8/30/2006

e-mails and iraq

i was on the phone with mike (several times a day, the jokes about me and the phone are true) and please read mike's 'Watch the Breaking Ranks trailer.' i love mike. so does fly boy. (he's taken to mike like no 1. but like i always say, mike's like a puppy.) no 1 wrote me to ask if i was mad at him so i'll assume every 1 reading here knew that wasn't the case. as he said tonight, we've been dialoguing on independent media.

i want to answer a few questions in the e-mails first.

1) 'flyboy's working.' he's actually agreed with me. he's going to reduce his hours. if we were living in the city, it might be different. but i'm not interested in living there. i love my house and the commute is just taking too much time. that's why we missed the irag discussion group last week. i said i'd come in and meet him and we'd go from there. but he was convinced if he just left 90 minutes early, he could come home, grab a quick shower, change and we could go. it's never that easy. there's always something that's going to cause a delay. so he's halfing (halving?) his hours. that will also allow him to have more input on some changes we're making around here. i want to expand 1 of the bedrooms and i'm not in the mood to deal with contractors all by myself.

2) c.i.'s different drum brought up many comments. most favorable from readers and/or community members but there was a visitor who thinks c.i. has had it easy and that i have. i wasn't born into money. i didn't have it easy. i got into college on a 'pretty scholarship' (that's how i always refer to it). but c.i. didn't sit around between classes. i don't just mean activism. if c.i. had gone along with family wishes, college would have been paid for. instead, c.i. gets there with the understanding that it will be. the logic on the parental end was once c.i. was there, they'd lower the boom and say 'journalism major if you want our money' and c.i. would go along. they did say 'journalism major if you want us to pay.' c.i. didn't go along.

until it was time for the masters, c.i. paid and had scholarships. it would have been really easy, especially 1 semester when c.i. worked 3 jobs, to say, 'fine, i'll do journalism.' but that didn't happen. college is expensive anywhere but it was especially expensive where we went. i had a scholarship and my grandmother and my parents helped out with the bills. all i had to do was go to class. elaine didn't have to work either. c.i. didn't have to work. c.i. chose to work because freedom was more important than 'easy.'

when it was time for grad school, a grandparent did say, 'ill pay.' c.i. had 1 or more scholarships by that time so it wasn't really needed. but c.i. had demonstrated that there was no purchasing, there was no sale on beliefs. and 1 grandparent respected that.

but for 4 years, it was a scramble. that meant working, that meant selling things. i remember for a rally once there was some security deposit needed and the group didn't have money. c.i. went to the pawn shop and got rid of something that had been in the family for years. did it without blinking. did it without whining. did it without telling any 1. (i knew what was about to happen and went along to say 'don't do it' the entire way.) but don't talk about easy when you don't know about it.

if you talk to c.i.'s family today, they'll all talk about how c.i. did it without help and that is so true. and that didn't end with college. c.i. has repeatedly walked away from situations where beliefs would be compromised. c.i. has very strong core beliefs and will not compromise them. it's always amazed me. i remember junior year, c.i.'s parents showing up 1 fall day with a brand new car and 'all you have to do is go meet ...' nope. no car.

i always thought, and this is my opinion only, had they given c.i. the car and then said, 'could you stop by and see ...' the answer would have been 'sure.' but you don't bribe c.i. (or threaten.) today, c.i. could have an easy life. i've noted i'd be staying by the pool every day if that was my house. but c.i.'s here, there and everywhere (like the beatles song) speaking out against the war and has sacrificed a lot to do so. and continues to sacrifice.

the visitor talked about the parties every 1 wrote about when we were all with c.i. if you've seen the film shampoo, that's the sort of parties. people just dropping by, people wandering around. but c.i.'s working those parties. c.i.'s raising the issue of the war (most care about it without it being raised) and other issues. and there's not a day that goes by that c.i.'s not using every media contact (including old lovers) to try to push for more coverage, more bravery in the coverage.

