Bully Boy is responsible for 3,000 US troops dead and 655,000 Iraqis dead

This is not a humor post.  Ty just called to say the 3,000  mark for US troops who have died in Iraq has been passed.  3,000 men and women that were sent off to fight in a war built on lies have lost their lives.  (Actually more when you consider the ones who died after they left Iraq.) 

 

The Bully Boy built on a war on lies to justify it to the American people.  Now that most Americans want the troops brought home, it's time to start demanding it.  His days of coasting should be finished.  He's put off any type of decision all month while 110 troops have died -- they didn't have the luxury of putting off decisions.

 

He needs to be impeached.  C.I.'s working on an entry that's posted in part already.  As much as Bully Boy needs to be held accountable for what he's done, media -- big and small -- needs to get serious and quit yanking everyone's chain.  The war is four years old in March.  When is media going to get serious?

 

This morning, at The Third Estate Sunday Review, we were doing an editorial on the 3,000 mark.  And we held that for last in case the 3,000 mark was hit while we were still working on the edition.  The illustration below is from the edtorial.  The 3,000 mark should follow Bully Boy around.  But don't be surprised if we don't see the 4,000 mark or higher before the illegal war ends because too many people refuse to get serious about the war.

 

I'm not talking about "kids."  When Ty called, I hollered, "Quiet."  When I got off the phone with him, I passed on what he'd just told me.  There's not a person at this party that doesn't grasp what 3,000 lives for an illegal war means or the over 655,000 Iraqis that The Lancet estimates have died in the war.  I don't get the same feeling about media -- big or small.

 

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THIS JUST IN! THE DUCK AND COVER BULLY BOY!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- CRAWFORD, TEXAS.

 

L.B.J. NEVER RAN LIKE A COWARD FROM A TEXAS TORNADO.

 

BUT BULLY BOY IS NO L.B.J.

 

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING WAS CALLED FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS, BULLY BOY HAD TO BE EVACUATED FROM HIS RANCHETTE HERE IN CRAWFORD, TEXAS WHICH, FOR THE RECORD, IS SOUTH OF DALLAS, SOUTH OF DENTON, SOUTH OF SHERMAN AND SOUTH OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

 

BUT THE SAME BULLY BOY THAT PLAYED DUCK AND COVER FROM VIETNAM AND DID THE BUNNY HOP ACROSS AMERICA ON 9-11 WAS RUNNING FOR SHELTER TODAY.

 

ONE WAG WAS HEARD TO OBSERVE THAT BULLY BOY'S YELLOW STREAK HAD MORE MILES ON IT THAN INTERSTATE 20 WHICH BORDERS THE SOUTH OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

 

A FEW RAINDROPS, A BOLT OR TWO OF LIGHTNING AND BULLY BOY WAS IN FRET AND WHINE MODE UNTIL FINALLY THE SECRET SERVICE SUMMONED AN ARMOURED CAR JUST TO RUN HIM TO HIS TORNADO SHELTER NOT FAR FROM THE RANCHETTE.

 

WHILE BARNEY AND MISS BEAZLEY -- THE WHITE HOUSE DOGS (BULLY BOY LIKES TO PRETEND HE IS BUFFY ON FAMILY AFFAIR -- SO MUCH SO THAT HE CALLS LAURA BUSH "SISSY" AND DICK CHENEY "MR. FRENCH") -- AND LAURA BUSH GOT INTO THE ARMOURED CAR, BULLY BOY INSISTED THE TRIP WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE (A) HE WAS WEARING SUEDE AND (B) HE JUST GOT HIS HAIR PERMED.

 

 

LESS THAN 5 MINUTES LATER, WHEN THE CAR ARRIVED AT THE SHELTER, THE "CRISIS" HAD PASSED AND A YAWNING BULLY BOY SAID IT WAS "NAPPY TIME".

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

Starting with fatality news. Today the US military announced: "Three Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died Thursday from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province." Watch for the New York Times to ignore that or Little Man Marcs to report "One marine died" if the pattern this month holds true. The Times can't say they weren't warned when they decided to ignore fatalities and minimize the few that they covered but readers of the paper who depend on it to provide reality (no chuckles) may end up shocked when they discover that today December became the deadliest month for US troops. The three deaths up the total for the month to 107. Prior to this announcement, October had been the deadliest month with 106.

Some outlets report 105 and that has to do with the fact that the US military tends to hold the deaths a bit, and has the since the start of the war, waiting for those first of the month look back press accounts to be published and then noting a death or two afterwards. 106 is the number ICCC uses, 106 is the one we'll go with here. 107 is now the total number of US troops who have died in Iraq this month. The total number of US troops who have died since the start of the illegal war stands at 2996 -- four shy of the 3,000 mark.

US troops have not been the only military fatalities and England's Ministry of Defense notes:
"It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that a UK serviceman was killed yesterday, Thursday 28 December 2006, in Basrah, southern Iraq. The soldier, from 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was taking part in a routine patrol in Basra City when the Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle he was travelling in was targeted by a roadside bomb. He was very seriously injured and airlifted to the Field Hospital at Shaibah Logistics Base, but unfortunately died later as a result of his injuries." That death brought the total number of British troops killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war to 127.

