I missed Flashpoints on KPFA tonight but I am listening to a special Dennis and the staff are doing with the staff of Voices of the Middle East.
I was trying to focus on getting another chapter up at my own site. Which is Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man and this is Betty filling in for Rebecca while she's on vacation. But I read Wednesday's column and Friday's as well and didn't feel like there was much there. I did grab a line I'd written in the margins of my outline but otherwise didn't use anything from it. I'm so sick of Thomas Friedman and you just know he's in hog heaven (read his columns if you doubt it) over the tragedies of the Middle East. So I wrote "Thomas Friedman says, 'Drop the five on the dresser before moving to the bed'" which does nothing to advance the story at all. Is it funny? I have no idea. I wasn't feeling very funny at all. I spent the first thirty minutes glaring at the columns and then turned on the TV to watch That '70s Show thinking it might put me in a funny mood but it didn't. Then the phone rang and it was my sister saying that my daughter was announcing she was ready to go home so I went to pick her up from the planned sleep over (if you've read some of my posts here, you know she won't sleep over at my sister's -- she wants to when my sons are going to but, once it starts getting dark or she starts getting sleeping, she wants Mommy).
I got back here and was going to give up but she wanted to color. I got her some paper and the crayons (she really enjoys drawing her own pictures -- I think it's because my oldest always tells her, when she's using a coloring book, that she's going out of the lines) and she slid me over a piece of paper and said, "Write, Mommy."
So while she colored, I wrote the latest. Again, I have no idea if it's funny or not. Want to know what's funny? Cedric's "A Bully Boy Press and Cedric's Big Mix Exclusive! (Humor)" and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! VOTE G.O.P. OR THE TERRORIST . . . MIGHT DO . . . SOMETHING!" -- it's a joint post by BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX.
Let me do C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" because we really can't afford to lose sight of Iraq:
Chaos and violence continue. Or else just think of the decision of the extended curfew in Baghdad as the capital beginning to note ozone days. The BBC reports that the Friday daytime ban "now covers most of the day" and that it ends "just two hours before the daily night-time curfew begins." 'Liberation' by unofficial house arrest.
If the 'crackdown' is to cut off all attempts at daily life in Baghdad, how's that hearts & minds strategy going? AFP reports that in Baquba hearts and minds scatter to the wind when six people were killed and 23 wounded. Killed how? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Among the five dead were an infant and two women. The two adult males are being dubbed 'insurgents' by the US military. The women and the infant? AP trumpets one sentence into a condolence card: "The Americans expressed regret for the civilian deaths." Reuters, using sources other than the military's press release, reports that six, not five (as the AP reports -- the AFP was at the hospital and counted six corpses), were killed and that it came from an air raid bombing of three houses. (AP's iffy on what happened, AFP also calls it an air strike). Though the US dubs the two dead males 'insurgents,' reports indicate that the troops were seen as the 'insurgents.' AFP has an eye witness, Mohammed Omar, who states that the men on rooftop were guards (not an uncommon occurence in Iraq) and they fired at approaching troops believing they were 'insurgents'.
What happened? Probably no one involved, American or Iraqi, can tell you in full. For the military, that's what happens when the people you are supposedly 'liberating' are seen as the 'enemy.' The press release (which the New York Times will probably build from tomorrow -- though we can always hope that isn't the case) outlines (at length) a version of events. Those events aren't reflected in reporting by Reuters or AFP which actually spoke to people involved. And just to repeat, it's a lengthy press release. The AP treats the one 'regret' sentence as though it's prominent or lengthy. It's an afternote. The twenty-three wounded? Women and children in that number as well.
Elsewhere in Iraq today?
Shootings?
The AFP reports that, in Baghdad, clashes led to the shooting deaths of three Iraqi soldiers and three Iraqi police officers, as well as the shooting death of "a Christian government official". Reuters notes that "[t]wo Salvadoran[,] . . . four Polish soldiers and an Iraqi transloator were wounded when their convoy was attacked . . . not clear how the convoy was attacked." That was "near Numaniya." In addition, Reuters notes the shooting death of a police officer in Mosul. And, in an update, Reuters is noting that a police officer and a civilian were shot dead "in separate attacks in Muqdadiya."
Bombings?
AFP notes one in Baghdad, "outside a Sunni mosque" that killed one person. Reuters notes that another person died in a roadside bomb near a Sunni mosque in Khalis (two others were wounded).
Corpses?
Reuters reports that three corpses were found near Falluja ("gunshot wounds . . . signs of torture") and that they were wearing the uniforms of Iraqi soldiers while another corpse (headless) was discovered in Kirkuk. In addition to that corpse, KUNA notes that the corpse of a two-year-old child was also found in Kirkuk. AFP notes four corpses were discovered in Baghdad ("signs of torture"). And Reuters is now reporting the discovery, in Muqdadiya, of the corpses of five kidnapped victims.
The US military announced that a US marine died Friday in the Anbar province. This as Kristin Roberts (Reuters) reports that "Col. Michael Shields, commander of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team operating primarily in the Mosul area" says that the target of the 'insurgency' is now Iraqi soldiers.
In Australia, the inquiry into the April 21st death of Jake Kovco continued as attorneys for Shelley Kovco (widow of Australian soldier Jake Kovco) and Judy & Martin Kovco (parents of Jake) sought to establish that yesterday's 'key witness' had less than impressive qualifications. Conor Duffy reported on PM (Australia's ABC) that Wayne Hoffman faced questions on the 12-point document he'd prepared with it being noted that his document went beyond his area (ballistics) into a "largely speculative" area. (The reference is into Hoffman's statement that the death was a suicide -- which led Judy Kovco to leave the courtroom yesterday.) Duffy notes a number of things the 'expert' was confronted with such as the fact that, although he'd weighed in with expertise and great authority on the matter, "he was unaware there was another pistol in the room at the time of the shooting, and . . . he hadn't read the statements from Private Kovco's room mates." Dan Box (The Australian) reports that 'expert' Wayne Hoffman testified that he hadn't been able "to find any prints on the gun" -- not Jake Kovco's, not anyone's. Box notes: "NSW detectives will now travel to Baghdad to take DNA samples from those soldiers in Kovco's unit after unidentified DNA was found on the gun, including on its trigger." However, although that's been reported previously, it appears the journey to Baghdad is on hold. Conor Duffy (Australia's ABC) reports that although the expectation was for the testimony of soldiers in Baghdad to be heard Monday (via "videolink" as noted earlier this week), that's not the case: ". . . a spokeswoman for Defence Public Affairs says this has been delayed while a request to conduct DNA on more soldiers in Iraq is considered." So to recap, not only will soldiers not testify Monday via videolink (on hold) but the trip to Baghdad to take DNA samples (which had previously been stated to be a go) is now on hold. As Dan Box notes, the original investigation in Baghdad was made "without any foresensic equipment. In fact, no forensic tests were carried out by the military police." Speaking to Eleanor Hall on The World Today (Australia's ABC), Conor Duffy noted that Frank Holles [attorney for Judy and Martin Kovco] raised the issue that Hoffman appeared unaware that "Private Kovco was reportedly dancing around to a Cranberries song and communicating with his wife at the time of his death. 'Have you ever seen a suicide like that before?' he asked."
Also covering the inquiry, Belinda Tasker (Perth Now) reports that Hoffman stated that his reasons for believing that Jake Kovco pulled the trigger "was the fact that the pistol was his own." Tasker also notes that his two former roomates reported that he was joking with them and "singing along to pop songs" but they claim they did not see anything when the gun went off. Finally, Tasker reports that Shelley Kovco "excused herself from hearing much of the cross-examination today."