so when you don't know what you're talking about, you probably shouldn't judge someone's life as 'easy.' i was talking to jim right before i got online and tuesday they'd gone out of state to speak. on the 2nd to last 'gig,' they were asked if they could do something the next day? so they ended up making it a 2 day thing. 1 thing turned into 6 and they only got back late this afternoon. jim told me he was so tired he didn't want to move. he asked if c.i. ever gets tired? yes. but c.i. knows how to reach for that 2nd wind, that 3rd wind, that 4th wind ...

does c.i. get tired? c.i.'s tired now. but that doesn't matter (to c.i.) i kidded jim, 'you're an old man!' and we laughed about that.

easy? no.

now let's talk about iraq. another visitor writes that he's a republican who woke up to the realities of the war in april and is now against it (congratulations - that's not sarcasm) but he doesn't think we need to hear about because 'we're all against it and know the war is wrong.'

i disagree. the realities that make him uncomfortable hearing about are the 1s iraqis have to live with, troops stationed there have to live with, so i don't think it's asking too much for americans to pay attention to a war their government started.

i spent 4 hours today with my grandmother and we were talking about the (lack of) coverage. i wished i'd read the e-mail from the republican against the war before i visited her. but i will tell you what i think she'd say: 'suck it up.' seriously. she lived through wwii. she knows what war coverage is supposed to be when a nation is at war and she knows we're not getting it.

if you're tired about hearing about the war in iraq, then start working hard to end it. the coverage shouldn't disappear. the war should. as long as the war goes on, the coverage should as well. (it should go on after as well.)

robert knight's knight report on Flashpoints had some good coverage of iraq tonight. there was also a report on haiti that you should make a point to check out.

this is from ryan clark's 'Hebron Marine killed in Iraq' (cincinnati enquirer):

A Hebron Marine died Tuesday while serving in Iraq's western Anbar Province, family members said Wednesday.
U.S. Marine Cpl. Tyler Warndorf, 21, gained local fame in June when Associated Press photographers took a picture of him and other soldiers in combat. The Enquirer then provided the photographs to the Warndorf family, who enjoyed seeing him for the first time in months.
Tuesday night, Marines told the family of his death.
"Obviously, we're devastated," said Lillian Warndorf, Tyler's grandmother. "We never could have imagined this."
But in June, when Lillian and Tyler's grandfather, Gerald, saw the pictures, they expressed concern for their grandson, who had returned to Iraq for a second tour of duty. "He's going to get himself killed over there," Gerald Warndorf said at the time.Warndorf was serving in and around Ramadi, a dangerous area for insurgent attacks.

tyler warndorf is dead. if you're for the war or against it, that should matter. and if that news 'bums' you out, well imagine how it is for his family. we don't need less coverage of iraq (i can't imagine how we could have 'less' at this point - especially from independent media), we need more. he is 1 of 61 u.s. soldiers who have died in iraq this month. i don't think you look away from that and call yourself a grown up. you can be in favor of the war, you can be opposed to it, but since america declared this war, started it, it's your job to know what's going on. if that bums you out and you're too busy waiting for the fall tv season to start or obsessing over jonbenet, too bad. this is reality and if you're a grown up, you follow it. it may cheer you, it may dismay you, but you follow it. and if you think 'oh this is too much,' you need to get real. you're just having to hear about it, you're not living there.

read danny schechter's 'America is losing Iraq: Is anybody watching?'

here's c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'

Wednesday, August 30, 2006. Violence and chaos continue with CBS and the AP calling the fatalities at 52 and the AFP going with 77. The blink-and-you-missed-it truce (with one militia, the Mahdi Army) is off less than 24 hours after it began reports AFP, South Korea's numbers in the so-called coalition drop, in Australia the Jake Kovco inquiry takes shooting lessons, and the Bully Boy has explained to Brian Williams for NBC Nightly News the key to his failure -- Reuters: "Let me, let me . . . look, the key for me is to keep expectations low."


At that, if nothing else, the Bully Boy has succeeded. Equally disappointing is the puppet of the occpuation, Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, who spent much of Sunday swearing there was and would be no civil war. Reality has a a way of slapping the Operation Happy Talkers in the face. Where have you gone Spinmeister William Caldwell IV, an administration turns its frantic eyes to you?

