A blog for the politically curious, angry American.
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can,
begin it. Boldness has genius,
power and magic in it."
- Goethe
"It's never too late to become the
person you might have been."
- George Elliot
60 Minutes did a segment last year, A Fighting Chance, on the field medical hospital at Balad AB, Iraq, its personnel, and the CCATT missions to Landstuhl, Germany. I know some of the people in the segment and as a result of being married to a CCATT doctor for the last several years, I understand the anguish. A fact to keep in mind:
"Many hospitals in the United States treat perhaps three or four trauma patients a month. Balad handles 246 monthly, with 150 evaluated for traumatic brain injuries, from admissions totaling 500."
Please watch it and let yourself feel about the people who show up everyday to save lives and those they care for. These medical personnel make the horror of this misbegotten war/occupation a tiny bit easier to bear because of the care these brave people provide. Watch it here.
AND THE 4000 DEAD SOLDIERS...not quite a fairytale
Darth Cheney is the real bionic man with his implanted electronic pacemaker and all the human warmth of an oil derrick, but between him and Chimpy, the true estimated cost of the war/occupation will be six trillion dollars. And how many more dead soldiers?
Economist Joseph Sitglitz latest book gives details, conservative estimates on,
"...the economic cost of the war to the U.S. to be $3 trillion, and the costs to the rest of the world to be another $3 trillion – far higher than the Bush administration's estimates before the war.
The Bush team not only misled the world about the war's possible costs, but has also sought to obscure the costs as the war has gone on."
The Toronto Star has an article by Dr. Stiglitz detailing some of those costs.
To make matters worse, Iraq and its human costs have fallen off the radar for the majority of Americans. The Pew Research Center's latest survey finds that only 28% of Americans know the American military death toll which today stands at 3993 according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.
Ranger Against War has posted on this as well, and it's worth a read.
CENTCOM commander William Fallon spoke in front of the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco this week upon his return from Iraq. His talk is full of what we've already heard from much of the administration, but it contains a few surprises as well. Give it a listen.
The Pentagon has lost track of about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, report shows. The United States has spent $19.2 billion trying to develop Iraqi security forces since 2003, the GAO said, including at least $2.8 billion to buy and deliver equipment. But the GAO said weapons distribution was haphazard and rushed and failed to follow established procedures, particularly from 2004 to 2005, when security training was led byGen. David H. Petraeus, who now commands all U.S. forces in Iraq.
Of course we know Betray-us is now LEADING the US troops as CenCom commander. Petraeus wrote the book , literally, on how to defend against an insurgency and has thrown out that manual in favor of whatever little Georgie says.
This comes on the heels of the 13 billion dollar Saudi Arabian weapons deal and the folding of the chickenshit congress giving the president broader powers to wiretap the American public without a warrant. Did I mention Gonzo has the last word about whether the tap is legal or not? The hits just keep on coming.
Thursdays's Democracy Now! puts Amy Goodman in conversation with two people working for Peace.
Three years ago, a Brooklyn school teacher created a project to connect his students with Iraqi youth. The objective of One to One Iraq Contact was to teach students about the people on the “other side” of the war and to create a peace bridge between the two sides. The American and Iraqi students and teachers began exchanging emails about their lives, war and growing up in Brooklyn and Baghdad.
Getting a jump on the day...finally. Today I start blogging again.
I present here a video by Chalmers Johnson, the foremost expert on American hegemony and the dangers of "blowback". He presents a stunning report on the status of the permanent military bases being constructed in Iraq. Six different mini-cities, American style. From the documentary, The Bases Are Loaded:
"...Clearly, what went into the thinking of the war against Iraq was to conquer it..." "Whoever controls Iraq, controls the world. Iraq sits n the largest world reserves of oil. When Saudi oil has long run out, when all nations are without petroleum resources, Iraq would still sit on a sea of oil. The country that controls Iraq is the country that will essentially dictate the world economy for the next generation and possibly longer"
The lies that brought us into this conquering of Iraq and subsequent occupation have continued unabated. These bases are being constructed with American tax dollars; no-bid, cost-plus contracts that DIRECTLY benefit members of the Bush crime family. These are the facts. There is no dispute about them. The Dems in congress do nothing but make empty threats to an out-of-control regime bent on the destruction of America as we know it. Do your homework, find out for yourself. This is the beginning of the end and still impeachment is "off the table." Watch this 30 minute video and make your own decision.
Stop calling it the "war-funding bill"!! It's not a war, it's an occupation. And it's not simply a funding bill, it's an attempt to lay down timetables for withdrawal and get the Americans in harm's way some needed equipment. Not to mention adding needed monies to the VA. Which part of 'an exit strategy is essential,' do the American people not get? It's time for the chimp to step up.
Thank goodness for Think Progress. Always putting just the right touch on the stories that need telling. Read 'the numbers' for Bush's miserable failure on this, the one thousand, four hundred and sixtieth day since Dubya-the-despicable declared "Mission Accomplished."
Hello...I apologize for my absence, I've been busy beyond belief. Today I get back in the saddle with yet another horrific video about life in the war zone. Lara Logan reported on 60 minutes last night and IraqSlogger makes sure we don't miss it.
Larry Johnson at No Quarter consistently hits the nail on the head.
Breaking news! At least 22 Virginia Tech students gunned down. Cable news channels are wild with activity as they pump up the coverage a focus on the latest "crisis". The media is commenting that this shooting is overwhelming the local medical facilities. Crisis is in the air. Well, at least it ain't Iraq.
Okay. Big deep breath. This is horrible and this is tragic and this gives us an idea of what it is like to live just one day in Iraq.
Think Progress, the amazing progressive blog, has a devastating piece up about the trauma being experienced by Iraqi children. The long-term effects of this short-sighted war are examined in this article. Read it, and the other Think Fast posts up today at Think Progress.
A shining moment of pride for Iraqis as an Iraqi woman, Shada Hassoun wins the Mid East's version of American Idol. From the Lebanese News site "Ya Libnan" ."
"Sunnis and Shiites will unite with your victory!" read one text message, sent by a viewer, that scrolled across the screen Friday during a pre-show telecast on Iraq's al-Sharqiya satellite channel. "You are the one who unites all of Iraq, from North to South, from the Tigris to the Euphrates!"
IraqiSlogger has written up the win and provides some background of the music competition called "Star Academy 4." Shada sang, "Baghdad Wal Chouarra" as her finale in the competition. "The lyrics celebrate the long cultural history of the Iraqi capital and sings of the city’s past greatness" as described by IraqiSlogger. For a deeper exploration of Bagdad-in-music read Genevieve Williams article, "Bagdad" for "City Songs," which provides some context for songs about Bagdad.
Music has always been able to evoke a powerful range of emotions in the human species and of course the power to, "soothe the savage beast." To have an Iraqi woman win this prestigious event while her country is ravaged by violence has invoked a moment of calm. Who knows, the victory may be used some time in a future as a reference point for a peaceful nation; the uniting of Sunni and Shia in Iraq.
Watch the video of Shada Hassoun's triumphant victory, singing "Baghdad Wal Chouarra" with an ensemble of the other finalists. “The Daughter of the Two Rivers who United Iraq,” as one Iraqi media outlet calls Shada in Arabic, referring to a traditional name for the country, may just be the beginning of a shining future for Iraq. In šaʾ Allāh (إن شاء الله).
Check in with Juan Cole this morning. He's talking about Cheney and his possibly imminent move to Dubai, to faun over his baby Halliburton...
The IraqSlogger blogs about the surging creep or is the the creeping surge?
Larry Johnson over at No Quarter tells us about the pimple on Andrea Mitchell's ass, oops, make that brain. Glenn Greenwald writes up how lying to Congress has become a Republican principle.
The Center for American Progress has posted an excellent article on the readiness of our troops and the current crisis in the American military. A Comprehensive Review of the Overuse of the Army in the Administration's War of Choice in Iraq.
Four years ago this month, President Bush led our country into a war of choice against Iraq. Today, there are 135,000 American troops in Iraq and the president is now escalating this war, proposing to send an additional 30,000 combat and support troops. In addition to the costs in American lives and treasure, this war now places an enormous strain on our all-volunteer Army, stretching it to the breaking point.
But how bad is it overall? Although there has been much public debate about the overall readiness of the Army, only anecdotal evidence has been reported in the press. A composite picture is needed to inform that debate, and in fact this information should be readily available from the Department of Defense. But when the Center for American Progress approached the Pentagon our researchers were told this information is “classified” (the quotation marks were added by Defense Department officials)—even though this information is known by the families of individual troops deployed abroad...
In response, the National Security Team at the Center undertook a massive research project to identify, brigade by brigade, the number and duration of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan by the active Army. Our research team compiled the following facts through an extensive review of available information about individual brigade deployments in local news reports and elsewhere. Although we have high confidence that the information presented is accurate, we openly acknowledge that some pieces of information may be inaccurate or incomplete.
Possible errors or discrepancies could not be helped given the nature of the task and the fact that some brigades have changed designations or name since the war began due to the ongoing transformation of the Army. We have no doubt, however, that the overall picture of strain and fatigue that emerges is accurate. We expect to maintain and update this database and welcome corrections and additions from those who have more complete information.
The facts summarized below, and in our underlying data, reflect what we were able to learn. In some cases, the bottom-line totals would be worse if we had complete information (for instance, we could only count the tour extensions that we uncovered; very likely there are more). It is also important
to note that our research focused on the combat brigades of the active Army, not the deployments of other services such as the Marines, the Air Force, the Navy, and the National Guard and Reserves. We have no doubt that many of these services have units that have also been overtaxed by this war.
As our full report describes in great detail, beginning on page 7, the focus of our research revolved around the concept of readiness for combat troops. Readiness requires:
* Personnel: Readiness requires that a given unit has an adequate number of personnel, that the personnel are appropriately trained using the equipment they will use in battle. Moreover, Army policy recommends that after serving 12 months in theater, troops come home to recuperate and retrain for 24 months before being returned to theater. * Training: Readiness requires that Army troops are adequately trained to perform the duties they will be assigned to perform in theater and will be trained on the equipment they will use in combat. * Equipment: Readiness requires that troops have a sufficient supply of appropriate equipment for combat and that the equipment be in good working order.
Alas, the active Army today is recklessly stretched far beyond recommended use, ultimately hurting our troops and dangerously depriving our country of the strategic reserves necessary to respond to true crises. The administration has done this for four years now in a war of choice. Here is a snapshot of the current state of our 41 combat brigades and three Cavalry Regiments in the active Army.
* Of the Army’s 44 combat brigades today, all but the First Brigade of the Second Infantry Division, which is permanently based in South Korea, have served at least one tour. Of the remaining 43:
– 12 Brigades have had one tour in Iraq or Afghanistan
– 20 Brigades have had two tours in Iraq or Afghanistan
– 9 Brigades with three tours in Iraq or Afghanistan
– 2 Brigades with four tours in Iraq or Afghanistan
* Army policy recommends that after 12 months of deployment in a war zone, combat troops should come home for 24 months for recuperation and retraining before returning to combat. The Army has been forced to violate this policy many times.
* Army policy recommends that troops return home after 12 months of deployment in a war zone. Due to overextension, the Army has been forced to violate this policy many times.
* Because each brigade has ongoing rotations of individual troops, the fact that a given brigade has deployed three or four times does not necessarily mean that a particular soldier has also deployed that many times. Nonetheless, the number of troops that have served in Iraq—and who have served more than one tour—is staggering:
– 1.4 million military (Army and other service) troops have served in Iraq or Afghanistan; 650,000 Army soldiers have been deployed to these countries
– More than 420,000 troops have deployed more than once; 170,000 Army soldiers have been deployed more than once
– 169,558 Marines have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan more than once
– More than 410,000 National Guard and Reservists have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001, for an average of 18 months per mobilization; of these, more than 84,00 have been deployed more than once
– Stop-loss (a policy that prevents troops whose enlistment end date has arrived from leaving) has been imposed on over 50,000 troops
There is a clear cost on the troops as a result of the multiple deployments:
– An Army survey revealed that soldiers are 50 percent more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder if they serve more than one tour.
– The suicide rate among troops deployed to Iraq hit an all-time high in 2006
In the analysis that follows, the incredible strain of all of these repeat deployments on our men and women in uniform reveals just how misguided the president’s escalation strategy in Iraq truly is for our all-volunteer Army. It is clear, after crunching the numbers, that the president’s strategy is beyond the call of duty.
US General David Petraeus, commander of US and coalition forces in Iraq made this key point in a press conference held in Iraq today. IraqSlogger posts the video. Gosh, I forgot to add my commentary: Duh!
Minstrel Boy has a chilling photo and a number of excellent posts up at his place. He writes with passion and experience bringing to the discussion a point of view that only someone who has lost someone in Iraq can express. Caution: Graphic Image.
LAT reports that 800 California National Guardsmen are to be deployed to Iraq in order to satisfy Junior's "urge to surge". Hmmm, I thought the point of the National Guard was to guard the nation. Silly me for thinking.
The Army has set a second court-martial for July 16 for an officer who refused to deploy to Iraq and spoke out against the war and the Bush administration. Read more.
I posted the story a few weeks ago about an Army Captain who's last act on earth was to save a young Iraqi boy. Today an update comes in via the Washington Post regarding the Iraqi boy's current disposition. If this story doesn't break your heart, you don't have one. [H/T to Mary for the link.]
Former DJ, contractor, and USAF officer who grew up in a San Francisco bar, loves music, girls and beer (not necessarily in that order) and looks forward to all that life has to offer.
60 Minutes did a segment last year, A Fighting Chance, on the field medical hospital at Balad AB, Iraq, its personnel, and the CCATT missions to Landstuhl, Germany. I know some of the people in the segment and as a result of being married to a CCATT doctor for the last several years, I understand the anguish. A fact to keep in mind:
