Deadliest Month {so far}

August Deadliest Month for U.S. Troops in Afghanistan

As August becomes the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, post-election tension continues to increase. A Washington Post reporter provides an update from Kabul.



You can find the Transcript, Audio and Video Feed, for above, at this link.

Exclusive: On Pakistan's Khyber Pass
ABC News' Martha Raddatz Travels Through Pakistan to Afghanistan With a Convoy

The Khyber Pass is one of the most dangerous routes from Pakistan into Afghanistan. ABC News' Martha Raddatz traveled with a NATO convoy along the route.
(Martha Raddatz/ABC News)

It is only about 30 miles from Peshawar, Pakistan, to Afghanistan's border where the Torkham Gate that divides the border is built. But it is 30 miles of the steepest, most white-knuckle driving you can imagine.

Think 2,000 feet up, on only dirt and gravel in some places, where guard rails are rare, and two or three trucks compete for space that can accommodate only one.

Throw in the fact that roadside bombs and mortars still can be a threat, militants still hide in the hillsides above you and you get the idea what kind of drive this is.......The Rest Found Here

The Khyber Pass


UNHCR operation in Afghanistan

UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie is appealing for more international support for Afghan refugees who are returning home. The acclaimed American actress visited UNHCR operations in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar, where she heard from Afghans who are struggling to rebuild their lives after years in exile. Many face continued insecurity and rising food prices.

cheney/bush cabal Quagmire!!

Stopped being anything about 9/11 after they started the Drums of War of Their Choice towards Iraq and pulled troops and rebuilding monies out of, now it's just adding to the Hatreds towards Us and Our Policies!!

"Camp Hell" Afghanistan

"Camp Hell"!! Pay attention 'kombat keyboard chickenhawk rambo' cheerleaders, as well as the greater majority of this population that have forgotten our Two Occupations and the Veterans of, this is what Service in and War, Wars of Choice, Occupations, Look and Sound like!!

Despite 100 Attacks, Unit Leaves Afghan War With No Casualties
'Camp Hell' Attacked More Than Any Other Outpost in Afghanistan

Its job has been to disrupt al Qaeda and Taliban smuggling routes through the area.

Over the past year, the several dozen U.S. troops hunkered down in Combat Outpost Lowell have seen more firefights than any unit in Afghanistan.

Located on the northern part of Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, the troops in Combat Outpost Lowell did not see any reinforcements from the U.S. surge, which has been concentrated in southern part of the country.

But the Taliban has had a surge of its own, making July the bloodiest month of the Afghan war so far for U.S. troops. Part of the Taliban offensive was a determined effort to erase Lowell from the map. The Taliban attacked the outpost nearly 100 times in the past year.

With words of True Wisdom from one Soldier:

"After experiencing this, what I will say ... if I ever do a job interview again and they say have you ever found yourself in a stressful situation, I'll try not to smile," said Sgt. Matthew Bertran of San Jose, Calif.

And while this unit, now replaced with another, miraculously didn't suffer any casualties, this speaks of the Priorities, and Attention Spans of this Nation:

A Life Lost Out of the Spotlight

This is what Brian Bradshaw's, killed by an IED in Afghanistan, aunt Martha Gillis said, with tears in her eyes and overwhelming love showing in those eyes and words as well!

While a Nation and World Paid Tribute to a Passing Singer, a Small Town Mourned a Young Soldier Killed in Afghanistan

Members of the Patriot Guard salute the flag-draped casket of Brian N. Bradshaw, after it was loaded into a hearse at St. John's Bosco Church in Lakewood, Wash. on Monday, July 6, 2009. Bradshaw, from Steilacoom, Wash., was killed by an IED in Afghanistan on June 25. (AP/Dean J. Koepfler, News Tribune)

Millions around the world will remember the day Michael Jackson died. Martha Gillis will, too - but she'll be thinking of someone else. She shares her Opinion with us now: The Rest Here

Not A "SuperStar"........July 12, 2009

Watch CBS Videos Online

A Soldier Comes Home July 15 2009

On July 5, The Post published a letter from Martha Gillis of Springfield, whose nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, was killed in Afghanistan on June 25, the day that Michael Jackson died. The letter criticized the extensive media coverage of Jackson's death compared with the brief coverage of Lt. Bradshaw's death. Among the responses was the following letter, written July 9 by an Air National Guard pilot and a fellow member of the crew that flew Lt. Bradshaw's body from a forward base in Afghanistan to Bagram Air Base. Capt. James Adair, one of the plane's pilots, asked the editorial page staff to forward the letter to the Bradshaw family. He and Brian Bradshaw's parents then agreed to publication of these excerpts.......Read Rest Here

The above letter, to the family, is a must read to fathom the deep Respect at least the Fallen receive from their brothers and sisters as a Nation pays little heed!

Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi

RIP Abeer and your family, saying Sorry is not enough for what you were put through that ended your precious life, RIP!!

Iraqis unhappy about life for U.S. rape soldier

"What the American soldier did is a terrorist act and he deserves execution," said Ahmed Samir Jaber, 27, a mechanic, from underneath the bonnet of an old car he was fixing in Mahmudiya, a dusty trading town on the edge of the desert.

"The court has not delivered justice. If I killed an American girl, the American court would have executed me."..........

Brother of spared ex-U.S. soldier tells Iraqi family: 'We're sorry'

A brother of a former U.S. soldier who was spared the death penalty has apologized to relatives of the Iraqi family the former soldier was convicted of murdering.

Steven Green was found guilty earlier this month of raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murdering her, her parents and her 6-year-old sister.

On Thursday, Green avoided the death penalty when a Kentucky jury could not reach a unanimous decision..............

May 1st 2009: 6th Happy?? "Mission Accomplished Day??"

I would be remiss in not pointing out that this is the sixth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.

Meanwhile, in the real world:..........

97 percent of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."
”Mission Accomplished!”

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A 6th Anniversary Look Back at Media Coverage of 'Mission Accomplished

On May 1, 2003, Richard Perle advised, in a USA Today Op-Ed, "Relax, Celebrate Victory." The same day, exactly six years ago, President Bush, dressed in a flight suit, landed on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and declared an end to major military operations in Iraq -- with the now-infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner arrayed behind him in the war's greatest photo op.