Turning to the issue of war resistance and starting with The Nation magazine. On page 14 of the January 8/15 2007 issue (a double issue) Marc Cooper has an article entitled "Lt. Ehren Watad: Resister." The Nation makes the article availble online to subscribrs only for whatever reasons but seems unaware that they've published it for all (subscribers and non-subscribers) on Yahoo -- click here. Cooper describes Ehren Watada as "the lighning rod case of resistance" (Watada is the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq); and notes the speech he gave in August at the Veterans for Peace conference in Seattle (click here for text at CounterPunch and here at Truthout which offers both text and video of the speech) where Watada declared, "The idea is this: that to stop an illegal and unjust war, the soldiers can choose to stop fighting it."; and notes that, in January, "a 'Citizen's Hearing on the Legality of U.S. Actions in Iraq,' featuring Daniel Ellsberg and Princeton professor emeritus Richard Falk will be convened in Tacoma, Washinginton, in support of Watada".

January 4th is the date scheduled for the military's pre-trial hearing and Feb. 5th is when the court-martial is scheduled to begin. The US military is attempting to force journalists to testify at the pre-trial hearing (see yesterday's snapshot).

Watada is part of a movement of resistance within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing (who was released from the military brig on Satuday) Mark Wilkerson, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. In total, thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.

Resistance takes many forms in the peace movement. As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Cindy Sheehan was arrested in Crawford, Texas outside Bully Boy's ranchette along with four other activists. Sheehan called the action a "peace surge" to combat Bully Boy's notions of escalating the number of US troops in Iraq. The AP reports that Sheehan's attorney Robert Gottlieb believes the arrest will have no impact on the conditional verdict the judge issued this month in Manhattan. The Smoking Gun reports that, were Sheehan convicted, the maximum sentence is six months in prison and the maximum fine is $2,000.

 

Recommended: "Iraq snapshot"

"And the war drags on"

"NYT: "Crisis in Housing Adds to Miseries of Iraq Mayhem" (Michael Luo)"
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"c.i. calls 2006"
"Thursday breeze post"
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"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY'S REAL PLAN!"

"2006: The Year of Living Dumbly (Year in Review)"

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THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY'S REAL PLAN!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

 

AS THE U.S. MILITARY FATALITY COUNT IN IRAQ CONTINUES TO RISE, GOOD NEWS! 

 

BULLY BOY IS ON THE JOB . . . SORT OF!

 

HE HAS NO PLAN.  HE REALLY HAS NOTHING. 

 

BUT AS HE EXPLAINED, "I'VE GOT MORE CONSULTATION TO DO UNTIL I TALK TO THE COUNTRY ABOUT THE PLAN."

 

SOME "CONSULTATION" BEFORE STARTING THE ILLEGAL WAR MIGHT HAVE HELPED MORE.

 

AFTER BULLY BOY STRODE AWAY FROM THE PRESS, ILLEGAL WIRELESS LISTENING DEVICES PLANTED ON HIM BY ALBERTO GONZALES PICKED UP THE BULLY BOY SAYING, "STALL, JUST KEEP STALLING, KEEP SAYING 'I'M WORKING ON IT' AND PRETTY SOON THEY'LL LOSE INTEREST AND FORGET ALL ABOUT IT."

"I've got more consultation to do until I talk to the country about the plan,"

 

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

Starting with peace news. "I feel like I chose the path that was meant for me." That's Ricky Clousing speaking to Steve Maynard (Washington's The News Tribune) about his decision to say no to the illegal war. Maynard interviewed Clousing in his mother and step-father's home in Washington and the 73 days he spent in a military brig after his court-martial, his plans for the future (long range, college -- "I've always wanted to be a teacher") and his decision to say "no" to the illegal war: "I don't regret my decision to go AWOL in any way. I served my country better by saying 'no' to being in uniform."

Reflecting on the year, Mark Schneider (The Palestine Chronicle) finds reasons for hope in a number of things including war resisters like Clousing:

Closer to home, cheers of love out to the thousands of U.S. soldiers who have gone AWOL instead of violating their conscience to involve themselves in the U.S. genocide of Iraq. Many have rightly fled to Canada, some have faced court-martial and years in prison in the U.S. The first officer to refuse orders is Lt. Ehren Watada, whose mom, Carolyn Ho, this month has been on a speaking tour talking about parents have a duty to prevent their children from participating in illegal wars.
For years I've had this dream of getting hundreds of U.S. moms and dads taking flights into Amman and Baghdad and then dramatically going to find and retrieve (yanking them by their ears?) their soldier-children. What shame that would bring the U.S.! Cindy Sheehan and Fernando Suarez del Solar are vestiges of such a drama.
During a speech at the August, 2006 Veterans for Peace convention in Seattle, Watada cracked emotion stating, "to stop an illegal and unjust war, soldiers can choose to stop fighting it."
The most powerful element of the anti-war movement against U.S. genocide in Vietnam were the returning Vets, resisters and deserters who used their privileged positions to take radical positions and action. Though I have a separate post with a quick run-down of the best movies I saw this year, this is a good segue to Sir No Sir, a new film documentary (that has been released for rental), about those Vietnam Vets who resisted. In their promotional material, the filmmakers, thank them, have made the obvious links between then and now go to their website and click on the "Punk Ass Crusade" link).
This film will leave you teared up and inspired.

And, if you're in the Phoenix area, you can see Sir! No Sir! this Saturday. Mike Millard (The Phoenix News) reports that David Zeiger's documentary will be shown at the First Annual Peace on Earth Event in Jamaica Plain at 6:00 pm (85 Seaverns St.) and will be followed by a discussion with Halsey Bernard who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and Joe Bangert who served in Vietnam. The event is co-sponsored by Military Families Speak Out and People United for Peace with a two dollar admission fee.

