Iraq & Afghanistan, A Drawing-Down of Blinds.(Full View at http://themcglynn.com/?p=30756
And silence permeates our country. Nor any voice of mourning except the choirs, family and friends.
America’s military industrial complex and many of her national leaders have found a way to wage war in a manner that leaves the majority of Americans directly unaffected by its horrors (and ignorant of the negative indirect effects on their common good). The absence of a draft, the use of high tech, impersonal killing machines (such as drones), and the failure of the mainstream media to adequately cover such a war result in a citizenry totally oblivious to the devastation that we are inflicting on foreign lands and their peoples and to the misery that such a war produces for that relatively small sub-set of Americans who are its foot soldiers. Shame on us for tolerating such a condition and for our silence.The anti-war movement currently is, for all practical purposes, defunct. It is possible that a peace movement rising from such a clueless and careless population cannot sustain itself effectively against endless war. Our streets are empty, our protestors are few. What, if anything, will awaken our outrage? The O'Leary
New Quotes
“We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and remember we are not descended from fearful men — not from men who feared to write, to speak , to associate with and defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular. . . .(Senator McCarthy) didn’t create this situation of fear, he merely exploited it, and rather successfully. . . Cassius was right, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” — Edward R. Murrow
Neda
Shall We, Let rest another child, whose innocence falls beneath Hate and Fear, Shall We, Trust in Neda’s hope, or Shall We, see that man raised this hand, Shall We, Honor all The Fallen, or Shall We wait for thousands more to be taken by our hand, Shall We, Stand With Neda or Shall We, stand with man…
Quotation Of The Week
“Maybe one day when we remember that we are animals, we will stop killing each other like human beings.”
“All war is anathema, unnecessary war is sacrilege.”
“I am more the patriot today as I march in protest and dissent than when I wore the uniform of a United States Marine. Nor am I less the warrior, armed with a bullhorn rather than an automatic weapon.”
“Memorial Day is the occasion this nation sets aside to remember, to grieve, and to honor those who chose or were compelled to sacrifice their lives in behalf of a cause they believed or were told was just. Those of us who have known war hear the cries of the dying forever echo in our minds and suffer the pain and loss each day of our lives. We need no holiday to remind us.”
A crackdown on illegal immigration in Arizona was thrown into a state of limbo yesterday, as a judge at the State Capitol in Phoenix put almost every one of its most controversial measures on hold, just 14 hours before they had been due to take effect…………………………….
The US military has been accused of leaving behind a legacy of toxic waste, as troops prepare to withdraw from Iraq.
Officials deny the claim but doctors say they have treated people who have had contact with hazardous materials from US bases and there are concerns about dangerous waste being processed by private contractors.
Suicides in the U.S. Army spiked in June to the highest monthly level since the Vietnam era. According to military statistics, 32 soldiers took their own lives last month. Twenty-one of those were on active duty, while 11 were reservists with inactive status. Seven soldiers were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army officials are at a loss for explanations for the sudden rise: “I have no silver bullet to answer the question why,” said the head of the Army’s suicide prevention task force. He did, however, point out that, “Continued stress on the force and the opportunities we have been facing in terms of the challenges in the Army continue to cause these events to take place.” Last year already broke the annual record for Army suicides with 245 service men and women killing themselves. So far, 2010 has seen suicides rise to over half of 2009’s numbers.
Suicide prevention training resources for Army families can be accessed at:
http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/training_sub.asp?sub_cat=20. Army Knowledge Online is required to download materials. Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCOE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center. Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental U.S. 1-800-342-9647;their Web site address is http://www.militaryonesource.com . Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location
This list includes fatal U.S. government casualties military and civilian in the Occupation Of Iraq. Its totals will usually be slightly less than those in media reports because they are based on Defense Department reports of each casualty’s name and other personal details, which are not released until next of kin are notified. The information s cross-checked with reports by the Associated Press and local news media and periodic updates by the Defense Department. The list for U.S. casualties in the Occupation of Afghanistan is below.Total To Date:
*Includes eight soldiers who died from their wounds but not listed as such by the Pentagon.Wounded: Can not find a reliable source.In addition thousands upon thousands of soldiers have suffered and are continuing to suffer from PTS and a broad spectrum of mental illnesses.
Names of the Dead
Recent Confirmations:
1st Lt. Michael L. Runyan, 24, of Newark, Ohio, died July 21 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his convoy vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 52nd Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Yet To Be Named
None
For Other Iraq Casualties since June 1, 2009 see page:
This list includes fatal U.S. government casualties military and civilian in the Occupation Of Afghanistan. Its totals will usually be slightly less than those in media reports because they are based on Defense Department reports of each casualty’s name and other personal details, which are not released until next of kin are notified. The information is cross-checked with reports by the Associated Press and local news media and periodic updates by the Defense Department.
Total To Date:
Killed: 1209
Wounded: Can not find a reliable source.
Names of the Dead:
Recent Confirmations
Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, 30, of Wheatridge, Colo., died from wounds sustained from the July 23 incident. Coalition Forces recovered his body July 25 after an extensive search. He was assigned to Assault Craft Unit One (ACU-1), San Diego.
Lance Cpl. Frederik E. Vazquez, 20, of Melrose Park, Ill., died July 24 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, IIMarine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Pfc. Andrew L. Hand, 25, of Enterprise, Ala…assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash…died July 24, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Spc. Joseph A. Bauer, 27, of Cincinnati, Ohio…assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash…died July 24, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Sgt. Daniel Lim, 23, of Cypress, Calif…assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash…died July 24, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Staff Sgt. Conrad A. Mora, 24, of San Diego, Calif…assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash…died July 24, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Maj. James M. Weis, 37, of Toms River, N.J…assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif…died July 22 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Lt. Col. Mario D. Carazo, 41, of Springfield, Ohio…assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif…died July 22 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan
Pfc. James J. Oquin, 20, of El Paso, Texas, died July 23 in Orgun-E, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident when he was swept away by the current when a levee broke near his military vehicle in Paktika, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Cpl. Joe L. Wrightsman, 23, of Jonesboro, La., died July 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Cpl. Julio Vargas, 23, of Sylmar, Calif., died July 20 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Staff Sgt. Brian F. Piercy, 27, of Clovis, Calif., died July 19 in Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Cpl. Paul J. Miller, 22, of Traverse City, Mich., died July 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Gunnery Sgt. Christopher L. Eastman, 28, of Moose Pass, Ark., died July 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
1st Lt. Robert N. Bennedsen, 25, of Vashon, Wash., died July 18 at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
Sgt. Anibal Santiago, 37, of Belvidere, Ill., died July 18 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained July 17 in a non-combat related incident in Kwowst, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.
Yet To Be Named
?
For Other Afghanistan Casualties since June 1, 2009 see page:
For the better part of the past year, Republicans have tried to come up with a new agenda for the American people with mixed results. However, with the Tea Party now the most potent force in Republican politics, and with the recent launch of the Tea Party Caucus on Capitol Hill garnering the support of Republican leaders like National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Pete Sessions and Republican Caucus Chair Mike Pence, the Republican Party agenda has become clear. Republican leaders and Tea Party supported Republican candidates can now rally around the “Republican Tea Party Contract on America” as the blueprint for how they would govern.
Iraq’s oil reserves are estimated to be the world’s third-largest after Saudi Arabia’s and Canada’s [AP]
The US Defence Department is unable to properly account for $8.7 billion in Iraqi oil money tapped by the US for rebuilding the war ravaged nation, according to an audit.
This came in an audit report released by the US Special Investigator for Iraq Reconstruction on Tuesday.
The report offers a compelling look at continued laxness in how such funds are being spent.
The audit found that shoddy record keeping by the Defence Department left the Pentagon unable to fully account for over 95 per cent of a total of $9.1 billion it withdrew between 2004 and 2007 from a special fund set up by the UN Security Council.
Top, one of the photographs discovered by Rick Norsigian. Experts believe it to have been taken on the same day as the verified Ansel Adams photograph below
Rick Norsigian, a Californian antique buff, knew exactly what he was looking for when he went rooting through a Fresno garage in 2000. He was looking for a vintage barber’s chair, to add to his eclectic collection of old telephone switchboards, petrol pumps and aeroplane propellers. But when the chair turned out to be a dud, he chanced upon something that changed his life: two boxes of antique glass negatives which, a Beverly Hills art appraiser declared yesterday, were the work of Ansel Adams, the father of American photography.
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