Britain ends Iraq mission

British combat operations in Iraq are officially over.

American forces took control of operations in southern Iraq at midday. The move came a month earlier than expected and represents a continued pattern by coalition forces to try to mislead potential insurgents who may have been plotting attacks.

Earlier a memorial service was held to remember the 179 British personnel and 55 foreign servicemen and women who died in combat operations in southern Iraq. Defence Secretary John Hutton was in attendance.

Three US soldiers killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD, May 1, (Agencies): Three US troops have been killed in fighting west of Baghdad, the military said Friday, making April the deadliest month for American forces in Iraq since September. At least 18 US soldiers died in April, a sharp increase from March’s total of nine — the lowest since the war began in March 2003.

In Baghdad, dread grows with death toll

A string of devastating attacks mostly targeting Shiites has residents fearing a return to the sectarian warfare seen in 2006-07. The planned U.S. military pullback is adding to concerns.

The crowds at the restaurants are thinning out. Parents have started to escort their children to school again. And cellphones are ringing more often than usual, with family members checking in just to ask, "Are you OK?" or "Is everyone safe?"

U.S. says troops may have to stay in Iraq's Mosul

U.S. troops may have to stay in Iraq's third largest city, Mosul, beyond a June 30 deadline, the spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq said on Friday.

A bilateral deal reached last year calls for all U.S. combat troops to pull out of Iraq's towns and cities by June 30 and for all U.S. soldiers to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

Iraqs Refugee's

Urge President Obama to Support Iraqi Refugees

Overview
Five years into the US military intervention in Iraq, the country is dealing with one of the largest humanitarian and displacement crises in the world. Millions of Iraqis have fled their homes – either for safer locations within Iraq, or to other countries in the region – and are living in increasingly desperate circumstances. Failure to address the needs of Iraqis will have dramatic impacts on security inside Iraq.>>>>More

Iraq: Preventing the Point of No Return

The number of displaced Iraqis remains high, both inside the country and in neighboring ones. They remain reluctant to go back due to lack of security, the creation of ethnically cleansed neighborhoods, and poor government services. However, since the only realistic solution for the majority of displaced Iraqis is to return, the Government of Iraq, the United States, and the United Nations need to work together to establish safe conditions. The government needs to increase the effectiveness of education, health care, and employment programs. The U.S. and the UN need to maintain funding for humanitarian programs, while the UN expands its presence in the country significantly.>>>>>More

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

Baptized by Fire: Killer Blue {into the 7th yr.}

We've now entered the seventh year in Iraq and still way over one hundred thousand military troops occupy, a country that never should have been invaded, while we are led to believe that most of the country is quite, as Iraqi's and Soldiers still die and are maimed!



The destruction and death has slowed down, but the reasons are the same as can be found anywhere there's an occupation and guerrilla insurgency, the insurgents have laid down their arms, for now!

Lets look back with the help of a few site links.

Back from Iraq, men of Killer Blue look ahead
The struggle to be average Americans again plays out in different ways

Where are they now?

Invasion Iraq: Six Years Later

Video: Do you remember?

"Shock and awe." "The deck of cards." "Embeds." As the Iraq invasion unfurled, these and other previously unfamiliar words were on everyone’s tongues. Take a look back.

{There are a number of links to video highlights from the opening days of the Iraq War in the link directly above}

Much has been finally coming to the surface, these last couple of years, that was seemingly ignored as two theaters raged by those who enacted them and the country that cheered them on!

Here's one issue we'll be hearing much more about unless they put a stop to it now, in our professional military!!

Sex Abuse And Female Soldiers

March 17, 2009 - Sexual Assault Permeates U.S. Armed Forces
CBS Evening News: Shocking Report On Frequent Attacks, Low Rate Of Investigation, Prosecution

Katie Couric investigates an alarming trend in the U.S. military, as more and more female soldiers have come forward with tales of sexual abuse at the hands of male soldiers and superior officers.

March 18, 2009 - Does Policy Endanger Female Soldiers?
Female Troops Face Threat Of Sexual Abuse By Comrades As "Moral Waivers" Increase

CBS News Exclusive: Katie Couric reports on the growing number of female soldiers who claim to have been sexually abused, as records indicate that convicted rapists have been permitted to enlist.

And as we look forward lets bring the troops home, take care of them when they get here and really upgrade our veterans hospitals and clinics. And this time Sacrifice, ourselves, as they and their Families Sacrificed for us, and give All that is Promised and Due!!

Us Vietnam Vets will Make Sure this generation isn't treated as our brothers and sisters were, and we once again watched as Gulf War I veterans were, that's a Promise!!

This new generation has embraced the technology, what wasn't before, to advance their cause, battles they shouldn't have to be fighting, and we're right there with them!!

The Country better not fail once more, and learn the lessons this time, the real lessons!!

Watching the Iraq Parliament on the Iraq/U.S. SOFA pack

The voting comes today but the dealing goes to the wire.

Iraq's ruling Shiite and Kurdish blocs have made a key concession to a large group of Sunni Arab legislators in hopes of securing a big majority in a parliamentary vote on a U.S.-Iraqi security pact, a senior Shiite lawmaker and a close aide to the prime minister said Wednesday.

Just this past Sunday al-Maliki said if pack isn't passed, Occupation Forces Out!

"Extending the presence of the international forces on Iraqi soil will not be our alternative," Maliki told journalists. "The alternative will be their immediate withdrawal from Iraq."

Al-Maliki's ruling coalition has a slim majority, if they all fall in line, but he apparently wants a 'Slam Dunk' majority so the dealing continues.

But the prime minister seeks a bigger win that transcends Iraq's factionalism and sectarian divisions and reinforces the legitimacy of the pact, which could lead to full Iraqi sovereignty and close the bloody chapter that began with the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

But it looks like, at least with this recent report, whatever takes place today and if passed it will do so as a temporary agreement.

Shiite Lawmaker Ridha Jawad Taqi said the government's Shiite and Kurdish blocs, which account for about 140 seats, or a slight majority in the legislature, were willing to hold a national referendum on the deal in 2009. That amounts to a concession to many Sunni Arab legislators, who have said they would support the security pact Wednesday if it was put to a nationwide vote next year.

