Friday, November 10, 2006

THIS JUST IN! THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE IS DEAD!

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

THIS JUST IN!

THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE IS DEAD!

COLD WAR SPY MARKUS WOLF IS DEAD, AT 83, OF APPARENT NATURAL CAUSES AFTER YEARS OF BEING KNOWN AS "THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE."

TO REPEAT, THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE IS DEAD.

TO UPDATE YOU . . .

THE MAN WITHOUT A HEART?

OL' DIRTY BASTARD HIMSELF, DICK CHENEY IS VERY MUCH ALIVE.

THE MAN WITHOUT SHAME?

DONALD RUMSFLED STILL HAS A PULSE, IT'S JUST HIS CAREER THAT HAS BEEN PULLED OFF LIFE SUPPORT.


THE WOMAN WITHOUT A CLUE?

CONDI RICE REMAINS ALIVE AND WELL AND QUITE BUSY. WHEN LASTED SPOTTED SHE WAS PLOTTING BETWEEN 5 AND 6 FUTURE WARS.

THE MAN WITHOUT A LIVING BRAIN CELL?

BULLY BOY REMAINS FOREVER THOUGHTLESS, SHAMELESS, HEARTLESS AND ALL THE "ESS" ENDING WORDS -- AS FRIENDLESS AS HE IS CLUELESS. HIS PARENTS HAVE WORKED VERY HARD, FOR MANY YEARS, TO ENSURE THAT.

THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE?

THOUGHT TO BE DEAD BUT THIS WEEK'S ELECTION RETURNS INDICATE THERE STILL MAY BE SOME LIFE IN IT.


FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Starting with news on US war resister Ehren Watada. In June, Watada went public with his refusal to deploy to Iraq because the war is illegal and deploying would subject both himself and those serving under him to war crimes. In standing up, Watada became the first US commissioned officer to publicly refuse to serve in the illegal war. On August 17th, Article 32 hearing was held. [For details on Ann Wright's testimony, click here, Dennis Halliday click here, and here for Francis A. Boyle.] Following the hearing on the 17th, the US military announced August 24th that the presiding officer of the hearing, Lt. Colonel Mark Keith, had made a recommendation, court-martial. Yesterday, The KPFA Evening News reported that the US military had decided to court-martial Watada. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that "Lt. Gen. James Dubik, agreed with the recommended charges of missing a military movement and conduct unbecoming an officer." Gregg Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) reports that conviction during the court-martial ("held next year") could result in "six years in jail and a dishonorable discharge." Honolulu's KITV spoke with Eric Seitz, attorney for Watada, who stated, "Unfortunately the army does want to make a martyr out of him. They have told us they will not enter into any agreement that doesn't include at least a year of incarceration, and that's just simply something we are unable to agree to." Rod Ohira (Honolulu Advertiser) notes the following statements by Watada after learning of the recommendation to court-martial him:"I feel the referral of the charges was not unexpected and at this time, I'm moving forward as I always have with resilience and fortitude to face the challenges ahead. . . . I think as the recent elections show more and more Americans are opening their eyes, but we aren't there yet. It is my hope that actions such as my own continue to call for the truth behind the fundamental illegality and immorality of those who perpetrated this war."

Coverage of war resisters in the US independent media has been embarrassing and shameful. Rebecca checks in on several independent outlets only to find that none have anything on Watada this morning. He appears to getting the full-Brobeck from independent media. (CBS notes Watada here.) War resister Ivan Brobeck returned to the US from Canada to turn himself in Tuesday and he didn't even make the indy headlines. (Nora Barrows Friedman did interview him on Monday's Flashpoints.) It's not cutting it. Not for Brobeck, not for Kyle Snyder who's also been ignored after returning to the US and, on October 31st, turning himself in at Fort Knox only to self-check out again after discovering the military had lied yet again. Not for Joshua Key who learned that the Canadian government was denying him refugee status.

A list of war resisters within the military would include Watada, Key, Snyder, and Brobeck. It would also include many other names such as Darrell Anderson, 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. That's just the ones who have gone public. (Over thirty US war resisters are currently in Canada attempting to be legally recognized.) It is a movement and should be covered as such. Ehren Watada's father and step-mother are currently on a speaking tour (tonight they're in NYC) and details on that will be at the end of the snapshot.

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 in January.


Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on"
"Ehren Watada and another issue that matters to the community"
"Other Items (Danny Schechter on KPFA's Living Room today)"
"remember the ladies? forgotten at the democracy n..."
"beta, danny schechter, danny schechter, in debt we... "
"Just sharing post"
"Rumsfled sits for an exclusive (humor)"
"THIS JUST IN! RUMSFELD TALKS!"

Thursday, November 09, 2006

THIS JUST IN! RUMSFELD TALKS!

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

ROBERT GATES IS THE SECOND WIFE!

THE TROPHY WIFE!

I WAS USED LIKE A TUBE SOCK AND WHEN I COULDN'T STAND UP ABOVE HIS ANKLES ANYMORE HE HURLED ME INTO THE TRASH!

SO SAYS THE SOON TO BE FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW GRANTED WITH THESE REPORTERS ON THE CONDITION THAT (A) WE PAY THE BAR TAB AND (B) WE GRASP THAT WHEN HE SOBERS UP HE MAY DENY IT ALL.

MUST CREDIT BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX.

OVER OATMEAL STOUT, SECRETARY RUMSFELD REMEMBERED THE GOOD TIMES.

"SERVING UNDER DICK. YOU COULD LOOK UP TO DICK. YOU COULD FEEL DICK. DICK WAS JUST OUT THERE. JUST PUT IT OUT THERE," THE DONALD SAID, SLAPPING THE TABLE EMPHATICALLY AND ATTRACTING STRANGE GLANCES.

"DICK NIXON, GOT ME," HE EXPLAINED. "HE SAID I WAS 'TOUGH ENOUGH' AND A 'RUTHLESS LITTLE BASTARD.' I DON'T MEAN TO WUSS OUT ON YOU GUYS BUT I ALWAYS TEAR UP WHEN I REMEMBER THAT. DICK GOT ME. THOSE WERE GOOD TIMES.

HE SPOKE FONDLY OF THE DAYS OF SWINE FLU, CHATTING WITH SADDAM HUSEIN ("HE'S MUCH TALLER IN PERSON!"), AND STARTING PNAC.

ON THE LATER, IN HIS CUPS, HE WONDERED, "WE JUST WANTED TO DOMINATE THE WORLD AND CONTROL EVERYTHING? IS THAT SO BAD?"

POSSIBLY AFRAID WE WOULD SKIP OUT ON THE BAR TAB, THE WAY HE SWEARS AL HAIG ALWAYS USED TO, SECRETARY RUMSFELD DUCKED AWAY TO "VISIT THE HEAD" AND MOMENTS LATER WE SAW HIM STROLLING DOWN SEVENTH STREET.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Today, Trina received an e-mail from the family of a war resister which only underscored to Trina how "hideous" the lack of coverage on this issue is. Trina: "If you believe the war is wrong and needs to end, then you need to cover those who are saying 'NO!' loudly and clearly. The fact that most independent magazines -- even at their own websistes -- can't is beyond disappointing. People standing up need support and their stories need to be told."

US war resisters that should have been in the news in the last two weeks include Kyle Snyder, Joshua Key and Ivan Brobeck. Kyle Snyder returned to the US Tuesday October 31st to turn himself in at Fort Knox after self-checking out and going to Canada. The agreement between Synder's attorney and the military was trashed after the US military had Synder in custody. Snyder self-checked out again. Joshua Key was denied refugee status by the Canadian government this week. Ivan Brobeck returned to the US from Canada this week, on election day, and turned himself in. These stories have garnered very little interest by independent media. Brobeck's return has hardly been noted. (Hurt feelings over the fact that Nora Barrows Friedman got the exclusive interview with Brobeck?) The verdict in Key's case has been noted even less. It's not cutting it and independent media (print and audio) needs to stop kidding themselves that it is. It's shameful.

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.

Ivan Brobeck, Kyle Snyder and Joshua Key are part of a movement of war resistance within the US military that also includes Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Ehren Watada, 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. Their stories do matter. It's only the coverage that is lacking.

Which gets to a point Anthony Arnove made on yesterday's Flashpoints regarding the importance of knowing our history and how much energy is expanded to rob people of their history. History is all around -- it's just not getting the coverage. Arrnove and Alice Walker, both guests on yesterday's Flashpoints will be among those bringing history to life via a reading of Howard Zinn and Arnove's Voices of a People's History of the United States tonight (7:30 p.m.) at the Berkeley Community Theatre (1930 Allston Way) and along with Walker and Arnove, other participants will also include Mos Def, Steve Earle and Zinn himself.

Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"Other Items"
"Bully Boy plays 'Flee on My Rums-fled'"
"the never ending beta switch on blogger/blogspot (rebecca)"
"wednesday post on thursday morning"
"Pancake (Ruth)"
"Rumsfled leaves, new 1 scary, Tom Hayden, and junk..."
"Feminist Majority, Hayden, Gagnon and Joni Mitchell"
"THIS JUST IN! RUMSFELD BECOMES RUMSFLED!"
"Rumsfled, cakewalk it out of here (humor)"

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

THIS JUST IN! RUMSFELD BECOMES RUMSFLED!

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

RUMSFELD BECOMES 'RUMSFLED' TODAY AS BULLY BOY ANNOUNCES HIS DEPARTURE.


WHILE KYLE SNYDER, IVAN BROBECK, JOSHUA KEY AND OTHERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFLED SAILS OUT ON THE SAME GUST OF ILL WIND THAT PREVIOUSLY BLEW AWAY THE THEN SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL.

SECREATRY RUMSFLED WAS ASKED TO TENDER HIS RESIGNATION IN OCTOBER AND IT WAS IN A HOLDING PATTERN UNTIL THE ELECTION. PICTURED BELOW IN HAPPIER TIMES, RUMSFLED KNEW THAT HE WOULD HAVE A JOB ONLY IF THE U.S. CONGRESS REMAINED UNDER G.O.P. CONTROL.




ALREADY BULLY BOY HAS NAMED HIS INTENDED REPLACEMENT: ROBERT GATES WHO HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SHAPING 'FACTS' TO FIT CONCLUSIONS.

WHETHER THE SENATE WILL PROBE 'EDUCATOR' GATES' LONG HISTORY IN THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS AT THIS POINT IS, AS ONE SOURCE TOLD US, "AN UNKNOWN. LOOK, THERE ARE KNOWNS AND THERE ARE UNKNOWNS. THERE'S NO NEED TO GET ALL HENNY PENNY IN THE SKY ABOUT IT. WE KEEP SEEING THAT SAME CLIP OVER AND OVER ON TV AND THE AVERAGE PERSON WATCHING IS THINKING 'MY GOODNESS HOW MANY SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE DOES THIS COUNTRY HAVE?' IT'S JUST ONE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE."


OUR SOURCE THEN STATED, FOR THE RECORD (BUT NOT TO BE ATTRIBUTED), THAT "DONALD RUMSFELD WAS THE BEST DARN, ROOTIN', TOOTIN' SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THIS NATION WILL EVER HAVE. HE WAS SMART, HE WAS STRONG, HE HAD A HOT ASS. WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE? HE'LL BE FINE, THIS DONALD RUMSFELD IS A VERY STRONG FELLOW, TRUST ME. NOW YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE ME BECAUSE CONDI'S OFFERED TO TAKE ME TO AN ACTUAL CAKEWALK SO I CAN SEE WHAT THAT'S REALLY LIKE."


FROM THE TCI WIRE:

For those looking for attempts to make sense of the election (something that really won't happen until all the votes are in and data crunched -- as opposed to skimmed) should refer to Amy Goodman's interview with Ralph Nader (Democracy Now!) and the Feminist Majority blog on the elections. [Feminist Wire addresses the failed abortion ban in South Dakota.] While the White House's message may have been lost on the puppet leaders, Nancy A. Yousseff (McClatchey Newspapers) reports that "Iraqis outside the world of politics saw no change, regardless of the results" as Matthew Schofield (McClatchy Newspapers) reports that the reaction was far different for Europeans who are now "a bit more comfortable with their partners across the Atlantic after five years of unease with Americans under the Bush administration." What is known is that the Democratic Party now holds the most seats in the US House of Representatives and may control the Senate provided the candidates in Montana and Virginia (Jon Tester, Jim Webb) hold their leads.

In Iraq today, Zalmay Khalilzad rushed to spin telling a reception in the heavily fortified Green Zone (reception made up of reporters, the puppet government, "American colleagues from the embassy," etc) that "Americans understand that Iraq is import. They understand that this region is important" blah, blah, blah. When even Zalmay-Take-Me-Away grew tired of his own voice, he signed off with "Thank you again for coming and my God bless the people of Iraq" which may not be the best way for American officials, supposedly wanting a secetarian government in Iraq, to conclude their 'official' messages. Reality absent in the rumored to be departing soon Zalmay's pontificating can be found in Missy Comley Beattie's latest (CounterPunch): "This historic smackdown of an arrogant president and his administration will not bring back my nephew, Marine Lance Cpl. Chase Comley, his fellow servicemen and women who have died during the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, other dead coalition troops, and so many Iraqis. . . . Nothing can reverse the effects of madmen. The hearts of our dead cannot restart. Limbs can't be restored. Devastating brain damage won't heal."

[. . .]

In peace news, Chris Arsenault (The Dominion) takes a look at US war resister Corey Glass currently in Canada, at the War Resisters Support Campaign and notes that depite the petition with 35,000 signatures "demanding Canada treat Iraq War objectors the same way we treated Vietnam War resisters . . . the immigration and refugee board, whose mandate is different from the courts, has" refused to rule in favor of asylum for war resisters. Glass tells Arsenault: "I signed up to defend people and do humanitarian work filling sandbags if there was a hurricane; I should have been in New Orleans, not Iraq." Three other war resisters who went to Canada include Kyle Snyder who turned himself in at Fort Knox on October 31st only to self-check out again after the US military lied to him again, Joshua Key who was denied refugee status by the Canadian government and Ivan Brobeck who returned to the US yesterday to turn himself in.


Meanwhile, Gladys Tericho (Mennoite Central Committee) reports on the conference on conscientious objection held October 20-21 and bringing together groups "including Mennoite, Doukhobor, Quaker and Jehovah's Witnesses." She notes Harry Loewen (Professor Emeritus of Mennonite History and Studies at the University of Winnipeg") stating: "It is important that we deal with these issues now. . . . This principle must not be abandoned, it must be strengthened."



Recommended: "Iraq snapshot"
"Ruth's Report"
"Other Items"
"Resistance is futile -- or at least the independent media coverage is"
"Tuesday. If you don't know what today is, go to t..."
"gas bagging about the elections"
"Ivan Brobeck, Rolling Stones and a rip-off pig"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY STINKS!"
"See how they run, Bully Boy's done"



Sponsored Link

For just $24.99/mo., Vonage offers unlimited local and long- distance calling. Sign up now.

THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY STINKS!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- PENSACOLA, FL.

HE PUT IN HIS STREAKS.

HE BOARDED THE PLANE.

HE GAVE IT HIS ALL OR AT LEAST ALL THAT A PROFESSIONAL HALF-ASS CAN GIVE.

AND JUDAS CRIST!

IN FLORIDA, AS HE AND HIS OVERHANGING BELLY SHOWED UP TO STUMP FOR CHARLIE CHRIST, WHERE WAS CHRIST?


BULLY BOY WAS THERE. SWEATING LIKE A PIG. JEB BUSH WAS THERE. WONDERING WHAT KIND OF FUTURE HE COULD HAVE WITHOUT LEGALLY CHANGING HIS NAME AND ASSUMING SOME SORT OF DISGUISE?

GOODNESS, EVEN KATHARINE HARRIS SHOWED UP AND JEB & BULLY HAD DONE EVERYTHING TO GET HER OUT OF THE RACE EXCEPT T.P. HER HOME AND GIVE HER AN ATOMIC WEDGIE.

BUT THERE WAS KATHY. TOO MUCH MAKE UP AS USUAL. GRIN A LITTLE TOO TIGHT. GRIP ON REALITY A LITTLE TOO LOOSE.

NO 1 HAD THE HEART TO TELL HER IT WAS OVER. SHE WAS THE GIRL BULLY BOY. OR WAS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?


AS KATHY HARRIS WAVED AND WAVED TRYING TO GET JEB AND BULLY BOY'S ATTENTION, CHARLIE CRIST (WHO HAS BUILT HIS CAMPAIGN UPON REASSURING VOTERS THAT HE IS NOT GAY -- HE IS NOT GAY -- HE IS NOT GAY) HIGH TAILED IT OVER TO JACKSONVILLE TO GRAB SOME FACE TIME WITH JOHN MCCAIN.

DID BULLY BOY FORGET TO SHOWER? DID HE FORGET HIS DEODORANT?

FOR SOME REASON, EVERY ONE WAS AVOIDING HIM.


FROM THE TCI WIRE:

"In Iraq, I found myself being the problem instead of the solution" -- Ivan Brobeck quoted by Alison Bodine (Fire This Time). Today, he became the latest US war resister to return from Canada to the United States. Quantico Marine Base in Quantico, VA is where he expects to be processed. Brobeck enlisted in the Marines and, as Jim Fennerty explained to Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) last Friday, there are different processes for different branches and Fennerty believes that Brobeck will "be placed in the brig" and very likely face a court-martial -- which wasn't the case for Darrell Anderson whom Fennerty also represented. Courage to Resist has posted the twenty-year-old war resister's open letter to the Bully Boy. Speaking with Nora Barrows Friedman on yesterday's Flashpoints Brobeck shared: "I'm sort of trying to teach them to open their eyes. It's easy to forget basic stuff in Iraq."

