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	<title>PINKtank</title>
	<atom:link href="http://codepink.org/blog/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://codepink.org/blog</link>
	<description>the Personal is Political</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:49:54 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Obama, the Truth Will Set Them Free</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/09/obama-the-truth-will-set-them-free/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/09/obama-the-truth-will-set-them-free/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:49:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jean Desiree</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9232</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>President Obama mentioned a soldier from the Army's 4th Brigade, 2nd  Infantry Division, who stated that he wished those who are no longer  here could have seen the withdrawal.</p>
<p>In last week's LA Times, Ned Parker reported comments from the same  Army 4th Brigade. One soldier, as they passed an Iraqi field said,  "Saddam really hid those WMD well." Everyone laughed. Another said, "I  have no faith in people whatsoever. Put two people in a room with a  hammer and one of them will wind up dead." Parker's article is a  cautionary tale that President Obama does not have the stomach to tell.  He loves the troops, but like a father who can't admit that his son is  in deep trouble and it may be from his parenting, neither Obama, Bush,  nor the Pentagon will ever admit the deepest wound we have inflicted on  our best and brightest. It is one thing to say a war is difficult and  cost billions - it is not going well - it may not be won. It is quite  another to admit to over 1.5 million volunteer soldiers as over 400,000  have already filed medical claims, that there was no mission, except to  come home.</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>By Patricia Foulkrod<br />
Director, The Ground Truth </strong></em></p>
<p>President Obama mentioned a soldier from the Army&#8217;s 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, who stated that he wished those who are no longer here could have seen the withdrawal.</p>
<p>In last week&#8217;s LA Times, Ned Parker reported comments from the same Army 4th Brigade. One soldier, as they passed an Iraqi field said, &#8220;Saddam really hid those WMD well.&#8221; Everyone laughed. Another said, &#8220;I have no faith in people whatsoever. Put two people in a room with a hammer and one of them will wind up dead.&#8221; Parker&#8217;s article is a cautionary tale that President Obama does not have the stomach to tell. He loves the troops, but like a father who can&#8217;t admit that his son is in deep trouble and it may be from his parenting, neither Obama, Bush, nor the Pentagon will ever admit the deepest wound we have inflicted on our best and brightest. It is one thing to say a war is difficult and cost billions &#8211; it is not going well &#8211; it may not be won. It is quite another to admit to over 1.5 million volunteer soldiers as over 400,000 have already filed medical claims, that there was no mission, except to come home.</p>
<p>I directed, The Ground Truth, a 2007 documentary film regarding the physical and emotional effects our current wars are having on our soldiers. Over and over I heard the same response from soldiers in the Army, Marines, Navy, National Guard; it ceased to make sense to ask the question: What do you think is the mission in Iraq? 99% said a variation of: &#8220;to protect your buddies, get this shit over with, and go home.&#8221;</p>
<p>The first thing I learned from interviewing a military general is that your troops must buy into a combat mission in war, if you want to be successful. I would add, if you want your soldiers to come home with less PTSD, less intrusive thoughts, less drug and alcohol addiction, less domestic and violent crimes at home, less suicides, and possibility more ability to transition back to their families, children and community. Unfortunately, time in Iraq for many will set the stage for a new war at home, and even after a mission soldier&#8217;s believe in, the effects of war are often deep. However, more money, more therapists, and more citizen support for our troops cannot heal the no mission wound.</p>
<p>I have seen severe depression, drugs, an inability to ask for help in the VA maze that most can not navigate on a good day, and most painful, the young wives living with traumatic brain injured husbands who used to be dudes and studs and are now unable to feed themselves. And the silent question of &#8220;Why&#8221; is deafening, and not uttered because this war&#8217;s pain wants relief, and it is perceived to be cruel and unpatriotic to tell a mother her son died, is permanently wounded or mentally disturbed in vain.<br />
We need to stop telling our soldiers how brave and heroic they are &#8211; and start asking for their forgiveness for telling them they were liberating people who blew them up, forced them to impose democracy on tribal people they did not understand, and still keep asking them to protect contractors who are corporate slaves making twice their salaries. We knew down to our core there was no mission, so we acted like a country not at war. I know many soldiers helped the Iraqi people, did what they could to train their soldiers, and that some of these soldiers have spent more years with Iraqis than with their families. I also know military service is cherished by many, many soldiers despite hating the Iraq War and not having a mission.</p>
<p>Until we can look our soldiers in the eye and tell them what they already know better than anyone else &#8211; that there was no mission &#8211; how can we genuinely welcome them home or expect them to heal? They will be looking in that rear-view mirror for years to come whether they want to or not while we move on to Afghanistan and Pakistan. They will see in that mirror things they wish were not there that we can never see or erase. But we can at least acknowledge that they are not crazy for their frustration and anguish as they had to do their duty while trying to figure for over seven years why they went, and why they were deployed over and over again to fix the mission that could never be found.</p>