So the deal, if approved in the parliamentary vote, could still be rescinded if it fails in the popular referendum.

A referendum would give the Iraqi people a chance to evaluate "whether their interests have been achieved," said Alaa Makki, a member of parliament's biggest Sunni Arab bloc, the 44-seat Iraqi Accordance Front.

One would think that if the escalation of forces, known as the 'surge', had been a success in the purpose it was sold, time for the Iraq Government to stabilize and start functioning as a government of the people, they would have put this to the people of Iraq rather than doing the dealings behind close doors with the administration and leaving out our own Congress!

A senior al-Maliki aide confirmed the concession by the Kurdish and Shiite blocs. Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, he said a draft bill containing provisions for the referendum and a package of political reforms demanded by the Sunnis would be voted on separately in parliament, also on Wednesday.

And what does the Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani have to say:

The vote count will be as important as the overall result because the country's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has indicated that the deal would be acceptable only if it's passed by a big margin. He could scuttle the deal if he speaks against it.

One of the reasons violence, at least in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities is down, are the huge concrete block walls surrounding the neighborhoods, though as we've read this week and previous bombings and killings still take place.

How would you feel if forced to live as the Iraqi's are, probably the same as the Iraqi's or even in more rage.

Iraqis suffer walls that divide and save

Once one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq, Rashid has seen violence drop dramatically in the past year and a half, a trend both Iraqis and Americans credit to walling off certain neighborhoods and shopping areas and adding many checkpoints. The stepped-up security effort began in the spring of 2007 and almost immediately violence began to drop, bottoming out in August when there were only 24 attacks.

Recently, though, a spate of bombings — including several at busy markets — has put the area on edge. American and Iraqi security officials say that is proof the barriers are still needed to keep the fragile peace.

McClatchy had an Unofficial Translation of the pack last week.

What will the Iraqi Parliament do today!

Oh Well..............Typical......

Iraq's parliament delays vote on US pact

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's parliament speaker says a vote on a proposed security agreement with the United States has been delayed until Thursday.

Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani's announcement came after a planned session to hold the vote did not go through Wednesday.

Troops Could Face July 2010 Deadline

Iraqis Agree to Put U.S. Troop Withdrawal to National Vote

Iraqi lawmakers postponed until Thursday a scheduled vote on a security agreement that would extend the U.S. military presence in Iraq. But they have agreed to make the pact subject to a national referendum next year that could require a complete American troop withdrawal by July 2010 -- 18 months ahead of what the agreement now envisions.

SOFA

Iraq parliament passes U.S. security pact

Iraq's parliament approved a landmark security pact with the United States Thursday that paves the way for U.S. forces to withdraw by the end of 2011.

The deal, which parliament linked after days of fractious negotiations to a series of promised political reforms and a public referendum next year, brings in sight an end to the U.S. military presence that began with the 2003 invasion.

SOFA - Official English Version

Official English version of U.S.-Iraq troop agreement - PDF

Another Very Troubling Extremely Tragic Incident { Sad UpDate}

There's an Extremely Tragic episode of the possible results of serving in Iraq playing out in Caldwell County NC.

Not much known as yet, just one police officer killed, another shot three times but saved by his bulletproof vest, the cop killed was shot in the head according to reports.

This is all that's out right now:

This from the Charlotte Observer:

Deputy killed, another injured
More than 150 officers search for Iraq War vet after a Caldwell County shooting police say was an ambush.

Friday's shooting would appear to be the latest in a string of violent incidents involving veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, The New York Times highlighted 121 cases where those veterans committed a killing in the United States, or were charged with one, after their return from war. In many of those cases, the newspaper reported, combat trauma and the stress of deployment appear to have set the stage for the violence.

And this from a local TV station, no video report:

Those who know the suspect say they're surprised by this, but they're being cautious nonetheless. "I would never have expected this. He's well-rounded, nice guy.

UpDate:

Caldwell killing suspect known as peaceable
Iraq war vet was building a house and was considered a ‘perfect neighbor.'

Brinkley, an S.C. native who recently changed his name from Larry Wayne Brucke Jr., had given neighbors no inkling of a violent nature.

In fact, his neighbor across the road, Elaine Hatley, said he wanted to shield his family from harm, recently mentioning to her that he didn't want anybody hunting on his property “because he didn't want guns around his children.”

News of the shootings stunned Hatley. “I never saw this side of him,” she said, “and as far as I was concerned, he was the perfect neighbor to me.”

Sad Ending to Tragedy!!!

Suspect in deputy's shooting found dead

OAK HILL The body of a Caldwell County man wanted for killing a sheriff's deputy last week was found in a secluded area of his property today, the victim of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.

Searchers found the body of Skip Brinkley on his 35-acre farm in rural Caldwell County at the same time that mourners were holding a funeral service for the deputy, Adam William Klutz, in another part of the county.

OEF/OIF Suicide Toll and Reading Materials

I want to point you to a friends website PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within if you hadn't know about Ilona's work and research, or if you've visited but not in awhile.


And point you to her recent post OEF/OIF Veteran Suicide Toll: Nearly 15% of Overall U.S. Military Casualties Result from Suicide


I'm only going to give you a small snippet of her post, visit and read the rest, for there are a number of link backs giving one an open window in the problems that war and occupation theaters inflict on those who serve in them, as well as the people of the occupied and destroyed countries.

Back in February, the Marines released their military branch's updated suicide statistics. They revealed the number of Afghanistan and Iraq combat troops and veterans who took their own lives in 2007 had doubled over the previous year.

Earlier this month, the Army reported its own current soldier suicide data, reflecting another year of record increases. And just last week, the VA chimed in with their latest OEF/OIF veterans suicide figures -- also another record-breaker -- for its Afghanistan and Iraq veteran clients.

Gregg Zoroya of USA Today:

Visit above link to Ilona's site, there's much more than just this well researched post, much more, and the results of War, PTSD, TBI, the Maimed Physically and Mentally, must be placed up front and at the top of the list as War should be the Absolute Last Resort for any Democracy of the People to Lead by Example not by Destructive Policies creating hatreds and enemies!


Below you will find a list of great books, there are others, that should be read, understood, and referanced as to what needs to be done to help those who've been placed in these Hell's on Earth!!


First Ilona's terrific referance booklet of great information:


Moving A Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops


And a few more to add to the personal libraries and public libraries as well:


I Can Still Hear Their Cries, Even In My Sleep: A Journey Into PTSD



Veterans's PTSD Handbook: How to File and Collect on Claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder



After the War Zone: A Practical Guide for Returning Troops and Their Families



War and the Soul: Healing Our Nation's Veterans from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder



Back from t Front: Combat Trauma, Love, and the Family



Heart of War: Soldiers' Voices From the Front Lines in Iraq



Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57


As I said above, there are others in the bookstores and online book sources. To stop repeating the mistakes of destructive conflicts one, the majority that don't serve in them, must understand what conflicts do to their brothers and sisters, the few who do serve, and the damage done to any countries National Security, for the Innocents can and do become the Targets of the Blowback and Retaliation from Failed Policies!!!

Add On:

How the VA Abandons Our Vets

Sgt. Juan Jimenez had one of the most dangerous jobs in Iraq, ushering top Administration officials through the war-torn streets of Baghdad. He returned home with two Purple Hearts and shrapnel lodged in his right arm. Today he is gravely ill.

What Jimenez didn't realize is that before he could receive benefits for his wounds, he'd have to prove that those wounds came from war. Three and a half years later, the sergeant is still making his case. The Department of Veterans Affairs isn't convinced. And it won't give him his benefits until it is.
SNIP

Iraq Getting Lonelier For U.S.

There's someone who gets it:

Rudd has said the Iraq deployment has made Australia more of a target for terrorism.

Though the damage is already done, from the invasion and occupation, the hatreds intensified, new enemies established, Australia ends Iraq combat operations, after their five years of wrongly following the failed policies of the U.S. and joining the small contingent of the coalition of the willing.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was swept into office in November largely on the promise that he would bring home the country's 550 combat troops by the middle of 2008.

And from around Australia:

Troops heading home

About 500 Australian combat troops today have begun pulling out of their base in southern Iraq.
A British military spokesman in the southern city of Basra said the pullout from Talil base in Nassiriya was underway.
But a spokesman for the governor of Dhi Qar province said it had been completed, with US forces replacing the Australians.

Troops begin arriving home from Iraq

AUSTRALIAN troops have begun arriving home from Iraq, signalling an end to the nation's combat mission in the war-torn country and fulfilling an election promise made by Kevin Rudd.

Iraq Diggers back in Brisbane

The first of about 500 soldiers from the Overwatch Battle Group (West) 4 and Australia's Army Training Team reportedly touched down in Brisbane late this afternoon.

Troops begin arriving home from Iraq

Mr Rudd, who ousted John Howard's coalition government after 12 years at last November's election, promised to bring home frontline troops this year.
During his prime ministership, Mr Howard repeatedly said the troops should stay until the job was done, arguing Labor's plan to "cut and run'' from Iraq would galvanise terrorists.
Polls show 80 per cent of Australians oppose the war.

There's that mind control phrase 'cut and run'.

One doesn't cut and run from an extremely failed policy that 'galvanises' hatred in others, from the killing of their own and destruction of their country, especially when they have done Nothing to deserve that Devastating Carnage, based on lie after lie after lie............................, of those who sent their own to invade and occupy, Controll, and reigning Terror on them while calling them Terrorists!

When will this Nation start the Drawdown, and our Newspapers have 'Breaking News' headlines in Huge Print declaring the return of our troops from a conflict that should never have occurred and has placed this country and it's citizens in greater danger, that danger will exist, to many now truely despise our countries leaders and us the people of, but it will start the extremely long process of righting the dangerous direction set forth by the Power Hungry and War Profitteers!

When Soldiers Return from 'Wars Of Choice'!

This is just one result of the Apathy after the Cheering and Support of!

When Soldiers Return from 'Wars Of Choice'!

The above video comes from this report Researcher uncovers what caused Gulf War Syndrome

The Country, who cheers them on, goes into Denial and Refusal to grant what is owed to those they send!

The first Gulf war was a War of Choice when Bush Sr gave a certain old U.S. buddy a 'wink and a nod'!

The conflict I served in was a War of Choice built on lies with the lies continuing, even to today, and just one of the many results was returning military suffering from results of Defoliant Spraying which Government, Producers of, and the Public Denied it had adverse effects. Vietnamesse and Soldiers are still suffering the effects and this Country still Denies!

How many of you pay attention to the results of the first gulf war, Gulf War Syndrom, and the thousands of Veterans, and their families, suffering from the effects of?

There are other reports that trickle out, as there were with the defoliants of 'Nam, like this one from Australia that people who really care pay attention to, others just give passing glances to.

Every day five U.S. soldiers attempt to take their own precious lives in the U.S. army. Or this article about Military Suicides which gives referance to present mysterious ailments of returning OIF Military personal.

Many U.S. veterans of the 2003 U.S. war in Iraq have complained of a range of serious diseases, including tumors, chronic blood strains in their urine and stool, sexual dysfunction, migraines, frequent muscular spasms, and other health issues similar to the debilitating symptoms of the “Gulf War Syndrome” and the Vietnam War Syndrome, known as “Agent Orange”.

Which is a Powerful Writeup that should be a Must Read, giving context to the Suicides and PTSD, which I'll get to shortly, I suggest you visit and read!

Here are a few more recent reports on 'Gulf War Syndrom' you can view Here and Here, the second one again coming out of Australia.

A BIG Thank You goes out to Ilona Meagher over at PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within, if you don't visit You Should! Ilona posts up some very important information and reports that should be read and embedded in this countries concious.

She has two recent ones that are powerful reminders, out of many, of what the Tragic Trauma's many experiance, from the Combat Battlefields to the Extreme Tragedies within a society, can do to some who live them. Many of those who suffer from do so Silently, especially those who never experiance the Combat Trauma's but their own events that live on within them, as well as the Combat Soldier who won't admit to his or hers concious reminders and triggers.

The first, Unknown Allies: School Shooting Victims and Combat Veterans that others should read and follow the back links.

Those of you who read PTSD Combat regularly know I'm currently a student at Northern Illinois University and shared my experiences the day of the shooting and beyond.

After all these years, and the many Wars, with returning troops, and the civilians of countries invaded, suffering from their Traumatic Nightmares of the Living Hell on Earth, PTSD is Finally being mentioned as a result to many who live through the personal and collective tragedies a society create.

It gave mention in an article, from my old hometown paper, I happened to catch yesterday, Discovery still haunts man, a very sad story about a baby:

"It was almost like a post-traumatic stress kind of thing. . . . It was haunting for a number of years, even today," he said.

Along with the above I've heard it brought into the public realm, where it should already have been, a few times recently. One was a movie on Lifetime. The main charactor described an event from her childhood that haunts her with nightmares and fear that she, which was what the movie was about, was trying to rid herself from. Another was an interview on NPR where the young women mentions the trauma of her mothers death, both actually say the four important letters, PTSD.

The second post Ilona has is about Combat PTSD and the effects of on one soldier.

She posts the Video's of a recent show on PBS's A&E 'Intervention' Program

That link brings you to her site post, but hopefully she won't mind, I'm bringing it over to you, as it contains just a short introduction with five video's containing the show.

As Ilona writes:

A&E's Intervention program recently featured a segment on Brad, a young man coping with his PTSD by self-medicating with alcohol and marijuana after two Iraq tours with the 101st Airborne.

For those unfamiliar with the show, Intervention is a "series in which people confront their darkest demons and seek a route to redemption" by profiling "people whose dependence on drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to a point of personal crisis and estranged them from their friends and loved ones." Brad's journey is a powerful and important episode.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

A healthier homecoming
Houston needs to prepare for flood of veterans with mental and brain disabilities

These are ambitious but critical goals. "Let me tell you my theory about PTSD," said US VET's Mitchell, a Vietnam veteran and licensed counselor. "Everyone that is in a combat zone experiences PTSD. The key is what support systems are there for when they get home."

Growing Grassroots Help
Grassroots aid growing for Iraq war vets

There is no shortage of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who need help adjusting to civilian life. And, unlike during the Vietnam War, there is no shortage of civilians who want to embrace the nation's returning warriors, even if they don't support the war.

One new grassroots effort will take place at noon Monday, when more than 1,000 therapists from around the country will participate in an online forum on treating Iraq war vets suffering from trauma. It can be seen at UCTV - University of California.

Actually
If one visits, or listens to, the Pro-War, though Not Serving, folks and their sites, Very Little is being done or said by them!

This planet, not only this country, but this country Must Take The Lead, must finally start to realize what it's Wars of Choice do to those they send but more important to those innocents forced into that Hell, the Long Term Effects!

By doing so it will better understand what, in silence, many living within it's communities are going through from their own extreme tramatic life events and how it effects much of what they do as they moved forward from them, from the silent suffering to possibly causing others experiances that should not have occurred!

This is the face of the war in Iraq

The mind behind it will never be the same.

The Troubled Homecoming Of The Marlboro Marine

Only one face, of the tens of thousands, radically changed by their experiance in a War Of Choice, Choice by those who don't fight them, not Absolutely The Last Resort! In Wars Of Choice most start questioning the Why? of their being ordered there, Survival becomes the 'Nobel Cause', theirs and those around them, and Survival comes with Deep Costs! Once having normal trained minds, absorbing more knowledge and experiances, the Nightmares of Death and Destruction take over, haughting many for the rest of their lives!

This happens in All wars, to Military Personal sent into anothers Country and to the Citizens of that Country either fighting the invaders or innocents trying to exist in the carnage growing daily, especially to the children! But Wars Of Choice brings on the True Trauma much faster and deeper!

Blake Miller can't stand cats. He didn't always hate them, but that was before Iraq; before he fought in the battle of Fallujah; before the first enemy soldier Miller killed lay rotting in the street for three days, his remains picked over by a hungry cat that had crawled inside the dead Iraqi's hollowed-out chest. Miller's life divides like that, into then and now. Before November 9th, 2004.

You can use another face, not as traveled around the World as the early photo of Blake and seen by millions, but of a recent Tragedy of a Marine haunted by the Nightmares of his War experiances.

This is Eric Hall who apparently, while visiting a relative, had an Extreme Flashback, a flashback similar to others he's had since returning from his service in Iraq, only this one ended Tragically as his body was finally discovered some fifty feet in a drain pipe, not far from where he left his running motorcycle in the middle of a street, by a Tunnel Rat of our 'Nam War Of Choice. Veterans joined Erics family members, friends, and others, searching for him for a couple of weeks before finally finding his body.

Eric's tragedy wasn't a National Story, at first, and has only received scant coverage since it broke and finalized with his burial, than like almost all stories disappears from the countries conscious, a country that sent him, and thousands of others over and over and Still Do, into a War Of Choice and Occupations.

I only found it visiting a site that covers an area where I have a sister, and her family, living in Florida. Than I followed the story till it's tragic end and the burial of this Marine, Eric Hall. You can find more of the reports I posted Here, Here, Here, Here and finally Here.

Two more reports have surfaced since Erics death, Eric Hall death ruled "undetermined" and Motorcycle club helps with inappropriate bill for diseased veteran

News of an unpaid bill for a towed motorcycle at a memorial service in Florida for a former marine was enough for the Vietnam Brotherhood to step in and help out.

The captain of the honor guard for the Vietnam Brotherhood, Donald Pedriali was at the memorial service for a former Marine when he learned the young man's family faced a $232 bill for towing the deceased's motorcycle from the intersection near where he died.

Rolling Stone magazine has an indepth report, link above, for it's April '08 issue now up on it's site, about what Blake, and other Veterans, of the past Conflicts to the present Conflicts are going through as they have been completely changed from what they once were and now exist trying to Survive, as they did in the Conflicts, fighting the battles, that were the reality they experianced, in their minds. As the Nation that sent them into Invasion and Occupation almost totally Ignores what it has done to them and the Countries Invaded and Occupied!

Miller's nightmares, insomnia, heightened alertness, self-imposed isolation and persistent recollections of his seven months in Iraq are all classic symptoms of PTSD, an anxiety disorder that results from exposure to an event so psychically frightening that the aftershocks continue for months or even years. Studies estimate that as many as 500,000 troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will suffer from some form of psychological injury, with PTSD being the most common. Miller hasn't been to a doctor in over a year, and, like so many vets, he seems to have fallen off the government's radar. He tried the abundance of medications — antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds, mostly — that the Veterans Administration has sent him, but they only exacerbated his nightmares, jitters and apathy. And therapy is hard to get in places like Jonancy: For a while, he tried living in West Virginia to be near a PTSD specialist, but he missed his familiar surroundings and moved back home. Besides, the VA bureaucracy is hell for anyone to navigate, let alone a guy who feels like he could snap at any moment.

"The military makes it hard for these guys to get help," says Rep. Bob Filner, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. "We're letting ticking time bombs out into society. Suicides are increasing among vets, and many of those with PTSD have felony convictions. The VA and the Department of Defense won't acknowledge the incredible size of the problem, and it's yet another indictment of the war we're fighting and how we deal with these fighters."

Like many disabled vets, Miller feels betrayed by the military, neglected by the VA and misunderstood by pretty much everyone else. "People hear 'PTSD' and they think that means you're crazy," he says. "My aunt tells her kids, 'Don't go around Blake. He might flip out and shoot you.'"

The Blame doesn't only lie with the Military nor any other Government Agency, it Lies Straight In The Laps Of This Entire Nation!

A Nation of Apathy and Denial, placing same into leadership positions that Readily Back using others to show how tough it thinks it is!

Boss, whose speech has grown progressively more slurred, demands his turn, and he takes us through a country breakup song called "Left Side of the Bed." Miller makes an exaggerated sobbing sound as Boss gets to the end, and then busts up laughing. For an instant, he seems genuinely happy. He even hints that, over the past several months, things have felt a little less bleak. "I used to believe that I was gonna be just like Boss — the old vet that everyone is afraid of, who just wants to crawl in a hole and disappear," he tells me. "That's the way I felt when I first came back. But Bodean and Lita really keep me out of it."

Sitting next to each other, Miller and Lita talk about their struggles, often completing each other's sentences. "I just want people to understand what PTSD is," Miller says. "It's not that you're a wack job who needs a straitjacket. It's just that you have thoughts not exactly on the level . . ."

"And you can't stop them," Lita adds.

"Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam," Boss mutters, almost entranced.

Even more than wanting to be understood, Miller wants vets suffering from mental injuries to receive the same honor awarded to those with physical wounds: the Purple Heart. Currently, veterans receive the medal only if they have endured bodily harm during battle. "What's the difference between going into a combat zone and being injured physically versus being injured mentally?" Miller says. "One gives you a visible scar and the other doesn't. Imagine how you would feel to be completely whole and not have the mind to function — just locked inside a hell you can't escape."

Educate Yourselves, for many that surround you suffer the ravages of PTSD, not Combat PTSD but their own nightmares from tragic events in their own lives, happening in their childhoods or adult lives, Trauma's that change them forever and haught their conscious, they do so mostly In Silence!

When a Nation, especially with a powerful military machine, spending obscene amounts of it's wealth on, never questioning exactly where that money goes, looks at the option of War, right next to it being An Option Of Absolute Last Resort the four letters PTSD should not follow but be placed Right Next To or Spoken in the Same Sentence!

This is The Face

Of those who Cheer On Wars Of Choice and how they feel about those they send, Spitting not only on the Decorated Brother of my Service In but Any and All after they Return:

Don't Forget This Face, It Represents This Nation!!!

A Hat Tip to Ilona Meagher, a tireless civilian advocate, never experiancing Combat Trauma, who had the link at her site. I might have caught it at some point but a visit there gave me the headsup and trip over to read, As You Should.

And so from the spectre of the summer soldier who shrinks from the hard truths and his country's crises, comes the Winter Soldier who will not look away.

97 percent of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."
Mission Accomplished

The Lies that Led to War

Will this Country see this on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, most definantly not FOX, but the CBC puts together the Facts and presents them the way the United States Should, The Truth!!



WATCH VIDEO: THE LIES THAT LED TO WAR
Originally Broadcast on March 7, 2007

Aired March 7,
2007 at 9pm
on CBC-TV
Repeating March 19,
2008 at 9pm
on CBC-TV

Since the US-led invasion four years ago, the fifth estate has covered Iraq and the war on terror from virtually every angle--the military, media, intellligence, politics--revealing aspects of the story that you didn't find anywhere else.


Now, as the White House warns about the latest threat in the region, this time from Iran, we go back to examine the deception, suspect intelligence, even lies that convinced the world of the rightness of targeting Saddam Hussein.

Read more about this report

Visit the site to View this Outstanding Report on the PNAC and the Lies that have led to the Devestation and Deaths, Terrorists on Terrorists

"They are monsters and devils wearing human clothes,"

They Didn't Hate Us Before!

Just One Of Tens of Thousands, NOW!!

Um Saad, a middle-aged woman living in the Sunni district of Khadra in west Baghdad, blames the Americans for the death of her husband and two of her sons and threatens revenge.

We Invaded
Based on Lies and Cherrypicked Intelligence!

We Occupy

One of the reason given, Saddam was Evil and he Tortured, he was all ours for years! We installed him, we welcomed him, we supported him, and We All Know Now, We Torture, just like Saddam, even in his old prisons!

"One day I will put on an explosive belt under my clothes and then blow myself up among the Americans. I will get revenge against them for my husband and sons and I will go to paradise."

As long as We Stay we are Responsible

Everything that happens within a Country we destroyed, and Occupy, driven Millions from their homes, killed and maimed untold numbers of Innocent Human Beings, We Are Responsible!

Not just the military we sent, But this Entire Nation!

The misery of people like Um Saad is the cumulative result of years of war. Dressed in dark robes, sitting in the bare sitting room of her modest house in al-Khadra, this 49-year-old woman tells how her family was slowly destroyed.

Bereaved Iraqi mother vows revenge on US

As you Don't Think about what we've done, the Conflict in Iraq, along with the rest of of the 72% that don't care about the Military personal Killed, 3,987 you probably won't care about the Hatreds we've created on a people that most certainly didn't do a Damn Thing to deserve these past Five Years we've given them!!

