Category: Iraq

A New Year’s resolution:  To do what I can to end the Iraq war and occupation.

To do something, even if it’s something small, to try to accomplish something big.

It takes a leap of faith, in 2008, to believe that anything you do can make a difference.  After nearly five years of being ignored by the Bush administration and the Congress, many are disillusioned and/or cynical.

But, for the most part, they are still planning to vote.

If you believe that your one vote will make a difference in this country’s direction, why wouldn’t you believe that your one voice against the war can also make a difference?

When I wrote recently about the Iraq Moratorium , some readers responded that protests are meaningless or even counterproductive.

Protests not your thing?  Fine.  Do something else.  Contact a member of Congress.  Help an antiwar candidate.  Wear a button.  Whatever.  Let a million ideas and individual actions bloom.  But do something.

That’s what’s attractive about the Iraq Moratorium, a national umbrella uniting people and groups who want to bring the troops home.  There is no “one size fits all” philosophy.  There are no rules.  People are encouraged to do their own thing.  But they are encouraged to do something, and, whatever it is, to do it on the Third Friday of every month.  

The Iraq Moratorium website collects information about past and future actions across the country and makes it accessible so people can share ideas and tactics and support and inspire one another.

Since Moratorium #1 in September, there have been several hundred actions in about 30 states, ranging from simple vigils to rallies and marches challenging war profiteers.  The next round is scheduled on Friday, Jan. 18, and organizers are beginning now to list their plans on the website.

But group actions are just a part of the Iraq Moratorium.  Individuals can take part, too, by doing something on the Third Friday of every month, whether it’s wearing a button or armband to work or school, putting up a sign, writing a letter to the editor, or dozens of other possibilities.  

It would be nice if folks would sign the simple pledge on the website:

I hereby make a commitment that on the Third Friday of each and every month, I will break my daily routine and take some action, by myself or with others, to end the War in Iraq.

But even that formality isn’t necessary.

All you need to do is do something, once a month.

The Pentagon and the war machine will operates 24/7/366  this Leap Year.

How about resolving to spend a small amount of time, once a month, to try to make a difference?

Happy New Year.

cross-posted from Daily Kos

is the title of an important piece in Washington Monthly, subtitled “Why the best and brightest young officers are leaving”.   Written by Andrew Tilghman, it provides the statistics that let us understand that the leadership of the Army is effectively broken, now and for the future.

Consider the following:  of the West Point Class of 2002, 58% left the Army upon completion of their minimum 5 year commitment.  Or on a larger scale, consider this:

In the last four years, the exodus of junior officers from the Army has accelerated. In 2003, around 8 percent of junior officers with between four and nine years of experience left for other careers. Last year, the attrition rate leapt to 13 percent. “A five percent change could potentially be a serious problem,” said James Hosek, an expert in military retention at the RAND Corporation. Over the long term, this rate of attrition would halve the number of officers who reach their tenth year in uniform and intend to take senior leadership roles.

(more)

WE’RE GOING TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET

Cross posted from SanchoPress

http://sanchopress.com/frontPa…

I remember my grandfather saying this. He meant our nation. I remember my mom saying this. She meant America.

It had already begun before my grandfather said it. It had gained momentum when my mom was saying it.

Now I say it. I say it meaning the United States. I also say it meaning the world. The momentum the hand basket had when my mom said it has turned into a flying hand basket. A jet propelled hand basket.    

The descent of the hand basket and all it contains, seems to be caught in a tsunami, a hurricane, an avalanche. At times it feels like there is no hope of stopping the hand basket from reaching it’s stated destination .

Yet, we must try. If we don’t, what do we tell our young children or our grandchildren? What do we say when they ask the inevitable questions?

What did you do to stop the hand basket so my generation wouldn’t be worse off than yours? How did you try to keep the path of the hand basket from making us the first group in America’s history worse off than those before them? Why did you let the hand basket move on and on and leave us on the brink of complete annihilation and destruction of our nation, our world, our planet?

Did you do your best to stop the hand basket cradling our country, our world and our planet? Did you at least try to slow the tide of the tsunami, the winds of the tornado or the avalanche of snow increasing the speed of the hand basket?

What things, people, circumstances, events, difficulties, problems and more are in the hand basket on its way to hell? We can’t even imagine all of what it contains, much less list them all. The hand basket contains all from the beginning of mankind and we’re letting it hurdle to hell at an unprecedented rate.  

To name just some of the recent things to be put in the hand basket from the United States, our actions, our lack of actions, our policies and practices would seem to fill the hand basket until it overflowed and the list would still not be complete.

Even the most recently added to the overflowing hand basket are so very sad, yet, the majority in the hand basket are good.

So, how is it possible that the hand basket is nearing it’s final stop so rapidly?

The bad, negative, evil and worse are the forces propelling the hand basket towards hell. They are only 10% of those in the hand basket. How could 10% possibly be moving the hand basket along at an ever increasing rate? Why would they be doing it? Why doesn’t matter. It may never be known. Maybe it is just that they are greedy, egomaniacs with a never ending lust.  