In news from American courts, Kay Stewart (Courier-Journal) reports that Steven D. Green, the former Army solider charged with raping and murdering 14 year-old Abeer Qassim Hamza and then murdering three members of her family, "won't be indicted until at least mid-October, under a motion granted yesterday in U.S. District Court in Louisville' at the request of federal prosecutors who would like it rescheduled to November 8th. The other five charged in the incident, Paul E. Cortez, Anthony W. Yribe, James P. Barker, Jesse V. Spielman, and Bryan L. Howard -- Yribe is only charged with dereliction of duty for failure to report the incident, "are scheduled for a miliary hearing in Iraq beginning Aug. 6" and the federal prosecutors argue that "[t]he same evidence and witnesses are necesaary components in both prosecutions."
In peace news, Hannah Charry (Hartford Advocate) reports that John Woods passed on his 60th birthday to take part in CODEPINK's TROOPS HOME FAST! Woods is "striking one day a week" (Fridays) for two months and states that: "His anti-war stance is in part something that he attributes to the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he developed upon returning from Vietnam where he served with U.S. forces as an interrogator in 1969." Charry notes that Kat West is following Woods example and "will be fasting five days a week."
And in Canada, Ken Eisner (Vancouver's Straight) reports: "Fact: Jane Fonda's biggest fans in her antiwar tours were American GIs. Fact: returning soldiers were the vanguard of the out-of-Vietnam movement by the end of the 1960s. Fact: far more veterans of the military now serving in Congress are Democrats than are Republicans. Fact: U.S. soldiers are deserting at a rate greater than at any time since Vietnam." Though truth is always welcome, why is Eisner reporting that? Because the documentary Sir! No! Sir! is opening at the Ridge. Eisner speaks with the film's director, David Zeiger, who says of the film: "This story has been so thoroughly buried, I knew it would take a lot of digging to get it out there. I thought it would be emotionally draining too, and that's one of the things that scared me off. But what I found as the process went along is that it became much more celebratory. This gave a lot of people a chance to tell their stories within a context that would inspire others. The conversations certainly did conjure up painful memories, but overwhelmingly it was a positive experience for everyone involved."
Sir! No! Sir! is currently playing at:
PLAZA THEATRE
1133 KENSINGTON ROAD NW, CALGARY, ALBERTA, T2N 3P4283-2222
theplaza.ca
FIFTH AVENUE CINEMA
2110 BURRARD ST, VANCOUVER
(604) 734-7469
www.festivalcinemas.ca/
CIRCLE CINEMA
10 SOUTH LEWIS AVENUE, TULSA OK, 74104
(918) 585-3456
amaral1871@gmail.com
(benefit for Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace organized by the Queens Anti-War Commitee)
AUGUST 2 - CINECENTA
STUDENT UNION BUILDING, UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA
www.cinecenta.com
(two nights only)
AUGUST 3 - THE PALACE THEATER
38 HAILI ST., HILO, HAWAII 96720
(808) 934-7777
www.hilopalace.com
(one night only, benefit for World Peace Society)
AUGUST 10 - REGINA PUBLIC LIBRARY
2311 - 12 AVE., REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN, S4P 3Z5
(306) 777-6022
www.reginalibrary.ca
(minimum two days)
AUGUST 11 - NORTHWEST FILM FORUM
1515 12th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 267.5380
www.northwestfilmforum.org
(minimum one week)
AUGUST 13 - OJAI FILM FESTIVAL
OJAI, CA
www.filmsociety.ojai.net
(one night only)
AUGUST 18 -BROADWAY THEATRE
15 BROADWAY AVE., SASKATOON
(306) 652-6556
www.broadwaytheatre.ca
(minimum one week)
AUGUST 22 - HOPEDANCE PRESENTS: SEBASTOPOL, CA
TWO ACRE FOOD CO-HOUSING, 680 ROBINSON, SEBASTOPOL
(one night only)
SEPTEMBER 8 - GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE
900 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607(585) 271-3361
www.eastmanhouse.org
The Jake Kovco case continues to provide new twists. I can't believe the American media is so disinterested in this case. But they really are. Their loss. Whatever the final outcome/verdict, this community will know it and we'll have spent more time following this case than the American media wasted on Michael Jackson's trial. (Maybe I should say "trials"?) This does matter. He was the first (and only thus far) Australian soldier to die on the ground in Iraq. He leaves behind two children and his widow (Shelley), his parents (Judy and Martin) and, judging by his funeral, a lot of friends. This is one of the tragedies of the illegal war and I'm glad we've followed it as a community. Whether you're for the war or against it, you really do have to take a moment to observe the loss of lives (Australian, American, Iraqi, members of the so-called coalition, etc.) and this has been a loss that we could follow. From the start. (I believe Jake Kovco died April 21st and the next day was a Sunday, which is the first time C.I. noted Jake.)