Meanwhile, David Swanson (AfterDowningStreet) reports that the US military continues to attempt to force reporters to be witnesses for the prosecution in the January 4th pre-trial hearing of US war resister Ehren Watada (to be followed by his Feb. 5th court-martial) and quotes independent journalists Sarah Olson ("It's my job to report the news, not to participate in a government prosecution. Testifying against my source would turn the press into an investigative tool of the government and chill dissenting voices in the United States.") and Dahr Jamail ("I don't believe that reporters should be put in the position of having to participate in a prosecution. This is particularly poignant in this case, where journalists would be used to build a case against free speech for military personnel.").

Clousing and Watada are part of a movement of resistance within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Mark Wilkerson, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. In total, thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.

War resistance and the peace movement are the only things that will end the illegal war. This morning, the US military announced: "An improvised explosive device detonated near a dismounted Multi-National Division - Baghdad patrol, killing two Soldiers southwest of the Iraqi capital Dec. 27. " And the US military announced: "An improvised explosive device detonated near a Multi-National Division - Baghdad patrol, killing one Soldier in an eastern section of the Iraqi capital Dec. 27." Since then, the US military has announced: "One Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 was killed in action while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province December 27." And they have announced: "An improvised explosive device detonated near a dismounted Multi-National Division - Baghdad patrol, killing one Soldier north of the Iraqi capital Dec. 28." The total number of US military deaths in Iraq for the month of December thus far now stands at 102 -- only four less than the month with the highest count this year (October, with 106). The death brings the total number of US troops killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war to 2991 -- nine short of 3,000. [AFP notes: "medical advances mean the number is a lot lower than would have been expected." Which also means a rise in the number of seriously injured.]

 

Recommended: "Iraq snapshot"

"2006: The Year of Living Dumbly (Year in Review)"
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"dear democracy now"

"The Ford & Brown blather"

"Big grab bag post"

"Guns and Butter, Norman Solomon, et al"

"Chatty Bully Boy"

"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY ANNOUNCES HE WILL . . . TALK!"

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THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY ANNOUNCES HE WILL . . . TALK!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

STINGING FROM THE CRITICISM THAT HE VACATIONS WHILE IRAQ FALLS APART, THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ANNOUNCED THE BULLY BOY WILL MEET WITH ADVISORS THURSDAY TO DISCUSS IRAQ.

NOT TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO, JUST TO DISCUSS IT.

BECAUSE, AFTER ALL, WHY RUSH AFTER ALMOST 4 YEARS AND NEARLY 3,000 U.S. TROOPS DEAD AND 655,000 IRAQIS DEAD.

BULLY BOY WAS SAID TO BE FEELING SO GOOD ABOUT DOING NOTHING THAT HE INTENDS TO NEXT TAKE MEETINGS TO ADDRESS THE PROS AND THE CONS OF WEARING PEE JAYS TO BED VERSUS BOXERS OR SWEATS.


FROM THE TCI WIRE:

As December has become the second deadliest month in 2006 it's easy to see who covers the fatalities (Washington Post -- usually Nancy Trejos) and who doesn't (New York Times). Today the US military announced: "A 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Soldier died as a result of non-combat related injuries on Logistics Support Area Anaconda Dec 23." And they also announced: "A second Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier died of injuries received when a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle rolled over along a dirt canal trail during a combat reconnaissance mission south of the Iraqi capital Dec. 26." And they announced: "One Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died today from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province." ICCC lists the total for the month of December thus far at 94. October is the month with the highest US fatalities in 2006 (thus far): 106. The total number of US troops who have died in Iraq since the start of the illegal war stands at 2983, 17 away from the 3,000 mark.

Meanwhile the US Defense Department reports that US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has approved John Abizaid's request and 3,500 troops of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team were informed today that at the start of next month they will deploy to Kuwait to replace the 15h MEU who moved to al-Anbar Province last month.

The call up means that 3,500 troops have had to head to Fort Bragg and cut short the holidays. In Iraq, the holiday reflected the illegal war. Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily (IPS) report that, for little girls, crying dolls were the most popular gift and, for little boys, tanks and guns because, as Ahmed Ghazi told the reporters, "Children try to imitate what they see out of their windows." Jamil and Al-Fadhily write:

Social researcher Nuha Khalil from the Iraqi Institute for Childhood Development in Baghdad told IPS that young girls are now expressingtheir repressed sadness often by playing the role of a mother who takes care of her small daughter. "Looking around, they only see gatherings of mourning ladies who lost their beloved ones," said Khalil. "Our job of comforting these little girls and remedying the damage within them is next to impossible."
[. . .]
"The only things they have on their minds are guns, bullets, death and a fear of the U.S. occupation," Maruan Abdullah, spokesman for the Association of Psychologists of Iraq told reporters at the launch of a study in February this year.

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"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY BIGGEST THREAT TO AMERICANS!"

THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY BIGGEST THREAT TO AMERICANS!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

 

ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, 2973 AMERICANS DIED IN WHAT HAS BEEN CALLED THE WORST TERRORIST ATTACK ON AMERICAN SOIL.

 

BULLY BOY HAS NOW PROVEN TO BE A BIGGER THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND LIVES OF AMERICANS AS THE DEATH TOLL FOR U.S. SOLDIERS IN IRAQ NOW SURPASSES THE 9-11 TOLL.

 

ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE BULLY BOY TODAY FOR A COMMENT ON THE 2980 AMERICAN TROOPS WHO HAVE NOW DIED IN HIS ILLEGAL WAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.

 

CALLS BEFORE NOON WERE GREETED WITH REPLIES OF "THE BULLY BOY IS NAPPING."  FROM NOON TO 1, THE REPLY WAS, "THE BULLY BOY IS EATING LUNCH AND FINISHING HIS JUICE BOX."  WHEN THESE REPORTERS AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO PHONE THE CRAWFORD RANCH FOR A COMMENT, WE HAD WAITED UNTIL TWO P.M. AND MISSED THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.

