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The other soldiers killed in Afghanistan during the 4th of July weekend.

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On the ground in Afghanistan barely more than a month, Edwin “Eddie” Wood already had survived one bomb attack.

He was first sent to Afghanistan in May, when he had his first brush with a bomb.

 Wood originally intended to be home on leave for his favorite holiday, the Fourth of July, though he had barely begun his year-long overseas tour.

 As it turned out, his leave got moved up — to June 11 — and he spent two weeks in Omaha with his family.

 “We were all here for him, and he was happy as could be,’’ said his mother, Janis Boehmer of Omaha.

 He returned to Afghanistan June 29 and soon was back on patrol. His family was celebrating the July 4th  weekend without him Monday when they received word he had been killed.

Back out on patrol July 5th as a scout with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, insurgent bombers struck again. This time, the blast claimed the life of Pfc. Wood, an 18-year-old graduate of Omaha North High School.

Wood called home on July 4th, but his mother said she missed talking to him. She has the message he left on her voice mail: “Hey Mom, just letting you know that I’m doing OK, and just wanted to let you know we had a little awards ceremony the other day. Talk to you later when I get my phone. … Love you guys. Bye.”

Wood, better known as Freckles, worked at YMCA Camp Pokamoke in Crescent, Iowa, as a junior counselor. He was remembered as a role model and known for his giving personality. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the camp flew its flag at half-staff in his honor.

 “He was the only person I knew who had a big heart and cared about everyone,” said Courtney Janz, a fellow junior counselor.

 Wood wrote Janz letters while was still stationed in the United States. While he was home in June, Wood told Janz about his near-death experiences in Afghanistan and said he was having memory loss issues.

 “He wouldn’t get checked out because he feared not being able to go back to the Army. He was so dedicated,” Janz said.
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Hamas rocket maker killed in raid

Israeli air raids have killed a Hamas rocket maker and wounded 13 other people in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian faction that rules the territory told Al Jazeera. Issa Batran, a commander of Hamas’ armed wing, was killed overnight after a missile hit his trailer in central Gaza. A Hamas training camp in Gaza City and smuggling tunnels along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt were also hit. “This is a serious escalation perpetrated by the occupation government [of Israel],” Fawzi Barhoum, the Hamas spokesman in Gaza, told Al Jazeera on Saturday……………………….

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Trapped in Gaza

The worst monsoon rains in 100 years

By Kamal Hyder
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Witnesses bent on self-exoneration

John Kampfner: The Chilcot inquiry, which marks its first anniversary this weekend, was flawed from the start. Its purpose was not to apportion blame. Everyone realised from the outset that Blair would get away with it scot-free.

• Prescott: files on Iraq’s WMD made me nervous
• The Chilcot inquiry has already exposed the folly of the invasion
• Sir John and team to visit Iraq to hear ‘Iraqi perspectives’

  Will County sheriff’s police spokesman Pat Barry told the Southtown Star Albinger won’t be going anywhere for awhile.

The Anti-Defamation League has joined the likes of Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Rick Lazio, and a slew of other Conservative protesters…………….

Huffington Post   |  David Weiner So much for religious tolerance.

The O’Leary: You can tell the integrity of an individual or an organization when their stated lofty beliefs are put to the test.

The Anti-Defamation League has joined the likes of Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Rick Lazio, and a slew of other Conservative protesters in standing against the building of a mosque in the vicinity of the World Trade Center site.

In a statement issued by the Jewish organization, the group claims that while “proponents of the Islamic Center may have every right to build at this site, and may even have chosen the site to send a positive message about Islam,” it is ultimately “not a question of rights, but a question of what is right.”

Moreover, despite “the bigotry some have expressed in attacking” those behind the building of the mosque (which the ADL deems “unfair” and “wrong”), it is their judgment that “building an Islamic Center in the shadow of the World Trade Center will cause some victims more pain – unnecessarily – and that is not right.”

While the ADL rarely shies away from controversy, news of their opposition left many journalists and pundits stunned.

As Tablet’s Marc Tracy puts it:

Founded in 1913, the ADL, in its words, “fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all.” Except when it does the precise opposite.

Read on for the full release:

We regard freedom of religion as a cornerstone of the American democracy, and that freedom must include the right of all Americans – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths – to build community centers and houses of worship.
We categorically reject appeals to bigotry on the basis of religion, and condemn those whose opposition to this proposed Islamic Center is a manifestation of such bigotry.

However, there are understandably strong passions and keen sensitivities surrounding the World Trade Center site. We are ever mindful of the tragedy which befell our nation there, the pain we all still feel – and especially the anguish of the families and friends of those who were killed on September 11, 2001.

The controversy which has emerged regarding the building of an Islamic Center at this location is counterproductive to the healing process. Therefore, under these unique circumstances, we believe the City of New York would be better served if an alternative location could be found.

In recommending that a different location be found for the Islamic Center, we are mindful that some legitimate questions have been raised about who is providing the funding to build it, and what connections, if any, its leaders might have with groups whose ideologies stand in contradiction to our shared values. These questions deserve a response, and we hope those backing the project will be transparent and forthcoming. But regardless of how they respond, the issue at stake is a broader one.

Proponents of the Islamic Center may have every right to build at this site, and may even have chosen the site to send a positive message about Islam. The bigotry some have expressed in attacking them is unfair, and wrong. But ultimately this is not a question of rights, but a question of what is right. In our judgment, building an Islamic Center in the shadow of the World Trade Center will cause some victims more pain – unnecessarily – and that is not right.

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Immigrants driven out of Arizona return home

Guy Adams: With the state’s crackdown on illegal migrants ruled unlawful, there’s elation among the families who fled in fear………………..

• Republican governor knows she can still count on voters despite legal setback

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WikiLeaks accused back in America

Bradley Manning transferred back from Kuwait amid investigation over leaks of classified Afghan war logs………………………..

• Gates describes leak’s ‘dangerous’ consequences
• Deadliest month for US forces in Afghanistan
• Full coverage of the Afghanistan war logs

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Portrait of an occupied country