I'm sure Shelley Kovco would like to have her life back. But she has to see this through as do his parents. This isn't easy for them. Today, she walked out of the hearing, yesterday his mother Judy left it. But they are doing what they need to and it's just really shocking to me how this isn't a huge story in this country. After they get whatever answer the inquiry offers, I hope they can find some closure but the truth is that Jake Kovco is dead and they aren't going to forget that. I believe he was 25 years-old. Whether you're for the war or against it (I'm against it), it's a tragedy and I don't think grown ups have a right to look away from. For it or against it, you honor the dead -- my opinion.
Another thing in the snapshot is the film Sir! No! Sir! and it's very rare that I can push a film because most of the ones I see are animated children's films. But I saw Sir! No! Sir! when we were all in California and if it comes anywhere near your area, please see it. This is a wonderful film. It will show you a side of Vietnam that you may not be aware of. If you are aware of the resistance, it will strengthen your knowledge. And it will provide you with some laughs and some choked up moments. This isn't a PBS nature film, it's very involving. So, if you can, see
Sir! No! Sir!
Tomorrow on KPFA, from 8:00am -- 12:00 pm. there will be special coverage of the Middle East. That's Pacific time. In my area, it will air from ten a.m. to two p.m. So adjust from Pacific time if you're interested in hearing it. The special coverage will continue on Sunday. And Dennis Bernstein just said that Saturday's coverage will go to at least noon (Pacific time).
That's one of the reasons Kat and C.I. love KPFA, they're willing to put regular programming on hold when a situation arises, whether it's in DC or in the Middle East. I called C.I. tonight, to read the latest chapter at my site before posting it (which I usually do, I also usually call Kat but she's in Ireland, vacationing with her family) and just as I was posting, there was a promo for something, I missed what it was for. But there was a piano playing and I couldn't place it. C.I. was shopping, stocking up for guests, so I hummed the melody which I knew but couldn't place. C.I. said, "Got a call from my sister, Carolyn . . . You know rather than go through a long drawn out thing . . ." It was the opening of Aretha Franklin's "Angel."
I listened to a wide range of music growing up, not just "Black" music, but one of the great things about talking music with C.I. is I never have to explain something like, "Okay, Shannon had a hit with 'Let the Music Play' and . . ." or anything like that. If I'm talking Niecy, C.I. knows I mean Denise Williams. There are so many times when we do a roundtable at The Third Estate Sunday Review and I'll mention some song. It would be lucky if Cedric and Ty knew it, if it's an R&B song, but I've yet to stump C.I. (I'm not trying to.) Those things come up outside the roundtable. The other day, I was trying to remember who did "Wear Out The Groove" because my oldest sister has a milestone birthday coming up ("35") and she loved that song. I thought I'd try to track it down as part of some of the music we're compiling for the party. I called C.I. and said, "You probably won't know this but who sang 'Wear Out the Grooves'?" C.I. told me the answer. Which I wrote down but have forgotten. It's the same guy, C.I. said, who sang "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off (To Have A Good Time)." Jermaine Stewart's the name of the singer, just came to me.
Changing topics, Andrea Lewis, co-host of KPFA's The Morning Show, has a strong column on conditions for women in Iraq and the military called "Pentagon cultivating culture of violence against women." If you use links, please check out the article. But Elaine just called and said she was going to link it and would call Mike. (Andrea Lewis is my favorite radio person. C.I. phoned, I think Wednesday at work, and held up the phone so I could get a sneak peak of a discussion she did on race -- reparations was being discussed in the part I was able to listen to.)