Ivan Brobeck in is own words via Pacific News Service:

I was in the Marines. I joined in June 2003, and after boot camp in March of 2004 I was sent directly to Iraq. This wasn't at all unsettling to me. You see, I went into the Army because I wanted to fight the bad guys. In school during history classes I learned that the Army and Marines had done all these wonderful things, and it all sounded so patriotic and I wanted to do the same. I wanted to fight for freedom.
I didn't care, and I still don't care, if I died fighting for a good and noble cause which is what I wanted to do.In Iraq, I found myself being the problem instead of the solution. A problem in a normal town, in the life of normal people, like the people here in Toronto, trying to go about their life and risking getting shot at by me. Innocent people getting killed for misunderstandings, and for even more trivial things. I found myself in situations with my partners where we had to shoot at speeding cars, at people that probably were just trying to get out of our way.
All these insurgents, as they call them, they're not. They're people who have nothing left. There was this guy who was mad at us because we had killed his family. Wife, children, everybody but him had been killed. He was seeking some kind of retribution. That is not an insurgent, that's a desperate man.
My ethnic background is Salvadoran; my mom is from El Salvador. So the fight against tyranny is something that is dear to me, considering the history of El Salvador. I believed that the war in Iraq was a just war, and it was not. Now, before I get involved again, I really have to see somebody overcoming my country with weapons in hand.

Ivan Brobeck, Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Ehren Watada Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Joshua Key, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman are among those who have been part of a movement of war resistance within the military.Focusing on one US war resister mentioned above (also a Fennerty client), Kyle Snyder returned from Canada last week only to discover that the same military that lied to sign up, was still lying.

Noting the ABC News investigation that found the lies of recruiters continue, Elaine commented: "Will anyone get in trouble for the above? No. But kids will be lied to. Young adults and peole who aren't even 18 yet will be lied to over and over. They'll believe the lies. They'll assume no one in uniform would say something if it wasn't true. My friend, who's back from Iraq and speaking to students so that they don't end up over there, has so many stories like this. He's speaking about twice a week now and there is never just a handful of students who are able to share the kind of lies they've been told, it's always a large number."

Why do recruiters lie? Because they can get away with it. Because they won't be punished. They can sign up someone, someone who is not even able to legally purchase a beer, to a 'contract' that could result in the loss of life and they can do so with any lie that can tumble out of their mouths because there is no accountability.

Information on recruiters and protecting schools can be found at Coalition Against Militarism in Our Schools, Counter-Recruitment and Alternatives to the Military Program and Campus Anti-War Network. 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.


Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"War resister Ivan Brobeck returns to the US"
"Other Items"
"Retail and the economy (Betty)"
"Joshua Key, Marjorie Cohn, Law & Disorder, Iraq"
"kyle snyder, joshua key, missy comley beattie, alexander cockburn"
"Recruiters, Alyssa Peterson"
"Bully in the Beauty Parlor?"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY SERVES UP A LITTLE CHEESECAKE"

Monday, November 06, 2006

THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY SERVES UP A LITTLE CHEESECAKE


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

WHEN TODAY'S EDITORIAL IN THE ARMY TIMES CALLS FOR THE ENFORCED RESIGNATION OR FIRING OF DONALD RUMSFELD WHAT'S A BULLY TO DO?



GET YOUR HAIR STREAKED.

BUT NOT CUT. YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE YOUR BULLY MAMA.

MAYBE IT WILL TAKE YOUR MIND OFF YOUR WEIGHT GAIN?

MAYBE IT WILL LET YOU FORGET ABOUT THE CALLS TO FIRE DONALD RUMSFELD?

OR MAYBE YOU FOOLISHLY DREAM OF YOUR POSTER BEING HUNG BY WORK BENCHES IN GARAGES ACROSS THE NATION?



FROM THE TCI WIRE:

On Sunday, Tom Godfrey (Toronto Sun) broke the news that the Canadian government had denied refugee status to US war resister Tom Godfrey. Joshua Key became the third war resister denied asylum by the Canadian government. The two who came before, Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey, are still awaiting word of their appeal.
Key's case was seen as the strongest of the three due to what Key saw while serving in Iraq. One example can be found in Michelle Mason's documentary Breaking Ranks, where Johsua Key states: "As we got down the Euphrates River and we took a sharp right turn , all we seen was heads and bodies. And American troops in the middle of them saying 'we lost it.' As soon as I stepped and I walked out the back of my APC, I seen two American soldier kicking the head around like a soccer ball. I stepped right back inside the tank and I told my squad leader . . . 'I won't have no part of this'."