In Baghdad, an explosion at a market has killed at least 24 and left at least 35 wounded. CBS and AP report that the bomb went off at "one of Iraq's largest markets, where wholesalers sell food, clothing and house products to businessmen and shopper." AFP notes that "[b]ody parts and the remains of those killed and wounded were strewn across the area. Windows of nearby shops were shattered, two cars were ripped apart and popular restaurant blown open."

The bombing of the market wasn't the only Baghdad bombing today. The BBC notes that three people are dead and 21 injured as a result of a a car bomb "near a petrol station". CBS and AP identify the three dead from that bombing as Iraqi police officers. Before the market blast in Baghdad, a bomb was hidden on a bicycle in Hilla, AFP reports, "that exploded outside the army recruitment centre" killing at least twelve people and leaving 38 wounded. Reuters notes that five members of a family were killed (three women, a man and a child) and two members wounded from a roadside bomb in Buhriz. Southeast of Baghdad, the AP notes: "An Iraqi army major was killed in Kut . . . by a roadside bomb." Reuters notes "two border guards" are dead in Badara from a roadside bomb. The Financial Times of London notes two dead from a bomb in Karrada. Sabah Jerges (Australia's Herald Sun) reports "a bombing in the oil city of Kirkuk" that took three lives.

Check the math, but that should be 52 killed by bombs today. Shootings?

CBS and AP note that Nadiya Mohammed Hassan and her bodyguard and driver were shot-dead in Baghdad. Reuters notes three brothers were shot dead in Numaniya. The BBC reports that, in Baghdad: "Gunmen shot dead three textile workers travelling to work in a taxi". And CBS and AP note: "a civilian driving in his car in northern Mosul was apparently shot and killed by American troops who opened fire when the man's vehicle came too close to them."

Stonings?

You read that right. Possibly, it's Shirley Jackson time. AFP reports that one person is dead in Samawa and ten wounded after "hundreds of young men" seeking jobs "pelted stones at the building and burnt tyres when clashes broke out between them and the police." Reuters notes the police fired at the crowd. Bullets, stones? Someone is dead. AFP identifies the person as "a volunteer." The Finanical Times (with a Reuters report) notes a witness who says that the person was shot by the police.

Sabah Jerges (Herald Sun) estimates that today's violence resulted in "at least 77 Iraqis" dead. AFP goes with "at least 77" as well.

Corpses?

AFP notes: "five bodies washed up on the banks of the Tigris south of the capital . . . . blindfolded and shot in the head" while Reuters notes two corpses were found ("gunshot wounds . . . torture marks") in Qaim as well as, in Falluja, the corpse "of a civilian . . . found three days after he was kidnapped" and one in Numaniya "bearing signs of torture."

Of course, on Tuesday, a torture czar could be found in Baghdad. The BBC reports that on the question of torture (which is illegal, though he and the administration appear to have forgotten), Gonzales stated "it is difficult to decide what is appropriate" and that it's "a difficult decision as to where to draw the line" but that "decision will be made by the Iraqi government". So exactly why did he waste US tax payer money going to Baghdad? To meet with "officials at the Iraqi High Tribunal . . . trying ex-leader Saddam Hussein and six others on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity." Possibly he wanted to try out the defense he'll mount in US courts should he ever be held accountable?

Danny Schechter (MediaChannel.org) notes, "One recent report placed the costs of the war at $1.75 billion per week. The Cost of Iraq War calculator is set to reach $318.5 billion September 30, 2006. With the skyrocketing costs of the war in Iraq, worldwide military spending soared. Wouldn't you think that that alone would have our news media all over the story? If you think that, think again."

Sadly, he is correct. It's been a summer of chasing after a lot of stories, giving wall to wall coverage, and letting a lot drop through the cracks -- mainly Iraq -- and that's true of all media, big and small.

Along with the dropping Iraq coverage, the numbers in the so-called coalition continue to drop as well. The Korea Times reports that, on Tuesday, people gathered to see off the 1,179 (South) Korean troops headed to Iraq to replace the 1,8000 (South) Korean soldiers who will be returning home. That's 621 more soldiers leaving Iraq then are headed to it.

In peace news, Sandip Roy (New America Media) spoke with Bob Watada. Bob Watada is the father of Ehren, the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. On the issue of Ehren Watada's refusal to serve in the illegal war, his father stated: "It's in the code of military justice, it's in the field manuals that you have a dut to disobey an unlawful order. The Nuremberg Tribunal which we signed on to and probaly drafted parts of, clearly says any military official can be prosecuted if they are complicit in war crimes and clearly we have massive war crimes going on in Iraq today."

Last Thursday night, a military spokesperson noted the recommendation forthcoming re: Ehren Watada's Article 32 hearing: court-martial. That recommendation is now working its way through the chain of command. To weigh in with support for Ehren Watada, Cedric (Cedric's Big Mix) is advising those calling Donald Rumsfeld (703-545-6700) or mailing him (1000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1000) to say: "Hands off Ehren Watada! Let him go." Billie advises that you can use public@defenselink.mil to e-mail the Pentagon. She suggests "Re: Ehren Watad" or "ATTN: DONALD RUMSFELD." Courage to Resist and ThankYouLt.org. will continue to offer resources, ideas and inspiration. Get the word out.

In other peace news Michelle Mason has made a documentary entitled Breaking Ranks. The film premieres tonight at the Montreal World Film Festival. The festival notes: "Breaking Ranks examines the incidence of U.S. soldiers seeking refuge in Canada as part of their objections to the war effort in Iraq. The film documents the experiences of several American army deserters who face one-to-five years prison time if they are deported and convicted of desertion. If however, Canada refuses to deport the soldiers, it faces considerable friction in its relations with the U.S. Filmed in cinema verite style, the film combines personal stories with political, cultural and historical analysis of the issues these soldiers' actions raise for Candada and for its current policies."

Breaking Ranks plays at 9:30 pm at the Cinema Quartier Latin 13 tonight and at 10:00 am at the same location on September 1st. Nelson Wyatt (Candian Press) spoke to filmmaker Mason as well as war resister Kyle Snyder. Mason noted that she had intended to focus on the Vietnam era but when Jeremy Hinzman sought refugee status that changed -- "I realized that was the story to pursue." Snyder tells Kyle Snyder tells Wyatt, "I would rather take jail than go back to Iraq and fight for something that I don't believe in. If I could avoid jail, that's what I'm going to do and I'm going to whatever it takes to do that."

CODEPINK's Troops Home Fast action continues on its 58th day today with at least 4,833 people participating. The action continues through September 21st (International Peace Day) and those who would like to take part can grab a one-day only fast, a one-day a week fast or a mutli-day fast (seek health advice from your provider before embarking on any long term strike). More information at Troops Home Fast. If anyone's suddenly realizing summer is coming to an end and looking for something to do that you can point to with pride and say, "This summer I . . ." consider taking part in the action.

And Indybay Media notes that the World Can't Wait has a full page ad in today's New York Times for the October 5Th action. The ad, on page A9, reads: "ENDLESS WARS! TORTURE! KATRINA! THEOCRACY! BRING THIS TO A HALT!" For more, visit World Can't Wait.


In Australia, the military inquiry into the April 21st Baghdad death of Jake Kovco is on hold. Belinda Tasker (The Age) reports that those sitting on the inquiry's board as well as the attorneys were busy today receiving gun lessons to attempt to increase their knowledge on some of the issues (such as silent cocking) that have been raised during the hearing. Tasker notes that Thursday, they will be at a shooting range and that the head of the inquiry is upset that images of Soldier 14 were shown on Australia's Nine Networks. For those wishing to see the video, this page has a link. (Soldier 14 is a witness. He's not a victim. We'll put the link up here.) On the issue of Australia's Nine Networks, in May the network conducted a poll and "found 83 percent believe there had been an intentional cover-up over the details of" Jake Kovco's death.












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