 

AS TONY SNOWJOB EXPLAINED, "BULLY BOY WAS WATCHING VIDEOCASSETTES OF HIS FAVORITE CARTOON, MY LITTLE PONY, BUT FROM TWO TO 5 EACH DAY, HE TAKES HIS AFTERNOON NAP.  TRUST ME, THE BULLY BOY WILL BE WELL RESTED WHEN HE RETURNS TO D.C."

 

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

In peace news, US war resister Ricky Clousing was released from the brig at Camp Lejeune on Saturday where he had been sentenced for three months following an October court-martial. Clousing self-checked out of the military in June 2005 and, on August 11, 2006, announced that he was turning himself in. Cheryl Johnston Sadgrove (The News & Observer) reports that Clousing and some supporters first gathered Saturday at Raleigh's Vietnam Veterans Memorial before heading to the Quaker meeting house and meeting up with about 36 more people where Clousing spoke about his decision to refuse to participate in the illegal war and life in military prison: "I had a bed and food and shelter. To me -- it was a time out. I took that time to read and think about what I want to do after that." The Associated Press reports that Clousing stated, "It feels good, but it feels surreal because I don't have to deal with the military anymore. . . . My decision was never personal to my command. I had to honor my own personal convictions. I'm excited to finally be finished with the military. I've gotten the opportunity to learn a lot about myself and the system I fell under." Kelley Chambers (Jacksonville's The Daily News) quotes Veterans for Peace's Dave Taylor, “(Clousing) said to me, “I was willing to do my duty but I’m not going back to that war because I think it’s wrong,’” said Taylor. “I can’t not back him up because of that.”

Another US war resister, Ehren Watada, has been the topic of year end media attention (no, not from independent media). Rolling Stone picked Watada for their 2006 Honor Roll noting:

Watada, who enlisted in 2003, was praised by his superiors as an "exemplary" officer. But when he refused to ship out to Iraq, he not only became the first commissioned officer to do so -- he even rejected a desk job. "My participation would make me a party to war crimes," declared Watada, who calls the war a "horrible breach of American law." He now faces court-martial and eight years in the brig.

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin picked him for their "10 Who Made a Difference" series and Robert Shikina observed: "Watada brought his case to the public's attention, appearing at anti-war demonstrations -- he spoke to a crowd of more than 300 recently in Honolulu -- and speaking to the media to defend his beliefs. The army initiated a court-martial against Watada for missing movement and conduct unbecoming an officer for statemens he made about the war. A charge of contempt toward a government official for statements he made about President Bush was later dropped. Watada has criticized the government of committing lies to drag the U.S. into war in Iraq for the benefit of large corporations. He said he is defending the U.S. Constitution."
Phil Tajitsu Nash (Asian Week) picked Watada as one of the "Real People of the Year" noting: "When it was more damaging to his career to do so, however, Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada did not flinch when he publicly stated he believes the Iraq war is illegal, and publicly refused orders to deploy to Iraq to lead his troops later that month. He now faces possible court martial and prison time for his position, but refuses to back down. 'It is the duty, the obligation of every soldier, and specifically the officers, to evaluate the legality, the truth behind every order -- including the order to go to war,' he said. 'The wholesale slaughter and mistreatment of the Iraqi people with only limited accountability is not only a terrible moral injustice, but a contradiction to the Army's own Law of Land Warfare. My participation would make me party to war crimes'."

Clousing and Watada are part of a movement of resistance within the military that includes
Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Mark Wilkerson, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. In total, thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.

Joel Wendland (Political Affairs) reviews Peter Laufer's Mission Rejected: U.S. Soldiers Who Say No to the War in Iraq which examines the resistance and a large number of the resisters (including Joshua Key, Darrell Anderson, Jeremy Hinzman, Ryan Johnson and others). Wendland notes: "While this military-based movement falls numerically short of such opposition during the Vietnam War (approximately 170,000 draftees refused to fight by registering as conscientious objectors), today's numbers are still significant within the context of a so-called volunteer army. Indeed, many war resisters have been denied conscientious objector status and subsequently punished for their refusal to participate in what they consider an immoral or illegal war."

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month. Information on past and present war resistance can also be found in David Zeiger's Sir! No Sir! which tells the story of war resistance during the Vietnam era and, in the new director's edition, also includes bonus material on Camilo Mejia's court-martial, interviews with Cindy Sheehan and Jane Fonda about today's war resistance, and more. The director's cut is availabe for $23.95 and the original version is currently available for $12.95.

 

 

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"THIS JUST IN! THE NATION MAGAZINE SAYS 'SHUT UP, CHICKS!'"

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THIS JUST IN! THE NATION MAGAZINE SAYS 'SHUT UP, CHICKS!'

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

 

 

DUMB ASS PETER BERGEN, NO RELATION TO CHARLIE MCCARTHY WHO HAD MORE COMMON SENSE, TAKES A LOOK AT THREE BOOKS -- TWO BY WOMEN AND 1 BY MEN -- AND NO SURPRISE, 'CHICKS' NEED TO SHUT UP.

 

BERGEN TARGETS ANN JONES ESPECIALLY AND SLAMS HER FOR NOTING "THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS INITIALLY WILLING TO PLAY BALL WITH THE TALIBAN IN THE MIDDLE 1990S BECAUSE OF ENERGY INTERESTS EAGER TO BUILD A PIPELINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM THE GAS FIELDS OF CENTRAL ASIA".

 

THAT'S CALLED REALITY AND DOES ANYONE PROOF THE NATION?  (APPARENTLY NOT, SEE THE SUSAN SEAFORTH HAYES OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA.)