<p>Reposted from the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patricia-foulkrod/obama-the-truth-will-set-_b_702773.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a> 9/2/10.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Peace Charade</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/09/peace-charade/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/09/peace-charade/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:50:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DC</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gaza/Israel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9220</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Secretary Hillary Clinton allows cameras to document peace talks: Photos via Yahoo!/AP: Full Transcript (Script): PEACE CHARADE – A “Peace Talks” Parody Location: In Front of White House Setting Side-by-side: To the far right, standing around or sitting at a desk: Netanyahu Clinton in the middle Abbas To the far left, behind bars, in a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>Secretary Hillary Clinton allows cameras to document peace talks:</h3>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="640" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bSbNvm_iHr8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bSbNvm_iHr8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<h3>Photos via Yahoo!/AP:</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="Peace Charade - The Photo Op" src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100901/capt.cd1df15209aa4c09ace5fe11a664db92-cd1df15209aa4c09ace5fe11a664db92-0.jpg?x=400&amp;y=266&amp;q=85&amp;sig=cxtmT1Coqq2TNdp2_p7k_A--" alt="" width="399" height="266" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="Clinton speaks! You listen!" src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100901/capt.f2a4fe6be7ef4c7f8d0aebee174903aa-f2a4fe6be7ef4c7f8d0aebee174903aa-0.jpg?x=400&amp;y=297&amp;q=85&amp;sig=W.mt74hIC4AdayJ1MtP4rQ--" alt="" width="399" height="297" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="People of Gaza" src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100901/capt.7343480d323143d0ba79daf07d78818f-7343480d323143d0ba79daf07d78818f-0.jpg?x=400&amp;y=262&amp;q=85&amp;sig=RRI.1Xr2h6fRRBUT3uhH9g--" alt="" width="400" height="262" /></p>
<h3>Full Transcript (Script):</h3>
<p><strong>PEACE CHARADE – A “Peace Talks” Parody</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Location: In Front of White House<br />
</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Setting</em></strong></p>
<p>Side-by-side:</p>
<ul>
<li>To the far right, standing around or sitting at a desk:
<ul>
<li>Netanyahu</li>
<li>Clinton in the middle</li>
<li>Abbas</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>To the far left, behind bars, in a cage, barbed wire, etc.:
<ul>
<li>Three people holding behind Gaza-Prison</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>“Off-stage” – one settler and one IDF soldier with many settlements.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em> </em></strong></p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p><em>(Addressing camera/crowd/public)<strong> </strong></em></p>
<p>Welcome to our semi-annual Peace Charade, where the failure to reach a peace agreement is a success for Israel’s continued expansion of settlements! We’ve gathered outside of the White House on this beautiful day in order to begin negotiations for bringing about peace, or something, to the Middle East!</p>
<p>CLINTON (cont’d)</p>
<p><em>(Adressing Netanyahu/Abbas)</em></p>
<p><em> </em>Gentlemen, can we begin negotiations?</p>
<p>NETANYAHU/ABBAS</p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>PEOPLE OF GAZA #1</p>
<p>Can we say something?</p>
<p>CLINTON/NETANYAHU/ABBAS</p>
<p><em>(Turning to face People in Gaza)</em></p>
<p>NO!</p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p>Sorry about that interruption, we’ll try to not let it happen again. Gentlemen?</p>
<p>NETANYAHU</p>
<p>Yes, well, I’ve brought some friends with me who I think will contribute significantly to the direction of our peace negotiations.</p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p>Oh, okay, well, I don’t know if –</p>
<p>NETANYAHU</p>
<p>Boys!</p>
<p>Settler and &#8220;IDF&#8221; soldier come out carrying two settlements.</p>
<p>NETANYAHU</p>
<p>Abbas, will you please scoot over for my friends?</p>
<p>ABBAS</p>
<p><em>(sighs)</em></p>
<p>Of course…</p>
<p>Abbas moves further to the right and the Settler and &#8220;IDF&#8221; soldier place the settlements in between Netanyahu and Abbas. The soldiers/settlers walk away.</p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for showing significant restraint there! You could have built a lot more settlements, but you’re obviously very committed to peace in the Middle East. I feel like we’re really moving forward in this Peace Charade.</p>
<p>PEOPLE OF GAZA #2</p>
<p>Why don’t we get any voice in these talks? Why are we shut out, ignored, and vilified?</p>
<p>NETANYAHU</p>
<p>We can’t listen to what they have to say, that’ll undermine our security! Clinton, you need to do something about this before we do!</p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p>(<em>Pulling a document from her pocket and reading it aloud)</em></p>
<p>The Government of the United States hereby condemns the People of Gaza for speaking outloud, and thereby threatening the security of Israel, our Best Friends Forever. <em>(Turning to Abbas</em>) Now, Abbas, please get your people under control!</p>
<p>PEOPLE OF GAZA #1</p>
<p>When we have no representation in the peace process, nearly half of Palestinians are left out of the discussion!</p>
<p>PEOPLE OF GAZA #2</p>
<p>And what do you mean talking about “Israeli Security”? Israel is the only country with nuclear weapons in the Middle East! That threatens Palestinian security and the security of the entire region!</p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p>Now, now! That’s not something we talk about!</p>
<p>ABBAS</p>
<p><em>(To People of Gaza)</em></p>
<p>Come on guys, please stop! I’m trying to negotiate here! Pleeeeeeease.</p>
<p>NETANYAHU</p>
<p>While you all sort that out, I’ve got a few more things to add to the peace process. Boys?</p>
<p>The settler and &#8220;IDF&#8221; soldier place another settlement to the other side of Abbas, boxing him in. The soldiers/settlers walk away.</p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p>Wow, even more restraint demonstrated by Israel! You are so committed to this Peace Charade. If only the People of Gaza would stop interrupting, then we could make some serious progress. Anyways, back to the negotiations. Do you have anything to add, Abbas?</p>
<p>ABBAS</p>
<p>Well, to be honest, we would truly appreciate it if Israel would maybe consider stop building so many settlements. If that’s not an inconvenience. This is our land, you know… if that’s okay.</p>
<p>PEOPLE OF GAZA #1</p>
