

Kudo's Barrack, Kudo's, But Much More Still Needed!

US Doubles Funds for Agent Orange Cleanup

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The United States government has doubled its funding for dealing with the environmental and health consequences of its wartime use in Vietnam of the toxic herbicide Agent Orange, the embassy said Friday.

President Barack Obama recently signed a bill increasing the funding from $3 million to $6 million, embassy officials said. Most of the money is being used in Danang, where U.S. troops used to mix and store Agent Orange at an Air Force base before loading it onto planes.

More Of The Change We Can Believe In!!

Many U.S. soldiers, my brothers of the Vietnam War, have been not only trying to help the Vietnamese in their struggle with this countries poisoning of their lands but have opened up and support places like Vietnam Friendship Village, as well as care facilities and orphanages for those still being born and have since we left.

Vietnam believes as many as 4 million people have suffered serious health problems from the herbicide, such as cancer, spina bifida and other birth defects. The U.S. says the actual number is probably far lower and that further scientific study is needed to understand the health impact. The U.S. and Vietnam only began working together in 2007 to address the consequences of Agent Orange after years of disagreement.

The embassy said in a statement that one third of the $6 million is being used for health programs to serve people in the Danang area. The rest will be used to remove dioxin from the soil and sediment near Danang airport.

Much more is needed especially if we're not going to compensate the families of the victims, as noted with this:

Friday's People's Army newspaper quoted Lai Minh Hien, a Vietnamese environmental official in charge of Agent Orange issues, as saying that Vietnam needs additional 1 trillion dong ($57 million) to clean up dioxin in Danang as well as at former U.S. air bases in Bien Hoa and Phu Cat.

Agent Orange devastates generations of Vietnamese


Justice for Victims of Agent Orange


Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign - VAORRC

Brother Dave Cline has widened his smile some, my guess is, and he still watches over the Vietnamese people we fought but he fell in love with, and they him, and worked tirelessly to help, Rip Brother RIP, your work is hopefully finally paying off!

Justice for Vietnamese Agent Orange Victims: 2008

Again this year Vietnamesse Agent Orange victims are touring the United States seeking justice, Our Responsibility, for the long term damage done to their countries citizens from our occupation of their country not so long ago.


Delegation of Vietnamese Women Agent Orange Victims Visit 10 US Cities, Sept 28–Oct 31, 2008


Co-sponsors: Veterans For Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, National Lawyers Guild & United For Peace & Justice





Organizing groups for the delegation have formed & are planning events in 9/28 - 10/5:


New York City, New Jersey & New Haven, Welcoming reception (9/30), meeting with lawyers (10/1), Columbia U Law School (10/2), Dominican community (10/3 at 2005 Amsterdam Ave. 7pm), public event at Musician's Union Local 803, 322 West 48th St. Manhattan (10/04 6:30pm), churches, contact us


10/6 - 10/8: Washington DC, press conference at the Supreme Court, meetings with Congress representatives, contact us


10/9 - 10/12: Birmingham AL, meetings with lawyers, contact us


10/12 - 10/14: Pittsburgh PA, Reconciliation & Healing: Remembering Vietnam, La Roche College, contact us


10/15 - 10/18: Detroit MI, National Lawyers Guild, Law for the People Convention, Friday 10/17


10/19 - 10/21: Chicago IL, NPR Worldview, Roosevelt University, Hull House, U of Illinois at Chicago


10/22 - 10/25: Portland & Eugene OR, 10/22 Knight Law School, 7pm (Eugene).


10/26 - 10/28: Los Angeles CA, Reception by CHEER, UCLA Labor Center, Strategy Center & SoCA for Youth, contact us


10/28 - 10/31: Bay Area CA, events in Laney College, Eastside Arts Alliance (Oakland, 10/28), Glasner Center (Santa Rosa, 10/29), and at Veterans Building (San Francisco, 10/30 7pm), contact us


The Delegation: Both women are Agent Orange victims.

Ms. TRẦN THỊ HOAN (age 21), was born on December 16, 1986 in Đức Linh district of Bình Thuận province in Central Vietnam. She is a second generation victim of Agent Orange. Her mother was exposed to Agent Orange as a result of the war. She was born without two legs and one hand is seriously atrophied.

From the time she was12 years old, Hoan has lived in Peace Village II, the Agent Orange center at Từ Dũ Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City.
Hoan is now a college student in computer science in Ho Chi Minh City and is fluent in English. This is her first visit to the U.S. See video with Hoan.

Mrs. ĐẶNG HỒNG NHỰT was born on December 12, 1936, married in 1959 and gave birth to a healthy son in 1960.
Between 1961 and 1966 she joined the resistance forces in the Southeastern region of Vietnam (included Tây Ninh, Bình Dương, Củ Chi), which was heavily sprayed with Agent Orange. She was directly exposed to Agent Orange and suffered from skin rashes and diarrhea. Between 1966 and 1972 she was arrested and imprisoned by the US-supported government.
In 1973 and again in 1975 Ms. Nhut suffered miscarriages early in her pregnancy. In 1975, she again suffered a miscarriage. In 1977, she gave birth to a congenitally deformed still-born child. In 1980, she had another miscarriage. In 2002, she had surgery to remove an intestinal tumor. In 2003, she underwent another operation to remove a tumor from her thyroid. She now has cancer.