Still think there might be waves and waves of Flowers for us, for our Victory, Think Again

Place yourself, especially your Children, in place of the Iraqi's, How Would You Feel and What Would You Do!!

Mission Accomplished

The Responsibility

Now, is for All the Deaths and Destruction!!

The Responsibility, long into the Future, is to Finance the Rebuilding of what We've Destroyed, Lives and a Country!!

"Support The Troops" Two, and This Vets Getting Royally Pissed AGAIN

The Origin of the VA Motto

To care for him
who shall have borne the battle
and for his widow, and his orphan

A couple of days ago I posted this Lets See Now, 'Supporting The Troops'

On a few boards, the link here goes to my site.

In the post I asked a question "Once again I'll ask, if we as a Country 'Support The Troops', why do We Make Those Same Troops and Veterans Jump through Hoops of Red Tape and Broken Promises to Seek That Support ?!!!!

I'm not going to go into what many of my 'Nam Brothers went through, upon returning and loooong after, it's easy to find the facts for those to young or not around than. For those old enough, well, most just plain weren't paying attention, and Now We're Repeating because of that!

We seem to love Wars Of Choice, some 70% were well into supporting the present debacle, which means many reading this were in that percentile, and when we have them it's seems very easy to put those who are sent to fight them Out Of Sight and Out Of Mind, as they return and Long After, especially those suffering from the Trauma's of War.

I say "AGAIN" in the subject title because I've watched what's happening now for all these years since returning from 'Nam and getting my discharge after 4yrs. to the present, not only for my brother and sister 'Nam Vets but for Korean Vets and all those since!

The Veterans Administration and VA Care is only as good as the Political Appointee running it, and the Monies Budgetted by Congress, the Peoples Representatives!
Most of those working in the VA system do great work and are extremely caring people, they can only do as much as they can with what this Country gives them and under the leadership of the Politics involved! Trouble is when the VA is mentioned, in the negative, they, like most hard working people, get the blame!

That blame lays at the feet of the People of this Country, it's Representatives, and in the present times a certain Political Party, that had Total Control, and Wanted to follow the ideology of a handful of misfits and extremely dangerous minds, Power Hungry and Extremely Greedy!

A book recently came out:

The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict

But hardly a whisper has been heard about a Congressional hearing in Washington last week on a topic that could have been drawn, in all its tragic monstrosity, from the theater of the absurd, about the consequences of these costs, which are like a cancer inside the American economy.

Already we are seeing large numbers of returning veterans showing up at V.A. hospitals for treatment, large numbers applying for disability and large numbers with severe psychological problems.”

Even the most basic wartime information is difficult to come by. Mr. Stiglitz, who has written a new book with Ms. Bilmes called “The Three Trillion Dollar War,” said they had to go to veterans’ groups, who in turn had to resort to the Freedom of Information Act, just to find out how many Americans had been injured in Iraq.
The $2 Trillion Nightmare

Yesterday, 3-03-08, on NPR's Fresh Air there was another interview with Linda Bilmes and Joseph Stiglitz, the authors of the book above. They interviewed each seperately with Ms Bilmes on first for abit over 20min.. In her interview she discusses the Military and Veterans Care issue that's in the book, This Is a Must Listen To Interview, if you missed the NPR show!

Linda Bilmes is a professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. An expert on U.S. budgeting and public finance, she has written on financial and budgetary issues, including the cost of the Iraq War, veterans health and disability costs.

You can follow this link to the NPR interview with Ms Bilmes where you'll be able to listen and also read an Excerpt of the book, which gets into the Private Contractor issue.

Or you can visit later but listen to the report now with this link which brings up the NPR Player, again This is a Must listen to interview. Neither Ms Bilmes nor Mr Stiglitz are whistling dixie here, this is how We Treat The Veterans of This Country

On the second part of the show they interview Joseph Stiglitz the co-author of the book. Joseph Stiglitz is a Nobel-Prize-winning economist and founder of the branch of economics known as "The Economics of Information." He is a professor at Columbia University and the author of several books on international economics.

You can follow this link to the interview with Mr. Stiglitz where you'll be able to listen to the interview with him as well as find the same Excerpt from the book.

Or you can listen to this interview here covering many of the little known costs of the Debacle that we'll be paying for years, he talks about the cost of the private contractors, this is abit over 18min long!

Also yesterday, 3-03-08, A Hearing began in the Class Action Health Suit Against VA in San Francisco.

Lawyers for two veterans groups asked a judge Monday to order the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to overhaul its health system, especially its mental health treatment, to meet growing demand from soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The groups suing are Veterans for Common Sense in Washington, which claims 11,500 members, and Santa Barbara-based Veterans United for Truth with 500 members.

Some more articles and reports about those Hearings:

30% of vets face stress disorder, doctor says

Judge calls hearing to ponder ordering VA to improve health care

VA under scrutiny for veteran suicides where you'll find this Video as well:

VA under scrutiny for veteran suicides

A few more articles:

Minnesota Marine's case is part of lawsuit against VA

Vets and crimes make for tough decisions

You'll find this article The cold price of hot blood at Salon.

Every nation that goes to war makes that war its religion. Wars are always holy, necessary and sacrosanct. That's why asking how much a war costs is blasphemous. It's like asking how much God is worth.

With all this talk about Experiance why is it the one supposedly without can see the Real Need and the Neglect:

Barack Obama Pledges 'Sacred Trust' with Veterans
All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden
Obama passed legislation to stop a VA review of closed PTSD cases that could have led to a reduction in veterans' benefits. * Obama passed an amendment to ...

Obama: ''We Will Not Leave Any of Our Veterans Behind''
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung) - Wien,Austria
Obama passed an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). ...

He keeps Talking the Talk and he's got this Vets Vote and I'll hold his feet to the fire to Make Sure He Delivers!

Where was all the Experiance as the Drums of War were beating Louder and Louder and one Political Party Controlled, as to Making Sure we Learned the Lessons of the not so distant Past as to the results of War on those we send!

While calling out all of us who not only understood the obscene nature of what was to come, Shock and Awe and the Creation of Much More Hate thus placing our National Security, and that of other nations, into extreme jeopardy, as well as the future generations who will be dealing with the 'Blowback' from these times!