<p>And what about us? We live in the world’s largest open-air prison camp! We constantly live under siege, without basic needs, and in continual fear of being bombed and attacked. Why do we get no say in what needs to happen to bring about peace?</p>
<p>NETANYAHU</p>
<p>You know, this Peace Charade are really taking way too much time for the security of Israel. It appears that we will have to take the action necessary for peace into our own hands. Boys?</p>
<p>The Settler and &#8220;IDF&#8221; soldier bring in one huge settlement and place it in front of Abbas, obscuring him. He must stand to be seen. The soldiers/settlers stick around.</p>
<p>NETANYAHU</p>
<p>And, this, exactly, is what we were hoping this Peace Charade would accomplish! Peace at last.</p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p>(<em>To Netanyahu)</em></p>
<p>Wow, you really restrained for as long as you could. I really congratulate Israel for their dedication to peace! And, as we always say, I expect we’ll see a viable Palestinian state in two years. A Palestinian state is always two years away!</p>
<p>CLINTON</p>
<p>(<em>To Netanyahu/Abbas)</em></p>
<p>This Peace Charade have been a huge success in achieving peace in the Middle East. Now, for President Obama’s sake, can we pose for a photo-op?</p>
<p>Abbas, Netanyahu, and Clinton come together within the array of the settlements. Clinton is behind them (giving a thumbs up) as Netanyahu and Abbas shake hands and they are juxtaposed to the People of Gaza who are still in an open-air prison. The photo is taken.</p>
<p>Film turns to still shot of the photo-op with the words MISSION ACCOMPLISHED in large letters above the White House.<strong><em> </em></strong></p>
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		<title>War Criminal of the Week: Back to School with Robert Delahunty</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/war-criminal-of-the-week-back-to-school-with-robert-delahunty/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/war-criminal-of-the-week-back-to-school-with-robert-delahunty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:43:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nancy M.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accountability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accountability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guantanamo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Delahunty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[war criminal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[War Criminal of the Week: Back to School with Robert Delahunty By Nancy Mancias Robert Delahunty was a Bush legal lackey who helped re-write the United States rules of engagement in a post-9/11 world. While working in the Department of Justice, Delahunty co-wrote legal opinions on interrogation, detention and extraordinary rendition with his partner in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>War Criminal of the Week: Back to School with Robert Delahunty</strong></span><br />
By Nancy Mancias</p>
<p>Robert Delahunty was a Bush legal lackey who helped re-write the United States rules of engagement in a post-9/11 world. While working in the Department of Justice, Delahunty co-wrote legal opinions on interrogation, detention and extraordinary rendition with his partner in crime John Yoo.</p>
<p>In his memo &#8220;Application of Treaties and Laws to al Qaeda and Taliban Detainees,&#8221; Delahunty basically scraps the Geneva Convention by writing that al Qaeda and Taliban members are &#8220;not governed by the bulk of the Geneva Conventions, specifically those provisions concerning POW.&#8221;</p>
<p>As the Bush administration launched its war on terror, the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba was in preparation to house &#8220;enemy combatants.&#8221; Men and young boys were wrongfully picked up by bounty hunters in Afghanistan and disappeared to the prison as members of al Qaeda and Taliban. Since 2002, prisoners undergone torture from the Joint Task Force guards who were in direct supervision of the U.S Southern Command based in Miami, Florida. After years of being held at the detention facility, prisoners were released without any explanation of their unlawful detainment from the previous or current administrations.</p>
<p>In 2006, CODEPINK sponsored a delegation to protest the Guantanamo Prison in Guantanamo, Cuba.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/codepink4peace.org/img/original/cindy21.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="259" /></p>
<p>Delegation member Asif Iqbal, a 25-year-old British citizen, was held in extrajudicial detention, as a terror suspect. Iqbal and his friends Ruhal Ahmed and Shafiq Rasul were captured in November 2001 in Afghanistan and then taken to Guantanamo. Known as &#8220;The Tipton 3&#8243; because the three young men are from Tipton, England, they were all released on March 9, 2004 with no charges.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Robert Delahunty moves on with his life, walking freely through the streets of Minneapolis-St. Paul readying himself for his first day of school at the prestigious University of St. Thomas School of Law.</p>
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		<title>CODEPINK Looking for DC Intern Focusing on Palestine Work</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/codepink-looking-for-dc-intern-focusing-on-palestine-work/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/codepink-looking-for-dc-intern-focusing-on-palestine-work/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:23:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DC</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gaza/Israel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9196</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[About CODEPINK CODEPINK is grassroots peace and social justice group that seeks positive social change through proactive, creative protests, and non-violent direct actions.  For the past eight years, CODEPINK activists have organized to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop a new war with Iran, and support a peaceful solution to the Israel/Palestine struggle [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>About CODEPINK</strong></p>
<p>CODEPINK is grassroots peace and social justice group that seeks positive social change through proactive, creative protests, and non-violent direct actions.  For the past eight years, CODEPINK activists have organized to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop a new war with Iran, and support a peaceful solution to the Israel/Palestine struggle that ensures Palestinian rights.</p>