Ms. Nhut’s husband was a resistance fighter in the same region between 1960 and 1975 and was also exposed to Agent Orange. He was later diagnosed with intestinal cancer, metastasizing to the lung and the liver. He died in May, 1999. Vietnamese Struggle with Agent Orange

Lastly, Ms. ĐINH THỊ MINH HUYỀN is accompanying as an Interpreter. Ms. Huyen is from the Vietnam Peace & Development Foundation and Vietnam Association for Protection of Children’s Rights.

Visit Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign site to find out much more and to help if you feel there is a responsibility we should embrace for our actions as a society and country against others, especially those that have done nothing to us!


Last year I did a few posts about their Visit to the United States seeking Justice for what we had done during our occupation of their country in the Courts here as to the use of Defoliants {WMD's} especially Agent Orange which still poisons their country. You can visit Here, as well as Here and Here and finally Here.


In that last link I have a Video I put together of a song, written by a Vietnamesse Artist, about Defoliants in Vietnam, and was Linked to for Worldwide listening connected to the Agent Orange Justice Movement, this is that Video:

POWs' Plea

Last night the Rachel Maddow MSNBC show had a couple of clips about a very important legislative bill that passed in the House of Representatives on monday Sept 15 '08.


The bill is H. R. 5167 which had 38 co-sponsors with only 3 being Republican.


The bill's name is: Justice for Victims of Torture and Terrorism Act


But watch a video, of which I combined two of her reports together, that will explain further.





She had another segment, with the highest ranking officer held prisoner at that time, and mentioned in the above clips, Colonel (ret) David William Eberly, which they didn't have that clip up at their site so I couldn't add it, though it was only a short interview prior to talking to the congressman.


Some past history of what has been going on with the POW's situation and the GOP Administrations blocking of:


This is a December 30, 2007 LA Times article: Defense bill’s demise stymies ex-POWs’ suit

President Bush surprised Congress by refusing to sign a Defense Department authorization bill, in part because the legislation could revive a lawsuit brought by American prisoners of war during the 1991 Persian Gulf War who say they were tortured by the Iraqis.

Their suit sought to establish the principle that war prisoners who were tortured in violation of the Geneva Convention were entitled to sue the country that tortured them.

By keeping the bill from becoming law, the president delayed pay raises for the troops and improvements in the care of wounded veterans. On Thursday, he pointed to a little-noted provision in the huge bill and said it could trigger a wave of lawsuits that might “imperil billions of dollars of Iraqi assets.”

Now an update tied to the Maddow report House gives go-ahead to sue Iraq over torture

Former POWs' and civilians who were tortured or held hostage during the 1991 Gulf War could pursue lawsuits against Iraq under legislation the House has approved.

The White House, saying the bill would threaten economic and political progress in Iraq, threatened to veto the measure if it reaches the president's desk. It still has to clear the Senate.

What could be behind the GOP Administrations actions? Let your imagination run wild, it doesn't need to run to far, believe me!

The bill limits total recovery for those held hostage to $900,000. Those tortured would be eligible to receive up to $2.5 million plus $6,000 for every day held.

Now this brings up the Very Interesting Future for this Bill, or one similar, as it goes to the Senate, and if chopped up to get the signature, how chopped up, and if there is even a way the former POWs' can get their due justice with a presidential signature or congressional votes to overcome any veto.


This is a Bill that should be watched Very Closely, Very Closely!


Will the GOP Candidate, and Vietnam POW, even attend the sessions of congress to debate and vote on it, he's missed a number of votes this year already?


If he does, how will he vote?


Will he be the 'Maverick', that everyone seems to have labeled him with, and royally blast the present administration about their stance on this, didn't hear anything before?


But lets go back abit. This 'Maverick' GOP Senator was in the Majority when 9/11 occurred. That same Majority, and the country, sided with the administration in sending our military troops to invade Afghanistan and Capture or Kill the supposed ringleaders of al Qaeda who admittedly carried out the attacks of 9/11.


That same Majority, and this 'Maverick', than joined forces with the administration in turning the attention from Afghanistan, bin Laden {still not captured or killed as are the other leaders of}, al Qaeda, to an invasion of Iraq, pulling military forces and resources for that invasion, still in Afghanistan as the past couple of months has grown more dangerous, and still in Iraq an Iraq of instability.


The same Majority, and this 'Maverick', who seemed, in their joy and rush to send our Military to Wars and Occupations rubber stamping everything the administration wanted, didn't seem to even Think about those troops and how they were to be taken care of when physically and mentally maimed, nor as to their living conditions at the military care facilities nor the bases they live on, and also, once again {we 'Nam Vets saw it all during, after, and since that debacle} being veterans of from their service to country!


I don't remember to many 'Maverick' Strong Voice Oppositions against any of this, any said were just blowing words out of mouth into air caught maybe in the archives of the places said.


Now this 'Maverick' seems to be saying everything is just 'ducky' in Iraq, after 6yrs. of occupation, even though the purpose of the 'surge' he totes as successful was to bring to Iraq a Government For All The People Of, that hasn't happened yet and things seem to be moving rapidly towards more sectarian violence not a United Iraq!


Once again, lets see what this 'Maverick' does as to this Bill, not only does but What He'll Say, that is if he even bothers taking his Senate Seat to Debate and Vote on this for the POW's Plea!!!

NOT Winning 'Hearts and Minds', but Making Enemies!!

Haditha victims' kin outraged as Marines go free (McClatchy has the video at top of this report)

Eight Marines were charged in the case, but in the intervening years, criminal charges have been dismissed against six. A seventh Marine was acquitted. The residents of Haditha, after being told they could depend on U.S. justice, feel betrayed.

"We put our hopes in the law and in the courts and one after another they are found innocent," said Yousef Aid Ahmed, the lone surviving brother in the family. "This is an organized crime."

If nothing is brought into a Court of Accountibility, with evidence layed out for all to see, Guilt or Innocence means nothing, Hatreds and Blowback are created, Creating More 'Enemies' not Justice! That is Not bringing 'Freedom' and 'Democracy', it adds to the Destruction already created!

"Jena 6"

In a supposedly Religious, Tolerant Country, Civil Rights in Justice still has not been Achieved!



Sept. 20: NBC's Martin Savidge reports on a protests stemming from racial attacks at the high school in small-town Jena, La.

MSNBC - Jena 6

Sharpton, who helped organize the protest, met Bell at the courthouse Wednesday morning. He said Bell is heartened by the show of support and wants to make sure it stays peaceful.

"He doesn't want anything done that would disparage his name—no violence, not even a negative word," Sharpton said.

MISTRIAL!!!!!!!!!

Watada Court Martial Ends in Mistrial

The Link takes you to After Downing Street where Dave has a list of Writeups

Military Contractors,i.e. Mercenaries, Fall Under UCMJ Now!

Well Well Well, looky here, found over at the MoJo blog.
Military Contractors Lose Their "Get Out of Jail" Card

Five years into the war on terror, American military contractors have finally lost some of their immunity from prosecution for dirty deeds done on the federal dime.

They now can be Court Martialed.

This means that if contractors violate the rules of engagement in a warzone or commit crimes during a contingency operation like Iraq, they can now be court-martialed (as in, Corporate Warriors, meet A Few Good Men). On face value, this appears to be a step forward for realistic accountability. Military contractor conduct can now be checked by the military investigation and court system, which unlike civilian courts, is actually ready and able both to understand the peculiarities of life and work in a warzone and kick into action when things go wrong.

The Law Catches Up To Private Militaries, Embeds

The addition of five little words to a massive US legal code that fills entire shelves at law libraries wouldn't normally matter for much. But with this change, contractors' 'get out of jail free' card may have been torn to shreds. Previously, contractors would only fall under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, better known as the court martial system, if Congress declared war. This is something that has not happened in over 65 years and out of sorts with the most likely operations in the 21st century. The result is that whenever our military officers came across episodes of suspected contractor crimes in missions like Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, or Afghanistan, they had no tools to resolve them. As long as Congress had not formally declared war, civilians -- even those working for the US armed forces, carrying out military missions in a conflict zone -- fell outside their jurisdiction. The military's relationship with the contractor was, well, merely contractual. At most, the local officer in charge could request to the employing firm that the individual be demoted or fired. If he thought a felony occurred, the officer might be able to report them on to civilian authorities.

Actually this is coming about Real Late in this Debacle! As these clowns have been doing as they please, including torture, killings, whatever, their ctions have put Military Personal in Extreme Danger! That danger comes from the Retaliations that Atrosities bring about as well as the Easier Recruitment of others to join in the Insurgency/Guerilla War trying to disingage the Occupiers from their Country!
It also leads to a Much Less Secure 'National Security', for not only this Country but any Considered Friendly Nations of!

Back when the Vietnamese just wanted us Out, today it's a Continuation of the already long running Guerilla War, long before 9/11, that has been waged by the fanatical extreme 'Criminal Terrorist' for a veriaty of reasons but more like because of our Policies, on the Foreign Front, and the Support we have given to so called leaders in the Countries that Suppress their fellow Countries Citizens!

And for every story that has been deemed newsworthy, there are dozens that never see the spotlight. One US army officer recently told me of an incident he witnessed, where a contractor shot a young Iraqi who got too close to his vehicle while in line at the Green Zone entrance. The boy was waiting there to apply for a job. Not merely a tragedy, but one more nail in the coffin for any US effort at winning hearts and minds.

It's bad enough, for the troops, when one of their own Royally Screws Up, but to have High Paid Guns doin the Screwin it's Fanatical!!!

So what happens next? In all likelihood, many firms, who have so far thrived in the unregulated marketplace, will now lobby hard to try to strike down the change. We will perhaps even soon enjoy the sight of CEOs of military firms, preening about their loss of rights and how the new definition of warzone will keep them from rescuing kittens caught in trees.

Take a trip over and read the report, it's worth it.