The rest of us just need to know they, the 10%, are steering the hand basket. They are not only steering the hand basket but they are making it move faster and faster each day.

The good who are the other 90% in the hand basket are desperately trying to put on the brakes, to stop the hand basket or to at least slow down what seems to be the inevitable fate of the hand basket.

Oh, the horrors in the hand basket. Oh, the terrible things in the hand basket just from The United States Of America. Just from the 10% of America’s leaders who are despicable and wretched.

In the hand basket is the war in Iraq. The devastation of a nation that America had no right or reason to invade. The horror of the death and destruction of a people, a nation, a society, a culture.

In the hand basket are the American troops and Iraqis who died. Innumerable others who suffered physical injuries.

Many more and their families who will live forever with the mental torture of TBI, PTSD, mental health issues, divorce, suicide, homelessness and more. All these with little or no help for their problems from the 10% who pushed so vehemently for them to perpetrate this trespass.

In the hand basket are forty seven million uninsured Americans with all the difficulties, heartache and misery this creates for them.

In the hand basket is now the body of Benazir Bhutto on top of Lincoln, Kennedy, Martin Luther, seven million Jews from the holocaust and so many many more bodies of those who died for reasons without just explanation.

In the hand basket are the hungry, the homeless, the forgotten. Many are from the wealthiest nation on earth. In the hand basket are the missing children, those forced into sexual slavery and child pornography. Many are from the richest nation in the world. They will never recover from their scars.

In the hand basket are the children who have been abused. Abused physically, mentally and emotionally. Those who will never be whole again without a great deal of help, if ever. Those who can not trust anyone. Those who feel that almost everyone is out to hurt them. Those that blame others for all their difficulties later in life. Those without the ability to listen to anyone’s direction. Those who spend their life fighting all authority and structure. Those that wallow in self pity. Who can blame them, they were damaged as children. Children are supposed to be our future. They are in the hand basket. Many are now adults and were once the children of our future and they are in the hand basket

Even before the California Supreme Court’s ruling that shopping malls can’t bar protestors, participants in Iraq Moratorium #4 last week were taking their message to the malls.

Some of the action moved to the malls because that’s where the people were, doing holiday shopping four days before Christmas.  Most “mall walkers” did just that — walked the malls wearing antiwar shirts or singing carols, not staging actual protests.

An exception was Madison, Wisconsin, where seven people were “arrested” — and later “unarrested” at West Towne Mall. Organizer Joy First tells what happened:

When we got to the center [of the mall], we unfurled our banners saying “3896 US soldiers killed in Iraq,” “Over 655,000 Iraqis killed” and “Stop the War Now”. A couple of us began slowly and loudly reading names of Iraqis and US soldiers killed in the war, and a couple handed out leaflets. It was only about 5-10 minutes before the mall security and manager came over and told us we had to stop. We talked to them about why we were there and why we couldn’t stop.

We felt we had the right to be there and that we needed to get this message out. Doing this action at the mall is important to juxtapose the suffering of the Iraqi people with the commercialism of the holiday season in the US. So, we continued and mall security called the police.

Bonnie, Susan, and I laid down on the floor and were covered with the banners we had been holding. Someone laid a red rose on top of each shroud. It is very uncomfortable laying there because once you are covered with the sheet, you cannot see what is going on any more. But I did continue to hear the clear, strong voices of my friends reading the names of people killed in the war as the jolly Christmas music from the mall played in the background.

I could also people walking by – some of them supportive and some not. One comment I heard several times was that we shouldn’t be doing something like this because there were kids around. I am listening to names being read, such as Mariam, daughter of Haider Mujed, age 3, or Ayat, daughter of Jaider Mujed, age 1 or Saif Alwan, age 14, or Ali Hamid, age 2. Do you remember your 2-year old and how sweet and lovable they are at that age? People are complaining that we shouldn’t do this with children present, but I think about all the Iraqi children who are being killed and wonder who will protect them.

You can read the full report and see a video of the entire action on the Iraq Moratorium website. Go to the reports section.

Elsewhere, mall walkers in San Mateo, California confronted Marine Corps recruiters in the mall (above.) Palo Alto and San Jose groups also did mall walks, and protestors sang antiwar carols outside of Macy’s in San Francisco. In Nashville, activists held signs along the roadway entering a busy mall.

A group in Hobart, Indiana pioneered the mall walks for peace in October, strolling the mall and buying a few items while wearing “Out of Iraq” T-shirts and armbands.

Being “shoppers” or mall walkers seems to remove some of the legal questions about holding a protest on private property.  

There have been arguments over the years that malls are the new town squares, public places where free speech should prevail. The California decision does not answer the broaader question, but dealt with union members asking shoppers to boycott a store.