<p><strong>Qualifications</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>CODEPINK is seeking an intern for its DC office that can contribute and strengthen its campaign regarding Israel/Palestine to end the siege of Gaza, and end the occupation of Palestine. This internship is unpaid but can offer school credit. The internship is for one semester but can expand into the second semester if interested. An ideal candidate has:</p>
<ul>
<li>Grassroots      organizing experience</li>
<li>An      understanding of the Palestine/Israel conflict, and the US’s role in this      conflict</li>
<li>An      understanding of the US movements trying to bring about a just peace in      Palestine/Israel and a change to US foreign policy</li>
<li>Strong      research and writing abilities</li>
<li>Ability      to collaborate and work well in groups, while being self-motivated</li>
<li>Proficiency      using Microsoft Office programs</li>
<li>Some      skills in online and social media organizing</li>
<li>Ability      to speak Arabic and/or Hebrew (bonus, not required)</li>
</ul>
<p>This is not merely a desk job: we will ask you to participate in the planning and execution of various actions, outreach, and other efforts. However, there will also be the need to conduct research, make phone calls, outreach to the press, send emails, create visuals for actions, and other similar duties.</p>
<p>The intern shall also receive hands-on experience in:</p>
<ul>
<li>Devising and implementing strategies that creatively employ multiple social justice tactics</li>
<li>Conducting outreach through a number of mediums, including online and offline</li>
<li>Organizing as part of a team</li>
<li>Building and coordinating a campaign working for change in US policy towards the Middle East, and especially Palestine and Israel</li>
<li>And more!</li>
</ul>
<p>The accepted intern will be required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week during the fall semester in Washington DC (or more, if the intern wants). Again, the internship can be expanded into the Spring semester if interested.  The internship will be based out of CODEPINK’s DC office, located in the Southeast at 1247 E St SE, a short walking distance from both the Eastern Market and Potomac metro stops (off the blue and orange lines).</p>
<p><em>CODEPINK is an Equal Opportunity Nonprofit.</em><em> </em>We seek interns who have an openness to engaging in issues of privilege and diversity and a commitment to incorporating an analysis of privilege and different forms of oppression into their work.</p>
<p><strong>To Apply</strong></p>
<p>In order to apply, please send a resume, cover letter, and two or three references to brian AT codepink DOT org. In your e-mail subject line, please put:</p>
<p>CODEPINK Internship – [Your Last Name]</p>
<p>Only individuals asked for an interview will be contacted.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p><strong>Another internship is also available in the DC office for CODEPINK’s peace work focusing on the issues of Iraq and Afghanistan. If you apply to this position but are also interested in that opportunity, please let us know in the e-mail you send with your cover letter and resume.</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Contact brian AT codepink DOT org with any questions.</p>
<p>CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities. CODEPINK rejects foreign policies based on domination and aggression, and instead calls for policies based on diplomacy, compassion and a commitment to international law. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.</p>
<p>www.codepink.org</p>
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		<title>War Criminal of the Week: Erik Prince, the Great Escape Artist</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/war-criminal-of-the-week-erik-prince-the-great-escape-artist/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/war-criminal-of-the-week-erik-prince-the-great-escape-artist/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:17:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nancy M.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accountability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blackwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erik Prince]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[war criminal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9132</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Nancy Mancias &#8220;I interned with the Bush administration for six months. I saw a lot of things I didn&#8217;t agree with &#8212; homosexual groups being invited in, the budget agreement, the Clean Air Act, those kind of bills. I think the administration has been indifferent to a lot of conservative concerns.&#8221; - 22-year old [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Nancy Mancias</p>
<p><em>&#8220;I interned with the Bush administration for six months. I saw a lot of things I didn&#8217;t agree with &#8212; homosexual groups being invited in, the budget agreement, the Clean Air Act, those kind of bills. I think the administration has been indifferent to a lot of conservative concerns.</em>&#8221;</p>
<p>- <strong>22-year old Erik Prince in Grand Rapids Press </strong></p>
<p>Former Navy Seal Erik Prince founded Blackwater in 1997 with greedy money he inherited from his father and purchased land in North Carolina to house the company and its training facilities. Blackwater is a private military security firm who is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department&#8217;s three private security contractors.</p>
<p>Roughly a year after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the bodies of Blackwater employees were dragged through the streets of Iraq and hung upside down and burnt for the world to see. The horrid images and stories neglected to mention Blackwater&#8217;s killing role in the U.S. led occupation of Iraq with the security firm having a heavy involvement in torture and interrogations of Iraqi detainees to combat and covert operations against Iraqi &#8220;insurgents&#8221; with little to no oversight. In 2007, Blackwater security was involved in the killing of 17 Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square, Baghdad.</p>
<p>As the occupation continued, Iraq became infested with rogue military contractors. Eventually the Iraqi government notified the U.S. that it would not renew Blackwater’s license to operate in the country.</p>