 

IS THE NATION UNAWARE OF FRED HALLIDAY'S NOVEMBER 1996 REPORT FOR ITS MAGAZINE?  OR THAT ONE OF THEIR "CONTRIBUTING EDITORS," GORE VIDAL, HAS WRITTEN EXTENSIVELY ON THIS TOPIC?

 

MIKE FERNER HAS COVERED IT AT COUNTERPUNCH.  MARJORIE COHN HAS COVERED IT AT COUNTERPUNCH.  THE LIST IS ENDLESS.

 

BUT THE NATION ALLOWS NON-LEFTY PETER BERGEN TO SLAM ANN JONES?

 

WHAT THE HELL IS PETER BERGEN DOING IN THE PAGES OF THE NATION TO BEGIN WITH?

 

 

HERE ARE SOME MORE QUESTIONS:

 

 

*WHY DOES THE NATION ALLOW TWO WOMEN TO BE TRASHED?

 

 

*DOES KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL, EDITOR & PUBLISHER, ENJOY SEEING OTHER WOMEN TRASHED IN THE PAGES OF HER MAGAZINE?

 

 

*WHY DOES SHE FARM OUR REVIEWS TO A MEMBER OF THE 'CENTRIST' NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION WHEN THE NATION IS SUPPOSEDLY A MAGAZINE FOR THE LEFT?

 

 

*WILL SHE NEXT HIRE BERGEN'S THINK TANK CO-HORTS LIKE NEOCON FAREED ZAKARIA OR CHRISTY TODD WHITMAN OR FRANCIS FUKUYAMA TO WRITE FOR THE NATION?

 

 

 

BERGEN MOST RECENTLY CO-WROTE AN ARTICLE WITH MICHAEL LIND. MAYBE THE NATION -- IN SEVERE IDENTITY CRISIS MODE -- CAN NEXT HIRE HIM.

 

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

Equally oblivious is the US Secretary of State. Yes, Condi Rice continues to flaunt her loose grip on reality.  Her failure as US National Security Advisor (remember, 9-11 was on her watch) trails her as US Secretary of State.  Mark Tran (Guardian of London) reports that Condoleezza Rice "said Iraq was worth the cost in US lives and dollars".  Today, the US military announced: "Three Marines and one Sailor assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died Thursday from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province."  Also today, the US military announced: "An attack against a Multi-National Division - Baghdad patrol killed a Soldier west of the Iraqi capital Dec. 22. The Soldiers came under sporadic small arms and indirect fire during a patrol.  One Soldier was killed and another wounded."  Five deaths and Condi says it's worth it.  The total number of US troops killed in the Iraq war is 2965 and Condi says 'It's worth it.'

 

As for the financial costs, the National Priorities Project has released their summary of the US federal government's budget for 2006 which notes ". . . the total cost of the Iraq War rose to nearly $380 billion. . . .  Broken down another way, on average, the federal government spends about $11 million every hour on the Iraq War, $256 million each day, or around $8 billion per month."

 

Condi's statements about things going swimmingly come as the BBC reports that at least seven Iraqi police officers were arrested by British troops in Basra due to suspicions of "corruption and leading a death squad in Basra."

 

 

While Condi proves she's useless in every position, Bully Boy hopes and prays that Santa Clause will bring him a way out of the illegal war he started so that he can announce some new 'plan' in 2007.  75 US troops, who lost their lives this month so far, won't be able to wait for that news.  It is the deadliest December for US troops since the start of the illegal war and December isn't over.

 

 

Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"

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"Jacksonville's Daily News: Ricky Clousing released from the brig this Saturday"
"Other Items"

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"Arundhati Roy, Todd Huffman, Ricky Clousing"

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"Breaking the News"

"THIS JUST IN! S.M.U. LEADS IN THE IDIOT COLLEGIATE BOWL!"

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THIS JUST IN! S.M.U. LEADS IN THE IDIOT COLLEGIATE BOWL!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

 

IN THE SORT OF PITCHED BATTLE THEY USUALLY RESERVE FOR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DRAFTS, TEXAS' BAYLOR UNIVERSITY AND SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY ARE IN A NECK AND NECK BATTLE OVER WHO WILL GET TO HOUSE THE BULLY BOY'S LIBRARY.

 

THE 'LIBRARY' IS THOUGHT TO CONSIST OF LITTLE MORE THAN THE CHILDREN'S STORY MY PET GOAT.  BUT BOTH UNIVERSITIES ARE DETERMINED TO UNDERMINE THEIR OWN ACADEMIC STANDARDS BY HOUSING THE ILLITERATE IN CHIEF.

 

EARLY REPORTS HAVE S.M.U. LEADING IN THE BATTLE AND WAGS SAY THAT IS LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH, ONCE KNOWN AS "DIME BAG LAURA," RAN QUITE THE DELIVERY SERVICE OFF THAT CAMPUS BACK IN THE DAY.

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

Starting with news of peace and resistance, US war resister Ricky Clousing has spent three months in a military jail for his refusal to continue fighting in an illegal war. He is now being released and supporters are encouraged to be at the "Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 10:15PM on Saturday, December 23rd, Concourse B, Baggage Claim 11" to welcome him home.