Experiance, you don't get Experiance out of Apathy and Denial!!

Democracy Now; EXCLUSIVE - The Three Trillion Dollar War:

This should be heard/watched by Many!

Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard Economist Linda Bilmes on the True Cost of the US Invasion andOccupation of Iraq

read/watch/listen to more | digg story

Their book: The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict

One week after President Bush rejected charges the war in Iraq has hurt the
US economy, a new book puts a conservative estimate of the war¹s cost at $3
trillion so far. In their first national broadcast interview upon their
book¹s publication, Nobel laureate and former chief World Bank economist,
Joseph Stiglitz, and co-author Linda Bilmes of Harvard University say the
Bush administration has repeatedly low-balled the cost of the war‹and even
kept a second set of records hidden from the American public.

Soldier of Conscience {Updated}

Truth has consequences for soldier of conscience

It is a sad day in American jurisprudence when a soldier of conscience is court-martialed not for lying but for telling the truth, not for breaking a covenant with the military but for upholding the rule of law in wartime.

Army 1st Lt. Ehren K. Watada was out of uniform on leave over a year ago when he delivered a moving address to a Veterans for Peace convention.

1st Lt. Ehren Watada at the 2006 {Video} Veterans For Peace National Convention in Seattle

Lt Watada was joined onstage by about 50 Iraq war veterans and other members of Iraq Veterans Against the War.


Video was taken with a digital camera by VFP Greater Atlanta Chapter 125 member, Debbie Clark, 'not a professional filmmaker, and is not of professional quality' {Debbies words}. Video was unfortunately taken in segments due to the limitations of the digital camera and cut a little short due to the memory card getting full before the end of the speech. However, most of the speech is there and the full text of the speech can be read HERE

All the major issues of imperial occupation - the fraudulent basis for the war, the absence of a formal declaration from Congress, the systematic nature of war crimes in Iraq, the flagrant violations of international treaties such as the U.N. Charter - are coming to a head in this historic battle between a soldier of conscience and an Army whose Abu Ghraib scandals shocked the world.

The legality of Lieutenant Watada's orders pursuant to a "war of choice" is the central issue of the trial.
No American soldier has any obligation to participate in military aggression, in "crimes against peace," or in any operations that violate the Geneva Conventions. Under constitutional government, the authority of military command derives not from one person alone but from the rule of law itself.
There are only two conditions in which a war is legal under international law: when force is authorized by the U.N. Security Council, or when the use of force is an act of national self-defense and survival. Apart from these conditions, war is an act of aggression. The U.N. Charter, based on the Nuremberg Conventions, prohibits war "as an instrument of policy." And the war in Iraq is just that - a war of choice.

Article VI, of the Constitution, states:

"All treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land, and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby."
There is no exception for the military, no wall between domestic and international law.

U.S. Army Field Manual

"Treaties relating to the law of war have a force equal to that of laws enacted by Congress. Their provisions must be observed by both military and civilian personnel with the same strict regard for both the letter and spirit of the law which is required with respect to the Constitution and statutes."

Oath of Enlistment
Military Oath: In the Armed Forces EXCEPT the National Guard (Army or Air)

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
So help me God.

In the National Guard (Army or Air)

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of (STATE NAME) against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of (STATE NAME) and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to law and regulations.
So help me God.

More information on the Oath and other Military related topics can be found at HERE

Lieutenant Watada is being persecuted because he is challenging the legality, not the political wisdom, of the war. The commander in chief is the final arbiter in foreign policy, but only so long as policies are in accordance with the law. Law trumps politics, not the other way around. The "political question doctrine," as attorneys call it, is nothing more than judicial abdication.

Lt. Watada is not the only one speaking out, but is the officer facing a Courts Martial and Prison time for doing so, a Soldier of Concious, understanding his role as a Leader, for the troops under him, as to the U. S. Military.

Thank You Lt Watada Website
This testimony is from the hearing regarding LT WATADA - Iraq War Tribunal: Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Darrell Anderson (purple heart, '04)- MP3 Download

and

Chanan Suarez-Diaz - MP3 Download


Appeal for Redress
Now with over 1200 signatures of Active Duty Military Personal!
The wording of the Appeal for Redress is short and simple. It is patriotic and respectful in tone.
As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq . Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.


Feb 5 National Day of Action
On Monday, February 5, 2007, when Lt. Watada goes on trial, supporters will rally outside the gates of Fort Lewis, Washington for a peaceful, non-violent demonstration.
Monday, February 5, 2007
9am - Lt. Watada’s Military Court Martial begins
11:30am - Student Rally with Iraq Veterans Against the War
1pm - Political Art Performance
3pm Rally and Vigil
Fort Lewis, WA. Exit 119, off I-5

National Event Listing
Transportation to Fort Lewis – Buses, Carpools and more!
Attend Lt. Watada’s Court Martial
Travel and Housing Information
Welcome Event Feb 4, 2007

This was just sent to me by a KOS reader:
Update:

The Citizens Hearing on the Legality of the Iraq War issued findings today. The Hearing Panel found the Iraq War to be illegal in both national and international law. In the findings the Panel has issued a Call to Conscience for Congress to hold hearings on the legality of both the war itself and the ways that the war is being conducted.”

In regards to Lt. Watada, the report presents findings on Disobeying Illegal Orders, in which they state:“The oath to support and defend the Constitution implies that if in conscience a person believes an order to be illegal, he or she has an obligation to refuse the order.” The panel was explicit in its support for Lt. Ehren Watada, the Army’s first commissioned officer to refuse deployment to Iraq based on his assertion that because the Iraq War is illegal, it is his duty to refuse orders to deploy.

Contact your Senators and Representatives Today and let them know you support Lt. Ehren Watada’s right to stand up and speak out for his principles and for the rule of international law and the U.S. Constitution. Call Congress to hold hearing on the legality of both the war itself and the ways the war is being conducted.

PRESS RELEASE
Subject: Preceding Watada Court Martial: Citizens’ Hearing Panel Declares Iraq War Illegal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2007
War Tribunal

TRIBUNAL REPORT:
War Tribunal Report - PDF (65 pages; 31 MB)


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