<p>Blackwater changed its company name to Xe. Eric Prince resigned as CEO and placed the company and training facility up for sale. Prince, Blackwater and former Blackwater employees have been the center of controversial lawsuits.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/blackwater_jodavies.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/blackwater_jodavies.jpg" alt="" width="287" height="454" /></a></p>
<p>Peace groups across the U.S. have been protesting Blackwater/Xe trying to hold them accountable for their bloody presence in Iraq by staging a guerilla theater reenactment of the Nisour Square killings outside of the training center, passing a city ordinance in San Diego to prevent the building of a Blackwater training facility and<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si-CpfA5Noc" target="_blank"> peacefully delivering a letter to Prince&#8217;s Virginia home urging him not to flee the U.S. to Abu Dhabi</a>.</p>
<p>While he escapes from the United States, Prince leaves behind a trail of blood and needs to be brought to justice and held accountable for the wrongful killing of innocent Iraqis and wasteful spending of U.S. taxpayers money.</p>
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		<title>Karl Rove, Bringin&#8217; Home the Bacon</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/karl-rove-bringin-home-the-bacon/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/karl-rove-bringin-home-the-bacon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:55:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accountability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[condoleezza rice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George W. Bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karl Rove]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soldiers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9158</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[$35,000 can buy you a luxury car, the world&#8217;s biggest &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry we discriminated against you&#8221; card, a college education and about a million other things INCLUDING a night with Karl Rove. For $35,000, the former top Bush Aide (aka Bush&#8217;s Brain, Turdblossom) will come and speak at your school, community center (though likely not [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>$35,000 can buy you a <a href="http://www.vehix.com/articles/new-cars/top-10-luxury-cars-under-35000---2009">luxury car</a>, the <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/07/20/constance_mcmillen_lesbian_prom_settlement" target="_blank">world&#8217;s biggest &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry we discriminated against you&#8221; card</a>, a <a href="http://colleges.collegetoolkit.com/colleges/browse/tuition/results/30_001_to_35_000/30001.aspx">college education</a> and about a million other things INCLUDING a night with <a href="http://www.dickipedia.org/dick.php?title=Karl_Rove" target="_blank">Karl Rove</a>. For $35,000, the former top Bush Aide (aka Bush&#8217;s Brain, Turdblossom) will come and speak at your school, community center (though likely not <a href="http://ow.ly/18Cizu">Park51</a>&#8211;that&#8217;s just a hunch), venue, to discuss what life was like in the White House under George W. Bush. Unless all you have is <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/By-The-Numbers-Karl-Roves-Speaking-fees-89589677.html" target="_blank">$8,500</a>. Times <em>are</em> tough, apparently even for those who lied the country into war and have gone on to write, joke, tweet and speak about it.</p>
<p style="text-align: left">The real question that emerges is what about those who have paid (with their lives) for those lies? What kind of big bucks are they bringing in? Let&#8217;s do a quickie comparison.</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://codepink.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/untitled.bmp"><img class="size-full wp-image-9159   aligncenter" src="http://codepink.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/untitled.bmp" alt="" width="400" height="266" /></a></p>
<p>Karl Rove $25,000 at UC Santa Barbara<br />
Karl Rove $25,000 at UC Merced<br />
Karl Rove $8,500 at Georgetown University<br />
Condoleezza Rice earns same as George W. Bush <a href="http://goog_1287305883/" target="_blank">$150,00</a><a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/18/Rice-earns-same-speech-fee-as-Bush/UPI-10061240063522/" target="_blank">0</a></p>
<p><strong>vs.</strong></p>
<p>US Army Corporal <a href="http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Army_Corporal,_Infantry_%28Light_Infantry%29/Salary" target="_blank">$24,393-$36,174</a><br />
US Army Sargeant <a href="http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Army_Sergeant,_Infantry/Salary%20%20%20" target="_blank">$27,784-$47,574</a></p>
<p>And since the beginning we have been asking, <strong><em>Who Lies? Who Dies? Who Pays? Who Profits? </em> </strong>Will that question ever get old?</p>
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		<title>War Criminal of the Week: Back to School with John Yoo</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/war-criminal-of-the-week-back-to-school-with-john-yoo/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/war-criminal-of-the-week-back-to-school-with-john-yoo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:41:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nancy M.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accountability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Yoo Torture Accountability]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9130</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>UPDATE  Aug. 17, 2010: </p>
<p>Click for video  news coverage from KTVU of UC Berkeley protest against John Yoo (lots  of Code Pinkers were on the scene!)</p>
<p>In light of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, critics are arguing that  abuses of Iraqi prisoners are being produced by a climate of disregard  for the laws of war. - John Yoo</p>
<p>John Yoo was Bush's Top Legal Lackey in helping to create the  construct for torture. As Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the  Office of Legal Counsel, John Yoo signed off on the legal opinions  purporting the use of torture was legal as a part of the president's  vast wartime powers. These legal opinions are most commonly referred to  as the Torture  Memo and have been a source of controversy and redesign of  executive power.</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>War Criminal of the Week: Back to School with John Yoo<br />
by Nancy Mancias</p>