 

Clousing self-checked out of the US military in June of 2005 after serving in Iraq, on August 11, 2006, announced, during the Veterans for Peace conference in Seattle, that he would be turning himself in at Fort Lewis. David Swanson (AfterDowningStreet.com) reported at the time, "Clousing said he did not apply for conscientious objector status because he is not certain he would oppose every possible war, such as one fought in self-defense. He said he has spent the past year trying to figure out how to turn himself in, that the military has refused to comment on his status and that he is now choosing to force them to deal with it. . . . Clousing said he served in Baghdad and Mosul as an interrogator, and that this meant he spoke to Iraqi civilians every day and learned what they thought about the war. Clousing said he witnessed the routine incarceration of civilians with no basis and no ability to contact their families. He spoke in particular of four brothers, the youngest aged 12, locked up for three to four weeks. Physical abuse of civilians and the killing of one Iraqi civilian were among the crimes Clousing said he witnessed."

Clousing did turn himself in at Fort Lewis but was told that he needed to turn himself at Fort Bragg which he did on August 18th. Bob Geary (Raleigh-Durham Independent Weekly) describes that episode: "The story of what it took for him to finally get arrested at Bragg is almost comical--his calls to Lewis were bucked to Bragg and vice versa; he was told his records were lost, but suddenly were found after he spoke out publicly against the war; and even then, he had to find his own way back to Bragg and knock on a bunch of different doors before a soldier finally did him the service of detaining him." September 1st brought the news that he would face a charge of desertion. On October 12th, Ricky Clousing was court-martialed in Fayetteville, North Carolina and pleaded guilty to being abesent without leave. Bob Geary (Raleigh-Durham Independent Weekly) reports that before Clousing leaves North Carolina Saturday, there is a scheduled rally in Fayetteville "midday Saturday to be greeted by human rights supporters at the Raleigh Friends Meeting House, 625 Tower St. (the street behind the Cameron Village Post Office). His reception is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., before he catches a flight from RDU back to his hometown of Seattle, Wash."

 

Turning to another war resister, Ehren Watada, something curious happens in the New York Times owned International Herald Tribune. Since it's going for an European audience (who doesn't think highly of the Times brand), it has to cover stories that the Times can't or won't. Which explains why the French version carries an AP story on Ehren Watada that the US version (or the Times for that matter) didn't. But who made the call that a hundred people attended Watada's speech? The speech, whose date and location (basic journalism) go unreported, is the same one he gave at Church of the Crossroads and Hawaii outlets that picked up the story illustrate it with a photo from that event. As noted in yesterday's snapshot, "Rod Ohira (The Honolulu Advertiser) reports that a crowd of 350 turned out to hear Watada speak at the Church of the Crossroads where he stated, 'The issue is about the war and people need to educate themselves about everything that's going on about the war. They need to take a position one way or another. If people agree with me or disagree with me, I really don't care. . . . What people need to do is take a stance. And if they truly believe there is something wrong with this war -- that it's immoral and illegal -- they should ask themselves what are they willing to sacrifice in order to stop this war?'"

It's interesting how 350 becomes "more than 100" when the AP article runs. 350 is more than 100, it's also more than 101 and 102 and 103 .

 . .

Leila Fujimori (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) describes the crowd: "A highly sympathetic crowd of a few hundred people gave Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada standing ovations before, during and after a speech at the Church of the Crossroads in Moiliili." AP also manages to miss the standing ovations. Possibly it's difficult to count accurately and to hear from the mainland?

 

The AP does manage to note Eric Seitz, Watada's attorney, wants a larger courtroom this time. During the August Article 32 hearing, one of the biggest obstacles was the fact that there was not enough room for those attempting to attend to be seated. A smaller courtroom may be in keeping with the US military's desire to bury the court-martial (why they feel they need to bother is surprising -- independent media didn't cover the Article 32 in real time) but it's not in keeping with the supposed spirit of justice that's supposed to be on display. The AP article also quotes Ann Wright, who testified at the Article 32 hearing and is retired from the US State Department and US army, stating, "I really do appreciate when these men and women step up and say, 'I will risk going to jail because this war is wrong and I will not participate in it'."

Leila Fujimori (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) quotes two audience members (as well as what Joan, who was present, swears was a "plant"), Kristen Clyne who enjoyed the message that people make changes, not 'legislators':"This war wouldn't really be permitted without the support of the people, and it is really on the people to stop this war"; and Daniel Chong who stated, "It's about time somebody did something. . . . Some people would rather die than admit they're wrong, but he's willing to put his reputation on the line. That's true patriotism," Chung said.

 

Ehren Watada's pre-trial hearing is scheduled for January 4th and the court-martial is scheduled to begin February 5th. His Article 32 hearing lasted one day, Ricky Clousing's court-martial lasted one day. How long this one will last is a question that competes with "Will independent media cover it this time?"

While we await those answers, Watada and Clousing are part of a growing movement of resistance within the military that includes more than just them or more than just them plus one. Among the other war resisters who have gone public during the illegal war of choice are Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. In addition, thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month. Information on past and present war resistance can also be found in David Zeiger's Sir! No Sir! which tells the story of war resistance during the Vietnam era and, in the new director's edition, also includes bonus material on Camilo Mejia's court-martial, interviews with Cindy Sheehan and Jane Fonda about today's war resistance, and more. The director's cut is availabe for $23.95 and the original version is currently available for $12.95.

 

 

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"THIS JUST IN! JAKE PLUMMER'S IN THE WHITE HOUSE!"

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THIS JUST IN! JAKE PLUMMER'S IN THE WHITE HOUSE!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

YESTERDAY BULLY BOY ANNOUNCED "WE ARE NOT WINNING BUT WE ARE NOT LOSING."