In December 2003, Joshua Key returned from Iraq on leave and decided to self-check out. He, Brandi Key (his wife) and their children moved to Philadelphia where they lived 'underground' with Joshua doing welding jobs and Brandi waiting tables. The story of Jeremy Hinzman's war resistance was something Joshua Key learned of online. In March of 2005, the Key family crossed the border into Candada where Joshua, Brandi and their four children have have made their home since.


Tom Godfrey (Toronto Sun) notes that Jeffrey House, the attorney for Joshua Key, states he's "filed refugee claims in Canada" for "[a]t least 35" war resisters. None have yet to be awarded refugee status by the Canadian government which is in stark contrast to the Vietnam era. House tells Godfrey that he believes Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board "doesn't want to hurt relationships with the U.S. by granting refugee status to deserters".


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.

Joshua Key, in his own words (France's Le Monde translated by New Socialist):

My name is Joshua Key. I was born in 1978 in Guthrie, in central Oklahoma. My family worked on a ranch. We had a hard time making ends meet, but I loved the outdoor life, amongs cowboys, and where we didn't have to wear shoes until we started school. I married Brandi after high school. We were the same age, and from the same background. I dreamt of becoming a welder, but I didn't have money for school. So I looked for work doing anything. But there was no future in Guthrie, which has no industry. We went to Wisconsin, then returned, as we found nothing. Our future seemed dim, and we already had two children. It was then I met the recruiters from the Army. It was February, 2002. They knew how to talk to me, that's for sure!


On the topic of military talk, Kyle Snyder remains 'underground.' Last Tuesday, US war resister Kyle Snyder turned himself in at Fort Knox after self-checking out and moving to Canada in April of 2005. Jim Fennerty, Synder's attorney, worked out an agreement regarding Snyder's return with the US military. Fennerty had done similar negotiations for war resister Darrell Anderson when he returned to the United States.
While Darrell Anderson had a Purple Heart and family members who would be actively and strongly making their voices heard, Kyle Snyder grew up in foster-care and appeared to have less of a support network than Anderson. Courage to Resist is asking supporters to call 502-624-2707 to speak to Major General Robert M. Williams and tell him "Discharge Kyle Snyder!" In addition, Brett Barroquere (AP) reported on the reaction in Canada to the US military burning Synder yet again and notes that war resisters Corey Glass and Patrick Hart have no faith currently in their own fates should they return.


Last Friday, Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez (Democracy Now!) interviewed Kyle Snyder who explained: "I had jointed the military October 22, 2003, and I had originally joined for basically, the verbal promises that were given to me at the time then, too. I was 19 years old." When the verbal promises were again broken last week, Kyle Snyder self-checked out again. Snyder, Hinzman, Key, Anderson, Glass, Hart and Hughey are part of a movement of war resistance within the US military that also includes Camilo Mejia, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Aidan Delgado, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Ivan Brobeck, Robin Long, Ryan Johnson, Clifford Cornell, Katherine Jashniski, Agustin Aguayo and Kevin Benderman.



Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on"
"18 US troops have died since the start of November"
"Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts 'Bully Boy Poster'"
"NYT: John F. Burns offers an analytical look at Iraq"
"Other Items"
"US war resister Joshua Key denied refugee status"
"KPFA (C.I.)"
"Meatloaf in the Kitchen"
"Thomas Friedman enlists"
"Kyle Snyder, Iraq, Joshua Frank, Center for Constitutional Rights"
"Breast cancer and Iraq"
"abortion (or 'when he births a child out his butt, then i'll be interested in his opinion')"

Breaking: News of US war resister Joshua Key
Editorial: The lack of passion in independent media (print division)
TV Review: Shadowing the Dick Wolf
The never ending book discussion
Death of the Press
The Life of the Independent Press
Variety ad we'd like to see this winter
Meet the Donkaphant Harold Ford Jr.
Hurry Candidate
Here's what's going onthe bully for third
hfj
the ghost of judy
from free press: underground
for third from the book free press: underground

"THIS JUST IN! DOES THE SENATE NEED MORE LIARS?"
"Tattle tale or liar? Neither should get a vote."