Lies and Betrayal

The latest MoveOn.org 30 second spot, followed by their VideoVets campaign directed by Oliver Stone:

Revisting Segregation

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq — The sign taped to the men's latrine is just five lines:"US MILITARY CONTRACTORS CIVILIANS ONLY!!!!!"It needed only one: "NO IRAQIS."

Remind you of anything?

No End in Sight

Found this over at Nate's place. Watch the preview and see if No End in Sight is playing in your neck of the woods. I'll have to wait for the DVD.

Why are We in Iraq?

Listen to the interview Thom Hartman does with Congressman Jim McDermott of Washington state. Rep. McDermott has many insights into the situation in Iraq and how our continued occupation only exacerbates the the danger to Iraqis and American soldiers.

The "Salvador Option" in a Lose-Lose War

I have been busier than I ever wanted to be. I'm anxious to return to a normal schedule rather than this 'Farmer John' dawn-to-dusk thing.

Meanwhile, back at the illegal occupation of Iraq, Dr. Dahlia Wasfi joins Robert Scheer and James Harris of Truthdig to discuss the past, present and future of the Iraq war. This piece is interesting and thought-provoking. Give this 30 minute interview a read or a listen.

With all the supplemental bills and Pentagon’s baseline budget of $500 billion and everything that’s been appropriated for continuing our occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, despite all that money floating out there, in 2005 the Veterans Administration healthcare budget came up $1 billion short. The only people who are not supporting the troops are the ones who’ve been delegated the responsibility to do so, and that’s our government. That is unacceptable that the troops who come home can’t get access to healthcare for six months. It is unacceptable that one-third of the homeless on the streets today are veterans. And there’re already Iraq war veterans showing up homeless on the street. It is unacceptable that after we put them in a war zone, when they come home we don’t take care of their psychological trauma.

Conquering Iraq

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.

Ex-Navy chief 'took private legal advice on Iraq'

The Independent is reporting the the former head of the British Navy was so concerned about the possibly illegal invasion of Iraq that he sought outside, private, legal advice.

Admiral Sir Alan West, the First Sea Lord, approached lawyers to ask whether Navy and Royal Marines personnel might end up facing war crimes charges in relation to their duties in Iraq. The extraordinary steps taken by Sir Alan - which The Independent can reveal today - shows the high level of concern felt by service chiefs in the approach to war - concern that was not eased by the Attorney General's provision of a legal licence for the attack on Iraq.

Read the rest...

Stop The Occupation

New to the sidebar on DeepCon is another petition to sign in an effort stop the occupation in Iraq. Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots is gearing up to try and stop the surge. Check it out and please sign it, no matter if it is your first petition or your 50th. Much thanks to reader/sometimes poster Mary, for the heads up and the Progressive Patriots widget.

Over The Line: 3,400 deaths in Iraq and it's only 3 PM

How many more Americans, how many more Iraqis, how many more military families must lose a loved one? Today we stand at three thousand, four hundred American military deaths.The politicians in Washington continue to posture as more die and suffer. From the point of view of a soldier that's been there, I've linked the blog "From My Position" Our politics are not in concurrence but there's very little tangling with the facts this war-injured soldier provides. Take a look and then, please contact your representatives in congress and the senate and DEMAND they cut off funding and bring the troops home. Enough is enough.

UPDATE: 3401 Dead, 5:51PM

General Eaton: If Pres. Bush Won't Listen, Congress Must

Former second commander in Iraq, Major General (ret.) Paul D. Eaton declares that the President did not listen to his commanders, and is still not listening, when it comes to the war in Iraq.
Video courtesy of Vote Vets Call your senator now. And keeping calling until the message gets through. No more stalling.

Captured Americans?

Times of London is reporting that the “Islamic State in Iraq,” an insurgent group linked to an al-Qaeda group in Iraq has captured 3 US soldiers outside of Bagdad.

An insurgent group linked to al-Qaeda yesterday claimed to be holding three American soldiers in Iraq who went missing after a dawn attack on their patrol south of Baghdad.

read the rest...

If You're Not Angry, You're a Moron

Reposted via AltBrainEx, via Skippy, who got it on Craig's List and now here at DeepCon. A heartfelt, angry diatribe from a widow, Veteran, Marine who lost her unborn baby's father in this sick fucking, illegal invasion/occupation in Iraq: Date: 2007-04-10, 1:00PM PDT

I'm having the worst damn week of my whole damn life so I'm going to write this while I'm pissed off enough to do it right.

I am SICK of all this bullshit people are writing about the Iraq war. I am abso-fucking-lutely sick to death of it. What the fuck do most of you know about it? You watch it on TV and read the commentaries in the newspaper or Newsweek or whatever god damn yuppie news rag you subscribe to and think you're all such fucking experts that you can scream at each other like five year old about whether you're right or not. Let me tell you something: unless you've been there, you don't know a god damn thing about it. It you haven't been shot at in that fucking hell hole, SHUT THE FUCK UP!

How do I dare say this to you moronic war supporters who are "Supporting our Troops" and waving the flag and all that happy horse shit? I'll tell you why. I'm a Marine and I served my tour in Iraq. My husband, also a Marine, served several. I left the service six months ago because I got pregnant while he was home on leave and three days ago I get a visit from two men in uniform who hand me a letter and tell me my husband died in that fucking festering sand-pit. He should have been home a month ago but they extended his tour and now he's coming home in a box.

You fuckers and that god-damn lying sack of shit they call a president are the reason my husband will never see his baby and my kid will never meet his dad.

And you know what the most fucked up thing about this Iraq shit is? They don't want us there. They're not happy we came and they want us out NOW. We fucked up their lives even worse than they already were and they're pissed off. We didn't help them and we're not helping them now. That's what our soldiers are dying for.

Oh while I'm good and worked up, the government doesn't even have the decency to help out the soldiers whos lives they ruined. If you really believe the military and the government had no idea the veterans' hospitals were so fucked up, you are a god-damn retard. They don't care about us. We're disposable. We're numbers on a page and they'd rather forget we exist so they don't have to be reminded about the families and lives they ruined while they're sipping their cocktails at another fund raiser dinner. If they were really concerned about supporting the troops, they'd bring them home so their families wouldn't have to cry at a graveside and explain to their children why mommy or daddy isn't coming home. Because you can't explain it. We're not fighting for our country, we're not fighting for the good of Iraq's people, we're fighting for Bush's personal agenda. Patriotism my ass. You know what? My dad served in Vietnam and NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

So I'm pissed. I'm beyond pissed. And I'm going to go to my husband funeral and recieve that flag and hang it up on the wall for my baby to see when he's older. But I'm not going to tell him that his father died for the stupidty of the American government. I'm going to tell him that his father was a hero and the best man I ever met and that he loved his country enough to die for it, because that's all true and nothing will be solved by telling my son that his father was sent to die by people who didn't care about him at all.

Fuck you, war supporters, George W. Bush, and all the god damn mother fuckers who made the war possible. I hope you burn in hell.

I stand without comment.

Had enough? Sean Becker's family has...

H/T to Watertiger and Sean in Alaska for the link.