TODAY THE PRAVDA LIKE D.C. PRESS RUSHES TO PROP UP THE UNITED STATES OWN JOSEPH STALIN WITH EASY-BREEZY-COVER GIRL PIECES IGNORING THAT NEARLY 4 YEARS AFTER THE ILLEGAL WAR BEGAN, AFTER OVER 655,000 IRAQIS HAVE DIED, AFTER 2955 AMERICAN TROOPS HAVE DIED, 126 BRITISH TROOPS HAVE DIED AND 121 "OTHER" TROOPS HAVE DIED, BULLY BOY'S PERFORMANCE IS HORRIBLE AND BEYOND REDEMPTION,

THE JAKE PLUMMER OF POLITICS WANTS TO 'GO LONG' AND THE STUMPS AND SUCK UPS OF THE MAINSTREAM PRESS ARE HAPPY TO CHEERLEAD BLINDLY AS THEY DROP THEIR STENO PADS JUST LONG ENOUGH TO PICK UP THEIR POM-POMS.


FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Turning to peace news, in June of this year, Ehren Watada became the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. Yesterday, in Honolulu, he spoke out again. Rod Ohira (The Honolulu Advertiser) reports that a crowd of 350 turned out to hear Watada speak at the Church of the Crossroads where he stated, "The issue is about the war and people need to educate themselves about everything that's going on about the war. They need to take a position one way or another. If people agree with me or disagree with me, I really don't care. . . . What people need to do is take a stance. And if they truly believe there is something wrong with this war -- that it's immoral and illegal -- they should ask themselves what are they willing to sacrifice in order to stop this war?"

Watada faces a pre-trial hearing in January and then a court-martial in February. Though the US Congress seems unable or unwilling to excercise their oversight and have largely rebuffed his mother, Carolyn Ho, and her efforts, the reality is that he is one person in a growing movement of resistance within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. Those are some of the war resisters who have gone public while currently there are thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada attempting to be legally recognized.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.


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"THIS JUST IN! IT'S WAR!"

THIS JUST IN! IT'S WAR!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

 

SPEAKING TO THE D.C. PRESS CORPS TODAY, WHITE HOUSE FLACK TONY SNOW JOB DENIED THAT THERE WAS "A SPLIT" BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE U.S. MILITARY'S JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.

 

"IT IS TRUE," A FORMER WHITE HOUSE SOURCE, NOT SCOTTY MCCLELLAN, TOLD US AFTERWARDS.  "THERE IS NOT A SPLIT.  THERE IS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL WAR ZONE BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE JOINT CHIEFS.  A SPLIT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE THEY QUARRELLED OVER WHO WAS PICKING UP THE DINNER TAB.  THIS IS COMPLETE AND TOTAL WAR BETWEEN THEM AND THE WHITE HOUSE."

 

OUR SOURCE GIGGLED AND THEN SCAMPERED OFF CHASING AFTER A U.S. POSTAL CARRIER. 

 

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

In peace news, Carolyn Ho, mother of Ehren Watada, was interviewed by Dalia Hashad, Michael Smith, and Michael Ratner on WBAI's Law and Disorder Monday. Ehren Watada is the first US officer to refuse publicly to deploy to Iraq.  Ho spoke of being "stunned" on January 1, 2006, when her son told her of his decision.  Dalia Hashad asked, "You were upset with your son because he didn't want to go to war?"  Ho replied, "Well, you know, all I could think of was I just did not want him to be vilified in the press.  All I could see was this was my son trying to face the military-industrial complex.  It was just totally overwhelming and I just was not prepared for it.  It was days that I had to think through this. It was just feelings of grief, of anger that he was doing this to himself."

 

Ho has spoken with member of Congress and hasn't been overwhelmed by their response.  She noted, "I feel that my son's case is not seperate and apart from the legislative branch."  And though Congress and the military wishes to act as though it's as cut and dry as her son just refusing an order, Ho feels "this government is going to have to face reality." 

 

Ehren Watada knows the war is illegal and the resaon for the refusal to deploy is not a secondary issue but the primary one in his case -- whether the military or the US Congress wants to admit it.  Michael Ratner revealed that Eric Seitz' attorney has spoken with him about the prospect of Ratner testifying at Watada's February court-martial.

 

Dalia Hashad raised the issue of Watada's role in "the larger anti-war movement" and Ho offered, "I think that he holds the banner as do all the other refusenics.  I think that people sometimes say that he is a part of it and not the other way around but I think it needs to be perceived in the  broader context and that with his victory, I believe truly that it will be a victory for the people and for the movement because the movement progresses with each case and each victory is something that brings us further along the line.  I think that he does not operate in a vacuum, that he has been inspired by others that went before him and he will be an inspiration for other to follow."

 

Watada is a part of a resistance movement within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. Those are some of the war resisters who have gone public and over thirty US war resisters are currently in Canada attempting to be legally recognized.
 
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.

 

 

Ehren Watada spoke with Robert Shikina (Honolulu Star -Bulletin whose Gregg Kakesako is among the reporters subpeoned by the prosecution to testify in the February court-martial).

"It'll all be over pretty soon.  In one way or another, it'll all be over," Watada told Shikina.  "Now at least I know I have a date and it's set.  And I know after that point, one way or another, it's going to end."  Though the court-martial is due to begin in February, pre-trial motions start January 4th.  Watada and Ann Wright (retired US army colonel, retired US State Department official) will speak at 7:00 p.. tonight at the Church of the Crossroads, 1212 University Ave, in Honolulu. 

 

 

 

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THIS JUST IN! BONO IS THE NEW SONNY BONO!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

 

THE ONE TIME ROCK STAR WHO ONCE HAD A SOUL, BONO OF THE HAVEN'T RELEASED A NEW CD IN 6 YEARS 'GROUP' U2 ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DC DEMOCRATS WHO WILL NOT COMMITT TO PROVIDING HIM WITH THE FUNDS HE NEEDS.

 

THIS IS THE SAME BONO WHO IS IN BED WITH SWEAT SHOP LABOR (THE GAP), THE SAME BONO WHO HAS PUSHED BULLY BOY'S AIDS POLICY THAT IS DAMAGING THE WORLD, THE SAME BONO WHO HAS COZIED UP TO HOMOPHOBES, THE SAME BONO WHO FOCUSES ON CHILDREN WITH AIDS BECAUSE ADULTS WITH AIDS ARE TOO CONTROVERSIAL (LIKE THE BAND'S LAST CD -- ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND -- HIS 'COURAGE' IS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE 80'S), THE SAME BONO WHOSE COMPANY WAS PLANNING TO PUT OUT A VIDEO 'GAME' THAT ALLOWED PLAYERS TO OVERTHROW HUGO CHAVEZ IN VENEZUELA, THE SAME BONO THAT WILL NOT SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ.

 

HAVING PARTIED WITH THE G.O.P. FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, DOES BONO HONESTLY THINK DEMOCRATS GIVE A DAMN WHAT HE THINKS?

 

HAVING SOLD HIS SOUL AND EMBRACED ONE OF THE BIGGEST RETAILER'S OF SWEAT SHOP LABOR, DOES BONO NOW REQUIRE A LADDER TO MOUNT HIS HIGH HORSE?

 

OLD, TIRED AND BORING MUSICALLY, BONO'S MARKETED HIS REPULSIVE PERSONALITY FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND TURNED HIMSELF INTO A 'BUSINESSMAN' THAT THE WALL ST. JOURNAL CAN (AND DOES) RAVE OVER.  HE'S ALSO AVOIDED PAYING TAXES TO IRELAND. 

 

BONO -- THE NEW SONNY BONO OF ROCK.

 

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

On KPFA's The Morning Show today, guests included attorney Dan Siegel and Gary Hill (Ethics Chair of the Society of Professional Journalists) who discussed the targeting of journalists by prosecutors who are unable to do their own work -- specifically as it related to Dahr Jamail and Sarah Olson.  Hill reminded that journalists are supposed to act independently and that "is hard to do" when you're supposed to be a witness for the prosecution.  Jamail, Olson and Gregg Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) are being asked to provide some form of testimony in the court-martial of Ehren Watada.   The supposed reason is to provide confirmation that what they wrote is true.  Kakesako and Olson have been subpoenaed. Jamail has yet to be.  As Philip Maldari (co-host with Andrea Lewis) pointed out, Jamail posted a transcript of Watada's speech in Seattle to Veterans for Peace at Truthout and the same page provides the option of watching the entire speech on video.  (Those who prefer audio or do not have video capabilities can refer to KPFA's Flashpoints Friday, September 15th broadcast that includes portions of the speech.)  So the US military has trouble determining video it sees with its own eyes?  (That might explain the failure of those in commanding roles not to grasp that the war is lost.) 

 

It's interesting request by the US military because in Watada's August 17th Article 32 hearing, they were able to just play clips from the speech. With regards to Watada, Hill noted that journalists were being sought because the military wants to prosecute Watada for what he said "and I find that very troubling in the United States."  [Those charges fall under contempt toward officials and conduct unbecoming an officer.] Siegel noted that if Watada's going to be prosecuted for his speech, Bully Boy should be prosecuted for his lies that led to war. 

 

Olson was scheduled to appear (I believe Jamail was as well but missed any comment on that) but was advised by her attorney not to while the legal strategy is still being worked out. Last week, Olson told Aaron Glantz (IPS), "This morning at 8:45 someone came to my house and delivered a subpoena.  It's absolutely outrageous.  It's a journalist's job to report the news.  It is not a journalist's job to testify against their own sources."  Olson's interview with Watada originally appeared at Truthout and was run by Left Turn -- Left Turn is the only left magazine to print an article about Watada (or for that matter -- any of the war resisters who began coming forward last summer). Possibly they're so shocked by Olson's interview (conducted in May) because Watada was (rightly) calling Iraq a civil war even then?

 

In one of the more surprising moments during the discussion, Siegel revealed that KPFA's

also being asked to supply information.  Specifically, the US military has requested a program provide them with a "transcript" of their broadcast.  The program, unidentified on air, is most likely KPFA's Flashpoints where hosts Dennis Bernstein and Nora Barrows-Friedman have regularly interviewed war resisters such as Carl Webb, Mark Wilkerson, Kyle Snyder, Ivan Brobeck (the only outlet to avoid performing The Full Brobeck in fact  Barrows-Friedman interviewed Brobeck on the November 6th broadcast -- the only interview he gave before turning himself in the next day). Flashpoints airs Monday through Fridays at 5:00 pm PST.  Flashpoints began broadcasting in 1991 offering coverage of the Gulf War. Siegel stated that the program had said "no."

 

KPFA is the nation's oldest public radio station and was started long before NPR.  Lewis Hill founded KPFA Pacifica Radio and the station began broadcasting in 1949 (94.1 FM in most of California, originating out of Berkeley and also carried on KPFB and KCFC).  KPFA was the first Pacifica Radio station and Pacifica Radio is also the first public radio network in the United States. KPFK would follow in 1959 (Los Angeles), then WBAI (New York) in 1960, KPFT (Houston, TX) in 1970 and WPFW  in 1977.  In addition there are affiliates throughout the United States.  (Click here for the history of the network.)  While it's good when anyone listens, even the most casual listener should be aware that all programs are archived and a copy of most broadcasts can be purchased.  All of the Pacifica stations are listener supported.

 

 

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