<p><span style="color: #d612ec;"><em><strong>UPDATE Aug. 17, 2010: </strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff00ff;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.ktvu.com/video/24653881/index.html">Click for video news coverage from KTVU of UC Berkeley protest against John Yoo (lots of Code Pinkers were on the scene!)</a><br />
</strong></em></span></p>
<p>In light of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, critics are arguing that abuses of Iraqi prisoners are being produced by a climate of disregard for the laws of war. <strong>- John Yoo</strong></p>
<p>John Yoo was Bush&#8217;s Top Legal Lackey in helping to create the construct for torture. As Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Legal Counsel, John Yoo signed off on the legal opinions purporting the use of torture was legal as a part of the president&#8217;s vast wartime powers. These legal opinions are most commonly referred to as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_Memos" target="_blank">Torture Memo</a> and have been a source of controversy and redesign of executive power.</p>
<p>In 2004, images of naked and hooded innocent Iraqis who had been raped and tortured by U.S. soldiers and private military contractors at Abu Ghraib prison were released for the world to see. The unruly bunch conducting the torture were working above the law and eventually were held accountable in court but for those senior Bush officials who were making the decisions, pulling the strings and asking their lawyers such as John Yoo to experiment and rewrite the rules of engagement in a post-9/11 world no justice and accountability has been served.</p>
<p>Yoo has been under investigation by the Justice Department&#8217;s Office of Professional Responsibility who has been critical of his work.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s been six years since the Abu Ghraib scandal and John Yoo now enjoys a cushy position at one of the most respected law schools in the country &#8211; UC Berkeley. Not bad for a man whose legal reasoning stirred an international outrage because of its inaccuracy and self-serving commitment to ideology over law.</p>
<p>Last year, CODEPINK, students and community activists went to his first class of the school year.</p>
<p><a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/nationworld_impact/2009/08/large_arrest-in-john-yoo-class-081709.jpg"><img class="alignnone" src="http://blog.cleveland.com/nationworld_impact/2009/08/large_arrest-in-john-yoo-class-081709.jpg" alt="" width="453" height="284" /></a></p>
<p>The activists were ejected from the classroom and escorted out by campus police.</p>
<p>Yoo is scheduled to teach a class on Constitutional Law for the 2010 fall semester and opponents of his work will be ready for school again.</p>
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		<title>Pvt. Bradley Manning and the New York Times: Manufacturing a Villain</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/pvt-bradley-manning-and-the-new-york-times-manufacturing-a-villain/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/pvt-bradley-manning-and-the-new-york-times-manufacturing-a-villain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:55:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jean Desiree</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9116</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>In  Early Struggles of Soldier Charged in Leak Case, the New   York Times published a portrait of Private Bradley Manning   reminiscent of the type of character assassination J.Edgar Hoover   planted in newspapers in the hey day of the communist witch hunts. The   government agencies routinely planted such misinformation to discredit   civil rights activists and others they considered a threat to our   national security. Whistleblowers like Private Manning and Daniel   Ellsberg before him are considered extremely dangerous and in the words   of the then sitting (during the Pentagon Papers incident) president   Richard M. Nixon ''need to be taken out'. President Nixon famously said   that he did not need to wait and see if the courts would convict   Ellsberg because he would destroy him in the court of public opinion. He   then ordered the break in to the offices of Ellsberg's psychiatrist.   Here we are again, four decades later convicting in the court of public   opinion Private Bradley Manning.</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Article originally appeared on The Huffington Post, August 12, 2010</p>
<p>by Vivien Lesnik Weisman</p>
<p>In <em> Early Struggles of Soldier Charged in Leak Case,</em> the <em>New  York Times</em> published a portrait of Private Bradley Manning  reminiscent of the type of character assassination J.Edgar Hoover  planted in newspapers in the hey day of the communist witch hunts. The  government agencies routinely planted such misinformation to discredit  civil rights activists and others they considered a threat to our  national security. Whistleblowers like Private Manning and Daniel  Ellsberg before him are considered extremely dangerous and in the words  of the then sitting (during the Pentagon Papers incident) president  Richard M. Nixon &#8221;need to be taken out&#8217;. President Nixon famously said  that he did not need to wait and see if the courts would convict  Ellsberg because he would destroy him in the court of public opinion. He  then ordered the break in to the offices of Ellsberg&#8217;s psychiatrist.  Here we are again, four decades later convicting in the court of public  opinion Private Bradley Manning.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/us/09manning.html?_r=2&amp;pagewanted=all" target="_hplink">NYT article</a> is subtle in its venom but no less  deadly. In <em>Manufacturing Consent</em>, Edward S Herman and Noam  Chomsky propose a mass media propaganda model for a modern western  liberal democracy such as our own, in which mechanisms for the  maintenance of the status quo are less obvious, but no less effective,  than in systems such as totalitarian dictatorships. Private Manning and  WikiLeaks threw a hand grenade at the status quo and now these  mechanisms are working overtime to repair the damage. The fact that the  NYT collaborated with WikiLeaks is in keeping with the model of the  cultural mechanisms at play.</p>
<p>I have no doubt that Private Manning, a sensitive youth, was  struggling to fit into a world that did not accept his sexual  orientation, nor that he fell in love with a young man who in the words  of  the NYT is a &#8220;self described drag queen.&#8221;  And to that, I say <em>so  what</em>.</p>
<p>The spin of the article is that because he was an outsider, his  motivation for divulging the classified information and releasing the  documents was to fit in with his new friends, a &#8220;politically motivated  group of hackers to whom he increasingly  turned to for moral support.&#8221;</p>
<p>The article continues:</p>
<blockquote><p>And now, some of those friends say they wonder whether  his desperation for acceptance &#8212; or delusions of grandeur &#8212; may have  led him to disclose the largest trove of government secrets since the  Pentagon Papers.</p></blockquote>
<p>There is no evidence that Private Manning was either desperate or had  delusions of grandeur. The only named sources in the article was a  former neighbor Mrs. Radford, a former classmate and a former employer,  all who say nothing to lead us to that conclusion.</p>
<p>The only named source that paints the portrait of the desperate and  delusional Private Manning is the cyber informant Adrian Lamo. I find it  extremely disturbing that the NYT chose not to elucidate us in this  article about the well known and well documented character and  controversy surrounding Adrian Lamo. Adrian Lamo was prosecuted and  convicted of hacking into the very NYT and so they more than anyone know  about his history of <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.04/hacker_pr.html" target="_hplink">heavy drug abuse</a> and psychological problems.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">One glance at his <a href="http://www.facebook.com/felon?ref=ts" target="_hplink">Facebook page</a> (which has no privacy settings so you  do not need to friend him to navigate) will confirm that Lamo, if not  exhibiting delusions of grandeur, at minimum is prone to  self-aggrandizement and self promotion. When asked <em>why hack</em>, by  a San Francisco Weekly reporter, he answers: &#8220;This is what I do, this  is the role I was born to play.&#8221; He goes on to quote a long passage  about how greatness can destroy a man from the Frank Herbert  science-fiction epic <em>Dune</em> later made into a David Lynch film,  which tells the story of a young man who becomes a messiah.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">He is also an avowed drug abuser. Do not take my word for it, but  please watch this video from the BBC at about 3 minutes 25 seconds and  you will witness the most bizarre behavior you have ever seen on prime  time.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The NYT does not find it worthy of mention that the man who turned  in Private Manning and the only named source in the article that eludes  to Manning&#8217;s motivation for the release of the documents is a total  mess.</p>
<p>He tells a San Francisco weekly reporter that his convulsions are a  result of an amphetamine overdose he suffered the year before. He goes  on to say about his <a href="http://%3cbr%20/%3Ewww.sfweekly.com/2003-04-16/news/a-duty-to-hack/%3Cbr%20/%3E" target="_hplink">drug use</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>I&#8217;ve resisted including this in news reports because I  think it would make me intolerable to the government if I was advocating  both intrusion and drug use, but substances that disassociate you from  your senses have played a big part in my life.</p></blockquote>
<p>Lamo goes on to explain to Wired Magazine&#8217;s Khan that after his  amphetamine overdoes he now takes only depressives and dissociatives.</p>
<blockquote><p>The  dissociatives are amazing&#8230; You can look at your face in the mirror  and completely not recognize it.</p></blockquote>
<p>The court issued a restraining order against Lamo, due to a complaint in  which his then-girlfriend described an ongoing pattern of harassment  and abuse.  She explains: &#8220;He carried a stun gun, which he used on me.  He was very controlling. He wanted to know where I was costansantly.&#8221;  There are many articles that reference the taser he carries with him,  sometimes used to &#8220;hack&#8221; vending machines.</p>
<p>We are to believe that Adrian Lamo just happened to be chatting with  the total stranger Private Manning and divulged not only what he would  be doing and had done but also his motivation. Adrian Lamo is the oldest  trick in the book and has the footprint of the government all over it. A  homeless, drug addicted convicted felon with a suspended sentence who  still owes the government over $65,000 in fines is not exactly my idea  of a credible witness, but rather your typical informant who says and  does as he is told.</p>
<p>The named source in the Wired Magazine article quoted in the NYT,  Private Manning&#8217;s boyfriend, Mr. Watkins, states that after WikiLeaks  released the video allegedly provided by Manning of the shootings of the  AP journalists that &#8220;one of his {Private Manning&#8217;s} major concerns once  he&#8217;d done this was, was it really going to make a difference?&#8221; This  concern would lead one to conclude that Private Manning&#8217;s motivation, as  much as one can impute motivation, was to have an impact on public  opinion and perhaps on the course of the war, in the tradition of  Ellsberg. If Manning wanted to influence the course of the war and  deliberately broke the law and knowingly risked prosecution, he follows  in the footsteps of the greats: Rosa Parks, Dolores Huerta (arrested 22  times and counting), Dr King and Daniel Ellsberg.  There is no credible  evidence, only government spin repackaged by the NYT, that this is not  the case.</p>
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		<title>CNN VIDEO &#124; Veterans and Activists Rally for Wikileaks Whistleblower</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/cnn-video-veterans-and-activists-rally-for-wikileaks-whistleblower/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/cnn-video-veterans-and-activists-rally-for-wikileaks-whistleblower/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:11:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jean Desiree</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9088</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<strong>CODEPINK co-organized a rally for Wikileaks whistleblower Private  Bradley Manning yesterday in Quantico, VA. Manning is being held in  solitary confinement in a military brig in Quantico. </strong>

Medea Benjamin of Code Pink told CNN, “We are here to say that if,  indeed, he was the whistle-blower, then we are proud of him. We as  Americans want to expose the truth of what’s happening in both Iraq and  Afghanistan and we think that it will hasten the day to bring the troops  home. We want our troops protecting us here in the United States, not  fighting in what we consider unwinnable, unnecessary wars.”]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>CODEPINK co-organized a rally for Wikileaks whistleblower Private Bradley Manning yesterday in Quantico, VA. Manning is being held in solitary confinement in a military brig in Quantico. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object id="ep" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="416" height="374" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="src" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&amp;videoId=us/2010/08/09/bts.code.pink.manning.rally.cnn" /><embed id="ep" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="416" height="374" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&amp;videoId=us/2010/08/09/bts.code.pink.manning.rally.cnn" bgcolor="#000000" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>Medea Benjamin of Code Pink told CNN, &#8220;We are here to say that if, indeed, he was the whistle-blower, then we are proud of him. We as Americans want to expose the truth of what&#8217;s happening in both Iraq and Afghanistan and we think that it will hasten the day to bring the troops home. We want our troops protecting us here in the United States, not fighting in what we consider unwinnable, unnecessary wars.&#8221;</p>
<p>Private Bradley Manning, a 22 year old intelligence analyst with the US Army, stands accused of disclosing a classified video of American troops shooting civilians from an Apache helicopter. New evidence links Manning to the Afghan War Logs posted on WikiLeaks this week. He faces up to 52 years in jail for his role in the leak. The whistleblower behind the Vietnam era’s Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, has called Mr. Manning a “hero.”</p>
<p>&#8220;We think Private Manning should be freed. We think that he is, if he is a whistleblower, he is reporting to a higher conscience and really protecting the Constitution. We think that it is preposterous to say that this is treason. This is really truth-telling. In the United States that I know and love, transparency is a positive thing,&#8221; said Benjamin.</p>
<p>A small counter-rally was organized by protesters and is also featured in the CNN video. CODEPINK co-organized its rally with a diverse group of activists and veterans. Groups who participated along with CODEPINK in the rally were: Courage to Resist, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, ANSWER, Virginia Catholic Worker, Gray Panthers, World Can&#8217;t Wait, and the National Lawyers Guild. You can find local coverage of the rally from Channel 7 News: <a href="http://bit.ly/localrally" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/localrally</a></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Spread the word! Share the link on Twitter and Facebook: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>CNN video: Veterans &amp; activists rally to free Wikileaks whistleblower Bradley Manning </strong><a href="http://bit.ly/CNNvideorally" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/CNNvideorally</a></p>
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		<title>Who Really Has Blood on Their Hands? Not Brave Whistleblowers Like Private Bradley Manning</title>
		<link>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/who-really-has-blood-on-their-hands/</link>
		<comments>http://codepink.org/blog/2010/08/who-really-has-blood-on-their-hands/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:54:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jean Desiree</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accountability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bradley Manning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WikiLeaks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://codepink.org/blog/?p=9078</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<strong><em>The whistleblowers who got out the Afghan Wikileaks documents  deserve our deepest thanks.</em></strong>

I am the mother of an Iraq  vet who endured two horrific and lengthy tours in Iraq. I have just  written a letter of support to Pvt. Bradley Manning, the 22-year-old  intelligence analyst suspected of passing videos and documents to  Wikileaks. Manning is now in pre-trial confinement in Quantico, VA,  facing decades in prison and, if Congressman Mike Rogers has his way,  the death penalty.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em>The whistleblowers who got out the Afghan Wikileaks documents deserve our deepest thanks.</em></strong><img class="alignright" title="Bradley Manning" src="https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/424/images/Manning_Whistleblower.jpg" alt="" width="160" height="232" /></p>
<p>I am the mother of an Iraq vet who endured two horrific and lengthy tours in Iraq. I have just written a letter of support to Pvt. Bradley Manning, the 22-year-old intelligence analyst suspected of passing videos and documents to Wikileaks. Manning is now in pre-trial confinement in Quantico, VA, facing decades in prison and, if Congressman Mike Rogers has his way, the death penalty. I encourage you to write a letter to this brave young man and CODEPINK will deliver it to him during a rally on Sunday in Quantico, near Washington DC. <a href="../../" target="_blank"><em>To submit a letter to be delivered please email it to  us at CODEPINK!</em></a></p>
<p>In the midst of all the grief my family has endured and the sorrow I feel for the Afghans and Iraqis who have died, I am grateful that someone out there was courageous enough to bring the powerful and dreadful truths about these wars into the light.<br />
Admiral Mullen said that those responsible for the leaks have blood on their hands. But no one could possibly have more blood on their hands than the Bush/Cheney regime and now the Obama administration&#8211;the blood of our troops, the tears of their families, the legacy of the innocents killed and maimed in these immoral wars.</p>
<p>With these Wikileaks horrors revealed, it will not be so easy for politicians to convince us that these wars are just, that they are worth bankrupting our nation, or that we can achieve peace by more killing. My hope is that the national discussion that has emerged from the videos and documents will hasten the day when our troops come home. For that, the whistleblowers deserve our deepest thanks.</p>
<p><strong><em>Cynthia Benjamin of CODEPINK is a member of Military Families Speak Out, Mt Vision NY.</em></strong></p>
<p><a href="../../" target="_blank"><em>To submit a letter to be delivered to Bradley Manning please email it to  us at CODEPINK!</em></a></p>
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