The whistleblowers who got out the Afghan Wikileaks documents deserve our deepest thanks.
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.
If you're feeling skeptical after hearing President Obama's latest speech on the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, you're not alone. It's hard to know what to make of a President and an administration that brings over 90,000 troops homewhile ordering 50,000 soldiers along with 75,000 military contractors to remain. There are still some 150,000 personnel in Iraq and the US is supposed to be completely out of the country by 2011. That's next year. Bringing home thousands by the end of this August is a good step, but we really need to step on it. Unfortunately, the State Department is dragging its heels as much as the Pentagon and wants to hire 6,000 - 7,000 more staff and train them like soldiers. While working under the auspices of the State Department, these new personnel would have the status of “diplomats.” But who ever heard of a diplomat trained like a soldier and armed with a gun?
By Jodie Evans Share your voice during the week of August 25 to 31 — the week that most of the US troops will return from Iraq. Read the article on Alternet: http://www.alternet.org/vision/147611/
On Memorial Day 2010, I remember Abeer Hamza, the 14-year-old stalked, raped and murdered by predatory US soldiers who also murdered her family. I remember Nadja Al-Ali, Iraqi-German author of What Kind of Liberation?, talking about Iraqi women dying from cancer after exposure to Depleted Uranium. I remember being spell-bound by charismatic Afghan parliamentarian in exile, Malalai Joya, as she told a crowd in Berkeley about “democracy-loving leaders” in her country: “We have a LOT!” she declared with eyes blazing.
Wikileaks just released a much-sought after video showing United States military killing Iraqi civilians and Reuters reporters in the spirit of "collateral damage."
Also, do note that we are pouring some $600 billion into a defense budget so that our soldiers can tell the difference between a civilian and enemy combatants, a camera and a gun.
Originally published at CommonDreams by Sarah Lazare and Clare Bayard Think back seven years ago to this day. Where were you on March 19th, 2003, when the invasion of Iraq began? Did you see “Shock and Awe” footage of the orange explosions in the clear Baghdad sky, piped in grainy TV shows, lit at night [...]
Friday, August 6, 2010
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