The First Amendment Center offers a summary and links to stories on some of the cases, most of which have come down on the side of property rights over First Amendment rights:  

Court upholds Florida candidate’s petition rights in mall

State district court agrees that Kevin Wood should not have been convicted of trespassing for seeking signatures. 02.07.04

‘Peace’ T-shirt spawns legal fight against N.Y. town, mall

NYCLU argues that since Crossgates Mall receives tax incentives from town of Guilderland, it’s a public area in which free speech is guaranteed. 05.31.04

Mall owners can limit speech, Connecticut high court says

Justices rule managers legally prohibited union members from distributing leaflets, saying shopping center is private – not public – entity. 07.20.04

Protesters at Hawaii malls can be prosecuted for trespass

State high court rejects argument that shopping center’s common areas should be considered public space where free speech is protected. 08.14.04

La. man wins right to protest in front of Wal-Mart

Federal court order allows Edwin Crayton to picket on public sidewalk in front of store without permit from city. 11.14.06

Prediction for 2008:  More mall walks, more protests, more legal challenges as antiwar actions escalate.

Says Joy First in Madison:

We must and we will continue to speak out against the war and occupation. As the devastation in Iraq continues and more and more people are hurt and killed, as more people become refugees, as more US soldiers come home with injuries physical, emotional, and spiritual, as more children in this country are starving and homeless because we are using all resources in Iraq, we will continue to take more and more risks in speaking out against the horrors that are caused by our government’s actions. We cannot and will not remain silent. It is our duty and responsibility to speak out.

I am doing research for an article for a magazine. I have been speaking with troops directly in Iraq and Afghanistan on the front. I also speak with Veterans who have left the military who were in both these battle fields.

In general these men and women believe that we need to remain in Afghanistan. They firmly believe that both the Taliban and Al Qaeda remain strong forces. Their thoughts are that essentially these groups are organizations setup with a corporate structure. Many said it does not matter whether Bin Laden or any other leaders are dead or not, there are many second in command (vice presidents) who will take over.

They feel as strongly as we on the left about getting out of Iraq. Virtually every one of them I spoke to currently in the military and those who have returned believe it was wrong to go into Iraq and we need to be out ASAP.

We currently have 160,000 troops in Iraq and 50,000 in Afghanistan.

They know Bushco used 9/11, Al Qaeda, Bin Laden and The Taliban for fear mongering. They believe that he just exploited a situation that is real. Their thoughts are that both these groups are as strong or stronger than they were on 9/11.

Those in Afghanistan believe in what they are doing there and are very frustrated that Pakistan is not allowing them in their country to pursue the Taliban and Al Qaeda. On this battle front the men and women universally are committed to their cause.

Those in Iraq are completely discouraged and feel their training is being wasted and they are killing for no good cause. They know they are in an un-winnable war that is virtually a civil war within Iraq. The Iraqi government and military are NOT “stepping up to the plate” and taking the lead and doing their job. They should be preparing to take things over as we withdraw but are doing little to show signs of doing so.

In general the troops in Iraq would gladly go to do what they were trained to do in Afghanistan.

I have spoken to over 50 men and women who are in or were in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have spoke to officers as high as Majors. That is three promotions from General. They are of the same belief.

What are your thoughts on these issues? PLEASE TAKE POLL, THIS IS A LARGE PART OF WHY I POSTED THIS ESSAY. THANKS.

Senator Barack Obama’s top campaign strategist today implied that Senator Hillary Clinton is somehow partially to blame for the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. From Time:

Bhutto’s death will “call into issue the judgment: who’s made the right judgments,” Axelrod said. “Obviously, one of the reasons that Pakistan is in the distress that it’s in is because al-Qaeda is resurgent, has become more powerful within that country and that’s a consequence of us taking the eye off the ball and making the wrong judgment in going into Iraq. That’s a serious difference between these candidates and I’m sure that people will take that into consideration.”

And he points specifically to Senator Clinton.

“She was a strong supporter of the war in Iraq, which we would submit, was one of the reasons why we were diverted from Afghanistan, Pakistan and al-Qaeda, who may have been players in this event today, so that’s a judgment she’ll have to defend,” Axelrod said.

Big Tent Democrat wonders where Sen. Obama has been on funding Iraq and Afghanistan. Here’s the answer, Big Tent, from Talking Points Memo:

If you were looking for excuses for December’s Iraq Moratorium to be smaller than previous ones, there were plenty available. It fell four days before Christmas, on the darkest day of the year, with cold weather in much of the country and campuses closed for winter break.

None of that mattered in Hayward, a city of 2,129 in northwestern Wisconsin, which we’ve reported on previously.  When 40 people turned out there in November, we projected that on a percentage basis that was equivalent to 12,000 people in Milwaukee, 160,000 in New York City, or 6 million nationally.

Puffed up by that kind of publicity here and elsewhere, one of the organizers, Steve Carlson, boldly set a goal of 75 for Iraq Moratorium #4 in December.  He later had some second thoughts, no doubt.

So, what happened? They doubled attendance. Here’s the report: