chatty

do not miss the common ills later this morning (much later this morning). i showed c.i. the slam slate published on brian de palma's redacted. at first, c.i. didn't want to read it and was saying, 'well it's their opinion.' i kept insisting and c.i. finally read it.

c.i.'s been writing (long hand) the rebuttal of that nonsense and reading it to me. i think it's amazing. c.i. completely demolishes slate's slam. (there is a reason c.i. scored in the extreme top percent of the country on the analytical section of the g.r.e.) it demolishes the slate piece, i mean it chops the wobbly legs out from under fred kaplan.

redacted is a great movie. every 1 i know who sees ends up raving over it. fred kaplan is full of it and doesn't know what he's talking about.

sherry e-mailed me a u.s.a. today blog post and noted the blogger at the paper was lost:

There's one apparent conflict between the reports. The AP lead says that soldiers are deserting at "the highest rate since 1980," without citing a comparable figure. The Army Times calls the 2007 desertions "the highest annual total since fiscal year 2001, when 4,399 troops deserted."

it is the highest in 26 years and the blogger just scanned today's news. sherry pointed out that c.i. notes nightline's september report (and that c.i. noted it before). that's your 'comparable figure'. nightline reported on the 1st 6 months of this year's figures and noted that it would be the highest in 26 years if it stayed on track. it didn't stay on track, the figures increased in the 2nd half of the year - increased thus far, it's still not over. it's the difference between having a strong grasp on the topic and just reading the day's wire reports.

c.i. noted that nightline piece last week and sherry wondered if c.i. knew the new totals then? i have no idea. c.i. can get information from anybody but c.i.'s also always been the poster child for syncronicity so who knows?

sometimes when stuff is being emphasized in a snapshot and you think 'interesting' but wonder 'why that today?' you'll see it's a big breaking story a few days later and realize c.i. was giving you a primer. in a lot of cases, that is because c.i.'s been told by a friend what's coming out. c.i. also hears from friends what's being shopped around by the government which is why c.i. avoids that crap. there was a happy talk story in 2006 - i can't be specific on when - that resulted in the writer who finally bought it having a snit fit and e-mailing an obsenity laced e-mail. he didn't accept the government spin! and just because he got the story from the military didn't make it actual reporting!

that story was shopped around, by the military brass, for 2 weeks before the idiot wrote it. it had nothing to do with life on the ground for iraqis. it was pure spin, pure hype (along the lines of, 'we repainted a school!' but bigger, much bigger).

c.i. probably spent 2 hours on the phone tonight (after the iraq study group meeting) returning calls from friends in the press. (and playing with my baby the whole time. mike is right that c.i.'s been ending each road trip in our area because of the baby.) there's a lot going on (and a lot being shopped around by the military). it's also true that c.i. has friends and relatives of friends serving in iraq who can provide tips (and do) but also will say, 'yeah, that's really a story' or 'that's pure spin.'

if c.i.'s hitting hard on something that's being ignored - such as when helicopters were being shot down but the spin was 'hard landings' - it's generally coming from friends serving in iraq. and there are times when c.i. will note in an entry, 'i was asked to note this.' that's why c.i. led on the bombings of the bridges as well as on the helicopters. both of those came from several serving in iraq. if they see something that outrages them (such as the new york times refusing to interact with non-brass u.s. military - that paper treats the enlisted like crap face to face in iraq) and want it noted, c.i. will do so. there was a story that 1 repeatedly tried to get to the new york times and when it failed repeatedly c.i. finally said, 'i'm going to hook you up with ____ who will take the story and can be trusted.' they did and it was one of those stories that was huge for a week or 2 but then the press moved on.

but if you want to know the biggest complaint from those serving it's that the reporters over there are (a) distant and (b) uninterested in any story that doesn't come from the brass. there are a few exceptions to that but for the most part that's how it is. and, 1 more time, the new york times has the worst relationship with the non-brass.

closing with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'

Friday, November 16, 2007. Chaos and violence contine, the war resistance movement continues, Congress accomplishes nothing (but does get a vacation), Brian De Palma's film Redacted opens in select cities, and more.

Starting with war resistance. Canada's War Resisters Support Campaign. staged rallies across Canada yesterday in support of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey whose appeal the Supreme Court refused to hear. Tracy Huffman and Debra Black (Toronto Star) report that Hinzman was at a rally in Toronto but not making public statements, instead letting Jeffry House (Hinzman, Hughey and many other war resisters in Canada's attorney) speak, "He's disappointed. He's tired of talking." John Ward (Canadian Press via London Free Press) dexplains that the focus will now be on the country's federal government and quotes House stating "the focus now turns to a political solution" and Canadian Friends Service Committee's Jane Orion Smith stating the legislature can "create a provision for them to stay." Kari Huus (MSNBC) cites Lee Zaslofsky of the War Resisters Support Campaign explaining, "What we need is for the (Liberal) party as a whole to take a stance on this. Together (the three parties) have a majority, and if they act together they can put something through the House of Commons." The Liberal Party currently has 96 seats in the House of Commons, the New Democratic Party has 30 seats. Those two bring the total to 126 which is the number of seats the Conservative Party holds. Bloc Quebecois holds 49 seats and 3 seats are held by the Independents (four seats are vacant). CKNW (AM 980) quotes Vancouver organizer Bog Ages explaining that the Bloc Quebecois and New Democratic Party members are on board and "we have a number of Liberal MP's who said they would support us. So, all we have to do, we'd like the Liberal Party as a whole to take a stand. But even if they're split, enough of them, that combined with the other parties, they have a majority, potentially, in Parliament, to change the law." The New Democratic Party cites the poll where 64.4 percent of Ontarians believe the war resisters should be allowed to remain in Canada, notes that NDP Citizenship and Immigration Critic Olivia Chow is introducing a motion to call for hearings on the issue and quotes her declaring, "To deport courageous war resisters who oppose the illegal invasion of Iraq is saying Yes to George W. Bush's war and No to supporting and protecting people seeking peace."


In the US, Tom Hayden declared, "I hope that the Canadian people stop the Bush Administration from using the Harper government to hound a handful of war resisters and erase Canada's proud heritage as a haven for resisters and refugees." Rebecca (Sex and Politics and Attitude and Screed) also lamented the events in Canada (and compared Prime Minister Stephen Harper to adult acne): "if i was even slightly right about what canada once was, i know the people can still stand up and force their government to stand with them. but they better do so quick. if they want to see how it looks when they don't, just take a gander southward. we're becoming the text book example of a failed state."

In July of 2004, Democracy Now! spoke with Jeremy Hinzman:AMY GOODMAN: It's good to have you with us. Can you talk about how you made your decision?
JEREMY HINZMAN: Pretty much what it came down to was-- I mean, I won't go into the false pretences and everything that we know about, but being in an illegal war, it would be being complicit and a criminal enterprise, and you may say that, oh, well, you're not a policymaker or a general or whatever, that the Nuremberg principles wouldn't apply to you. But in light of what's happened since Abu Ghraib, when they scapegoated like the lower enlisted soldiers for simply carrying out what the policy was from the upper echelons, I think it's pretty fair to say that we made the right decision. Because I was in the infantry and there is a good chance that I would have-- I would have been pretty active in a negative way. And so I'm-- that's why we came here pretty much is that I wasn't-- I don't want to shoot people. I would have been happy to go to Iraq as a port-a-potty janitor or operation human shield. I just don't want to shoot people.

Goodman spoke with Hinzman again on October 15, 2004 and also participating in the interview were Jeffry House and Brandon Hughey:
AMY GOODMAN: Brandon Hughey, why did you go into the military?
BRANDON HUGHEY: My story basically starts off almost the same way. I enlisted when I was 17 years old with basically the promise of a way to better my life financially. Again, it is a way to get a college education without amassing thousands of dollars of debt.
AMY GOODMAN: Where did you grow up?
BRANDON HUGHEY: I grew up in San Angelo, Texas. So, also when I signed the contract, I wasn't naive to the fact that I could be deployed to fight in a war, but I did have this image growing up that I would be sort of -- a good guy, if you will, and fighting for just causes and fighting to defend my country, and after I got out of basic training, and when I realized that basically the U.S. had attacked a country that was no threat to them, in an act of aggression, it shattered that myth, I guess you could say.
AMY GOODMAN: How old were you when you signed up?
BRANDON HUGHEY: I was 17.


At the rallies for Hinzman and Hughey, among those attending were war resisters from the Vietnam era and war resisters from today's illegal war. Huffman and Black note Kimberly Rivera -- Iraq veteran, mother of two -- spoke at one rally: "I strongly believe we are doing the wrong thing in Iraq." Rivera went on to explain that, while serving in Iraq, when she looked "at the shaken crying Iraqi children" she was reminded "of her own daughter in Texas.": John Ward notes war resister Tim Richard attending one rally and wondering, "Why is it legal for me (to stay), because my father was born in New Brunswick, and not legal for somebody else who did the exact same thing?"

Meanwhile war resister Rodney Watson has gone public. Suzanne Fournier (The Province) notes the 29-year-old, African-American, Iraq veteran self-checked out a year ago and now lives in Canada and quotes him stating, "I I realized the war had nothing to do with 9/11 or helping Iraqis or stopping terrorists. It's all about guarding oil for the U.S. , , , I'd rather do my time in jail than be a party to the racism I saw in Iraq. As an African-American, I grew up with racism. But in Iraq, I saw the same kind of abuse and mistreatment, only this was U.S. enlisted soldiers and American contractors, like security forces, abusing Iraqis."

Tom Regan (NPR News Blog) points out the difference between this week's court action (or inaction) and last week's. While Hugey and Hinzman were not allowed to seek out a legal remendy by the Canadian Supreme Court, last week US District Judge Benjmain Settle ruled in Ehren Watada's favor, "The judge says the military court is ignoring Watada's constitutional right not to face double jeopardy after his first court-martial ended in a mistrial.
The injunction means Watada has a better chance of winning his case, but it also means he might not get a chance to test his central argument -- that the Iraq war is illegal -- in court."
Noting the Watada ruling yesterday, NPR's Martin Kaste (All Things Considered) covered the story and Kenneth Kagan, Watada's civilian attorney along with James Lobsenz, explained the double-jeopardy issue (the February court-martial ended in a mistrial over defense objection) was something many courts grasp: "Civilians courts understand that, state courts understand that but for some reason military courts weren't acknowledging that reality."

Another reality that some (the press) has a hard time acknowledging is the number of service members electing to check out of the military on their own. AP reports that this year the desertion rate has jumped to "the highest rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80 percent increase" since the start of the illegal war. AP continues to deny reality by offering the claim that the US military does little to track down those who go AWOL or desert -- despite the mountain of public evidence to the contrary.
As to the figure cited, September 21st, Nick Watt (ABC's Nighline) examined war resisters and noted the number of people being processed for desertion at Fort Knox "jumped 60% last year" (to 1,414 for Fort Knox -- US military figures) while concluding his report with, "If the total for the first six months of 2007 doubles by year end, it will become the highest annual total in twenty-six years." At 80% the total has more than doubled and not only is there another full month left in the year, it's also true that you have to be gone at least 30 days to be declared a deserter (unless you're Agustin Aguayo and the military wants to screw you over) and, in addition, the military figures have been 'lower' than they should be before (NPR caught that earlier this year) and the rolls aren't up to date for AWOL let alone desertion.


There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Carla Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters.


The voice of war resister Camilo Mejia is featured in Rebel Voices -- playing now through December 16th at Culture Project and based on Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's best-selling book Voices of a People's History of the United States. It features dramatic readings of historical voices such as war resister Mejia, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Malcom X and others will be featured. Zinn will take part in the November 18th presentation (the official opening night -- but performances are already taking place) and musician Allison Mooerer will head the permanent cast while those confirmed to be performing on selected nights are Ally Sheedy (actress and poet, best known for films such as High Art, The Breakfast Club, Maid to Order, the two Short Circuit films, St. Elmo's Fire, War Games, and, along with Nicky Katt, has good buzz on the forthcoming Harold), Eve Ensler who wrote the theater classic The Vagina Monologues (no, it's not too soon to call that a classic), actor David Strathaim (L.A. Confidential, The Firm, Bob Roberts, Dolores Claiborne and The Bourne Ultimatum), actor and playwright Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Clueless -- film and TV series, Gregory and Chicken Little), actress Lili Taylor (Dogfight, Shortcuts, Say Anything, Household Saints, I Shot Andy Warhol, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, State of Mind) and actor, director and activist Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Beloved, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Rainmaker, Places In The Heart, Dreamgirls, Shooter and who appeared on Democracy Now! Friday addressing the US militarization of Africa) The directors are Will Pomerantz and Rob Urbinati with Urbinati collaborating with Zinn and Arnove on the play. Tickets are $21 for previews and $41 for regular performances (beginning with the Nov. 18th opening night). The theater is located at 55 Mercer Street and tickets can be purchased there, over the phone (212-352-3101) or online here and here. More information can be found at Culture Project.

Meanwhile IVAW is organizing a March 2008 DC event:

In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
Click here to sign a statement of support for Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan

Starting next week, IVAW's announcement above will be summarized in each snapshot until the March testimony begins. Winter Soldier is the documentary that was made of the 1971 investigation and it is available via Vietnam Veterans Against the War for $28.95 (four dollars of that is for shipping). Staying with films for a minute more, Brian De Palma's Redacted opens today in select cities and, although fiction, is inspired by real life events -- specifically the gang-rape and murder of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim Hamza and the murder of her five-year-old sister and both parents.Opening Today:
11/16/2007 Berkeley, CA: Shattuck Cinemas Los Angeles, CA: The Landmark Palo Alto, CA: Aquarius 2 Pasadena, CA: Laemmle's One Colorado Cinemas San Francisco, CA: Embarcadero Center Cinema Santa Ana, CA: South Coast Village 3 West Hollywood, CA: Sunset 5 Washington, DC: E Street Cinema Chicago, IL: Landmark's Century Centre Cinema Cambridge, MA: Kendall Square Cinema New York, NY: Sunshine Cinema New York, NY: Lincoln Plaza Philadelphia, PA: Ritz at the Bourse



Turning to some of today's reported violence . . .

Bombings?

Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad bombing claimed 1 life and left four more wounded, a Baquba mortar attack left six people wounded, while 2 Baquba bombings left three civilians and four police officers wounded.

Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports that an Iraqi 1st Lieuntenant and his brother were shot dead in Misan while en route to their home today and yesterday "5 civilians were injured in a random fire by the Iraqi army in Al Siniyah town north west of Tikrit city."

Kidnappings?

Reuters reports Muntazer al-Zaidi, a 26-year-old journalist for Iraqi television, was kidnapped in Baghdad today.

Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 4 corpses were discovered in Baghdad.


As the violence continues the US State Department has had a public relations nightmare with diplomats not filling posts and threats from the chain of command that they would be ordered to Baghdad. This morning Karen DeYoung (Washington Post) reported that an announcement would be coming today "that volunteers have filled all 48 open jobs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for next year and that it will not order any foreign service officers to work there against their will, officials said yesterday." NPR's Morning Edition reported earlier today that the positions had been filled; however, Reuters -- citing a State Department flack -- reports that it may -- may -- be unnecessay to order some diplomats to Baghdad and quotes Sean McCormack insisting, "It appears that we are getting very nearly to the point where we will have volunteers for all of the open, identified jobs."

As Reuters notes, some objecting to be assigned to Baghdad have compared it to a death sentence. This as DPA reports that the Turkish military has been moving tanks to the northern border of Iraq. Gareth Jones (Reuters) reports that some members of Turkey's ruling political party have stated Turkish troops will not enter Iraq if the PKK disarmed. Since they really aren't able to make that promise and since the PKK would be highly unlikely to disarm under such a vague offer, the tensions continue between northern Iraq and Turkey.

Turning to the US Congress, the Democratic shell-game (Let's tell the voters this is a withdrawal!) passed in the House but didn't come to a vote today in the Senate. Noam M. Levey (Los Angeles Times) reports the measure garnered only 53 votes of support and that Congress is now expected to leave DC for their two-week Thanksgiving vacation. For those attempting to keep track, Congress just took a 30-day vacation in September but apparently carving a turkey takes several days when you're in the US Congress. Possibly the lack of spines makes the standing difficult? Pelosi pushed through the measure in the House and many in the Out of Iraq caucus held their news and voted to support it -- even though it did not mean withdrawal and even though it would have given Bully Boy $50 billion more dollars for the illegal war. Earlier this week, Democratic Senator Russ Feingold went on record opposing the measure because it continued funding the Iraq War and was toothless and non-binding. Toothless and non-binding? In "Don't Ask Her to Play Hostess" news Corporate Crime Reporter's Russell Mokhiber (via CounterPunch) shares the latest social tidbit from US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, "I'm not happy when people come to my house." Oh. So that's why she entertained the Dalai Lama at the MCI Center in 2005. And those of us in her district just assumed the location was another reward to her corporate donors. Actually, it's Fancy Nancy having another public fit over the fact that CODEPINK potests. She loved CODEPINK . . . when they called out the powerful . . . back when Republicans controlled everything. Now that Democrats control both houses in the US Congress and CODEPINK stays true to their purpose of calling out the powerful, Fancy Nancy has a snit fit. Repeatedly. Fancy Nancy declares of CODEPINK, "And if they think the longer they stay there the better the chances they will have a meeting with me -- I think I've disabused them of that notion." No, all she's done is demonstrate that from Richard Nixon through PW Botha on up to the Bully Boy and a hop and skip over to Fancy Nancy the bunker mentality thrives. CODEPINK is nation wide with chapters all over but many in the Bay Area see it as the "home team" so, when you're already tanking in the polls, with your highest negatives and your lowest approval ratings ever, it's probably not a good idea to go after them or present yourself an advocate against free speech. Fancy Nancy's a Maryland transplant (that never really took) so possibly she's unaware where the Free Speech Movement began? The eighth district's own Joe Lieberman appears eager to continue digging her own grave.

Finally, Robert Parry was a guest on CounterSpin today where he explained his article "Why We Write" (Consortium News) and spoke of the immediate positive effects during and following Watergate that quickly fell away and how the US press became what it is today. He and his sons Nat and Sam will be speaking at Busboys and Poets in Arlingtion, Virginia Saturday Nov. 17th from four p.m. to six p.m. discussing their new book Neck Deep: The Disastrous Presidency of George W. Bush. Sam and Nat Parry have established their own journalist skills at Consortium News and they and Robert Parry can discuss any of the topics pertaining to the current administration but remember that Robert Parry has been doing investigative journalism for years -- long enough to have had neocon Daniel Pipes insult his reporting long, long before the Iraq War -- a sure sign his investigations cause discomfort.

oh canada ...

just before our love got lost you said,
'i am as constant as a northern star.'
and i said, 'constantly in the darkness
where's that at?
if you want me i'll be in the bar.'
on the back of a cartoon coaster
in the blue t.v. screen light
i drew a map of canada
oh canada
-- 'a case of you,' written by joni mitchell and from her album blue.

oh canada.

what happened to you?

you used to be so righteous.

you used to inspire me, make me dream of moving there.

not just following the 2004 u.s. presidential election, but over and over throughout the years.

you seemed like a place where every 1 was welcome and anything could happen.

over the years, when i was doing a 5 year plan, i'd always include 'move to canada.'

i never did move. but i did get to visit. i probably visited 20 or 30 times. some of that on business, but the bulk just to visit canada.

on good trips, i managed to come during the winter.

the chilled air was so bracing, so wonderful and so pure.

i loved the entire country. i loved that i could be in a rural area and then, just a few minutes on down the road, i was in a metropolis.

it was eclectic. it was wild. it was unique.

and 'unique' is the 1 word that stood out as a visitor.

canada was like the u.s. if we were ruled by a better nature.

the health care, the friendly people, the wooded areas which hadn't been completely stomped out or turned into a 'park.'

i guess i always thought you would someday inspire us, your southern neighbors, to get our act together. you were such leaders.

and pierre trudeau was good looking. damn good looking. you have to drop back to jfk to say that about 1 of our presidents.

you were cool, you were happening.

then you changed.

was it a mid-life crisis?

all i know is you suddenly seemed to stop being an inspiration to the united states and became a cheap copy of it instead.

your conservative echo chamber press is a source of mirth on the outside; however, i imagine it must be rough on the citizens having to endure it. especially when it bills itself as 'alternative.'

but that wasn't canada, that wasn't canadians. they cared. 'good people' was invented to describe canadians, right?

so stuff like stephen harper, that was just a momentary outburst. or that's what i'd tell myself. it was mid-life acne and it would clear up.

but it doesn't appear to be.

2 americans went to your country in 2004 because they couldn't take part in an illegal war and war crimes.

should have been a no-brainer.

in the 60s, you embraced war resisters.

but these days?

these days you've turned into the old crank every 1 wants to avoid.

today, your supreme court said 'no' to reviewing the cases of jeremy hinzman and brandon hughey.

your refugee board refused to grant them refugee status. they appealed through the court system on up to the supreme court and the top court said 'no review.'

look, i'm not saying the united states is better.

please. i live here. i'm used to the realities of my country.

but there was always the hope coming from the north.

now that's gone.

maybe it never existed. maybe it was unfair to burden you with the thought that in a world of cavers, canada could actually stand strong and stand up for what is right?

maybe the canadian government is just too weak and what happened in the 60s was just the work of pierre trudeau?

maybe bending low to kiss the ass of the bully boy of the united states threw your back out and it's now impossible to stand upright.

but you used to stand for something.

i loved that canada.

now i feel like i don't even know my northern neighbor.

i'm directing that at the government and not at the people.

if i was even slightly right about what canada once was, i know the people can still stand up and force their government to stand with them. but they better do so quick. if they want to see how it looks when they don't, just take a gander southward. we're becoming the text book example of a failed state.

let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'

Thursday, November 15, 2007. Chaos and violence continue, US war resisters in Canada learn that the country's Supreme Court is as useless as the Immigration and Refugee Board, the US military announces a death, a soldier is arrested, and more.

Starting with war resisters. CBC reports that the Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear the appeals filed by war resisters Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey. The Canadian Press notes: "They fled to Canada and asked for refugee status, claiming they opposed the war in Iraq as illegal and immoral." Canada's National Post explains that without a Surpeme Court review, the Federal Court of Appeal having "rejected the claims by Mr. Hinzman and Mr. Hughey" now stands and, as the BBC points out, means that the Immigration and Refugee "Board" (one member hears and decides) decision in 2005 that neither were refugees. City News quotes Elizabeth May (Green Party leader) declaring that, "Canada is a peaceful country and we have a proud tradition of welcoming conscientious objectors, most notably American soldiers who fled to Canada while the United States waged war in Vietnam." L-Girl (We Move to Canada) notes, "This is very bad news. But it's not the end of the fight. This decision makes the political battle more crucial." Randall Palmer and Lynne Oliver (Reuters) cites the War Resisters Support Campaign's Lee Zaslofsky declaring, "They won't be deported tomorrow, there is a process" and notes that the two could "apply for permanent residence in Canada on humanitarian or compassionate grounds."

Canada's War Resisters Support Campaign has issued the following announcement:In response to today's decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to not hear appeals from American Iraq-war resisters seeking refuge in Canada, the War Resisters Support Campaign will ramp up pressure for a political solution, calling for a provision from Parliament to allow resisters and their families to stay in Canada.The War Resisters Support Campaign will hold a demonstration tonight at 5 p.m. at 330 University Avenue, Toronto to call on Parliament to do the right thing and allow resisters to stay in Canada.Who: War Resisters Support Campaign and alliesWhat: Demonstration to ramp up pressure on ParliamentWhen: Thursday November 15 at 5 p.m.Where: 330 University Avenue, Toronto (just north of Queen Street. W., on the west side)"We call on Parliament to take a stand by enacting a provision that would allow US war resisters and their families to stay in Canada," said actor and activist Shirely Douglas. "The Supreme Court has handed the issue back to Parliament. It is urgent that Parliament demonstrate leadership and act in accordance with Canadian tradition. Do not let the principles that Canadians cherish slip away."The Supreme Court decision by a panel of three judges prevents the full court from reviewing the decisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board regarding the refugee status of resisters Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey. The Immigration and Refugee Board had refused to grant them refugee status.Resisters have already found widespread support among Canadians, including faith groups, unions, peace organizations and thousands of individuals and families who have extended a welcome. In a June 2007 poll by Strategic Communications, 64.6 per cent of respondents in Ontario think that resisters should be allowed to stay in Canada (margin of error +/- 4%, 19 times out of 20).The War Resisters Support Campaign has been assisting US war resisters who come to Canada because of their opposition to the Iraq War since 2004.For futher information: Lee Zaslofsky (416) 598-1222 and Michelle Robidoux (416) 856-5008
A listing of the rallies can be found here and they also note:

Contact your Member of Parliament (M.P.) and these key members of government and lobby them to let the war resisters stay in Canada:The Hon. Stephane Dion, Leader of the Opposition (Liberal): Phone: (613) 996-5789; E-mail: Dion.S@parl.gc.caMichael Ignatieff, Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Liberal): Phone: (613) 995-9364;E-mail: Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.caThe Hon. Maurizio Bevilacqua, Opposition Critic for Citizenship and Immigration (Liberal):Phone: (613) 996-4971; E-mail: Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.caThe Right Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister: Phone: (613) 992-4211; Fax: (613) 941-6900; E-mail: pm@pm.gc.caThe Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration: Phone: (613) 954-1064; E-mail: Minister@cic.gc.caAnd contact your own Member of Parliament. To find your local M.P., by your postal code or by name:http://www.canada.gc.ca/directories/direct_e.html

For people outside Canada, Courage to Resist has a "Dear Canada" resource page that allows non-Canadians to weigh in with key officials.

Jeremy Hinzman, his wife Nga Nguyen and their son Liam went to Canada in January 2004. Brandon Hughey went to Canada in March 2004. They have established lives there, laid down roots. There are over 200 US war resisters that have gone to Canada.

There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes James Stepp, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Carla Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters.


The voice of war resister Camilo Mejia is featured in Rebel Voices -- playing now through December 16th at Culture Project and based on Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's best-selling book Voices of a People's History of the United States. It features dramatic readings of historical voices such as war resister Mejia, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Malcom X and others will be featured. Zinn will take part in the November 18th presentation (the official opening night -- but performances are already taking place) and musician Allison Mooerer will head the permanent cast while those confirmed to be performing on selected nights are Ally Sheedy (actress and poet, best known for films such as High Art, The Breakfast Club, Maid to Order, the two Short Circuit films, St. Elmo's Fire, War Games, and, along with Nicky Katt, has good buzz on the forthcoming Harold), Eve Ensler who wrote the theater classic The Vagina Monologues (no, it's not too soon to call that a classic), actor David Strathaim (L.A. Confidential, The Firm, Bob Roberts, Dolores Claiborne and The Bourne Ultimatum), actor and playwright Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Clueless -- film and TV series, Gregory and Chicken Little), actress Lili Taylor (Dogfight, Shortcuts, Say Anything, Household Saints, I Shot Andy Warhol, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, State of Mind) and actor, director and activist Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Beloved, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Rainmaker, Places In The Heart, Dreamgirls, Shooter and who appeared on Democracy Now! Friday addressing the US militarization of Africa) The directors are Will Pomerantz and Rob Urbinati with Urbinati collaborating with Zinn and Arnove on the play. Tickets are $21 for previews and $41 for regular performances (beginning with the Nov. 18th opening night). The theater is located at 55 Mercer Street and tickets can be purchased there, over the phone (212-352-3101) or online here and here. More information can be found at Culture Project.

Meanwhile IVAW is organizing a March 2008 DC event:

In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
Click here to sign a statement of support for Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan

IVAW's announcement above will be in tomorrow and Friday's snapshot and then it will appear summarized in each snapshot until the March testimony begins.

Turning to Iraq, Leila Fadel and Mohammed al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) report that a US air attack on Tuesday is in dispute with Mansour abd Salem "of the Sunni Awakening councild in Taji" declaring that members of his group were "deliberately" targeted in an air attack that started Tuesday night "and that his brother, Malek abd Salem, contacted U.S. troops in Taji and asked them to stop. At 1 a.m., he said, his brother spoke again with the U.S. military. Four hours later, he told Al Jazeera Arabic Satellite News, aerial attacks resumed, and U.S. ground forces killed everyone in sight. Abd Salem said the group's parked cars were draped in fluorescent banners that the U.S. military had provided to identify them as Sunni allies." The US military maintains the 25 killed were 'terrorist,' 'insurgents' or, maybe, 'ones needing to die.' Reuters notes the US claims 25 people were killed while the Sunni tribe claims it was "45 pro-U.S. fighters."

Bombings?

Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports two Baghdad roadside bombings that left five wounded, an Al Ajeem mortar attack that left three wounded, a Tala Abass roadside bombing that left three people wounded and a car bombing in Kirkuk "targeted Brigadier General Omar Khatab" claiming the lives of 3 bodyguard and 4 civilians while leaving thirteen civilians injured, three body guards injured and Khatab himself injured. Reuters notes that yesterday: "The head of a Sunni tribe was killed and 10 members of the tribe wounded . . . when a suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives infiltrated their meeeting".

Shootings?
Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports another Baghdad educator has been targeted. Suad Kukaz was the high school principle of Al Amal until she was shot dead this morning. She is at least the third female principal to be shot in Baghdad in the last two weeks. Two were shot last week with one wounded and the other shot dead (Eman Hussein was the other principal shot dead). Al Dulaimy also notes that Mohamed Salah was shot dead "near Jalawla" and reports two people suspected in the killing of LC Ali Al Daraji were killed Wednesday by Jassim Al Daraji (brother of LC Ali Al Daraji who is a police lieutenant and who was 'questioning' the two suspects when he killed them).

Kidnappings?

Reuters notes a home invasion yesterday that targeted Kadhim al-Mehdawi ("head of a Sunni tribe") and resulted in "his 13-year-old son" being kidnapped.

Corpses?

Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 6 corpses were discovered in Baghdad and that yesterday in Jalawla the corpse of Fadel Ahmed was discovered. Reuters notes the corpse "of a 25-year-old woman" was found in Mahaweel ("shot and tortured").

Today the US military announced: "A Multi-National Division -- North Soldier was killed as a result of an explosion while conducting operations in Diyala Province, Nov. 14. Four additional MND-N Soldiers were wounded in the blast and evacuated to a coalition hospital." ICCC's current total for the number of US service members killed in the illegal war is 3865. The announcement brings to 21 the number of US service members announced killed in the illegal war for the month thus far.

In other violence, Alissa J. Rubin (New York Times) reports that yesterday's attack on the Green Zone took place 90 minutes prior the planned annoucing of the 2008 budget proposal ($40 billion). Rubin also reports either the widening of the cholera outbreak or else enteritis at the Al Hanan Home for the Severely Handicapped in Baghdad where one child has already died and twelve more are suffering.

Turning to the mercenary company Blackwater. Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) noted, "The State Department's top oversight official has recused himself from all matters relating the private military firm Blackwater after admitting his brother served on the company's advisory board. Inspector General Howard Krongard announced the move Wednesday just hours after initially denying that his brother, Alvin 'Buzzy' Krongard, is a Blackwater board member. The State Department has already come under criticism for its lax oversight of Blackwater since the September 16th killing of seventeen Iraqi civilians by Blackwater guards. Howard Krongard has previously been accused of thwarting probes of contracting fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan to avoid embarrassing the White House. Krongard is said to have refused to send investigators to Iraq and Afghanistan to probe three billion dollars in contracts." The too-late recusal and announcement came out during Howard Krongard's testimony to the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and he needed a break before he could declare that his brother was serving on Blackwater's advisory board. (See Cedric yesterday, Wally yesterday and here for a humorous joint-entry.) David Wood (Baltimore Sun) captures the "nasty rumors!" defense that collapses when Krongard, back from break, has to admit that his brother "Buzzy" is on Blackwater's advisory board. Warren P. Strobel (McClatchy Newspapers) observes that belated 'disclosure' "dismayed even Krongard's Republican defenders on the committee, who'd attempted to portray the probe by chairman Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., as partisan score-settling." The committee hearing was held to address specific problems with Krongard's performance and these issues are covered in the [PDF format warning] "Report on Allegations Regarding State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard" issued before the hearing.

Krongard has threatened people serving under him and has tossed repeated roadblocks in front of Congressional inquiries. Of the many complaints about foreign contractors in Iraq, one has been that they then recruit foreign workers, take their passports and the employees are then nothing more than slave labor. The report reveals that the human trafficking issue arose in 2006 within the department resulting debates about how to proceed to verify the claims until Krongard issued an e-mailing stating ("in effect") "cease and desist all work. I'm taking care of this." "Taking care of this" meant a brief dash through of Iraq where Krongard made brief time to speak with "six employees who had been pre-selected by First Kuwaiti. No translators were provided; the only interviewees made available spoke some English. No reports of interviews were drafted. The only documentation of the investigation consisted of handwritten notes by Mr. Krongard, none of which identified the witnesses by name and two of which did not even decribe them by nationality or position." When Ronald Militana began looking into allegations regarding Blackwater "smuggling arms into Iraq," his superior (John DeDona) notified Krongard of the progress thus far and received an e-mail reply from Krongard: "Please do not treat anything in the email below as having been seen by me, advised to me, or understood or approved by me. If there is something significant in the message below, please come and tell me about it." In other words, Krongard wanted no paper trail -- physical or eletronic.

The report assembles all known problems with the 'leadership' Krongard has supplied and on the issue of roadblocks, notes (page 41 "B. Document Production"):

The Committee's September 18, 2007, letter requested that the Office of Inspector General produce by September 28, all documents related to its investigation of Mr. Krongard. The Committee subsequently postponed the hearing and extended the document production deadline as an accommodation to the Inspector General and his office's document production limitiations. During a conference call, on October 15, 2007, an Associate Counsel to the Inspector General advised Committee staff that the Inspector General's office could complete its document production within three weeks. However, on November 1, the Counsel advised the Committee via e-mail that it would not produce any responsive documents relating to the investigation of bribes or kickbacks involving the Jordan International Police Training Center, the investigation of Kenneth Tomlinson, or hotline complaints about the New Embassy Compound in Baghdad, stating that these were still open investigative matters.
After a week of negotiations yielded no agreement to produce responsive documents, the Committee issued a subpoena on November 7, seeking production by November 9 of all documents relating to the various disrupted subjects, including investigations relating to the construction of the New Embassy Compound in Iraq; allegations of bribery involving State Department contractors in Jordan; and all communications to or from the Inspector General relating to Blackwater USA.
On November 9, the office informed Committee staff that it would not produce documents listed in the subpoena that pertain to open investigations, pending consultation with the Justice Department. As of November 13, the Office of the Inspector General has given the Committee no indication of when, or even if, it will produce the documents called for in the subpoena. Moreover, even setting aside the documents relating to open investigations, the Office of the Inspector General still has not produced all responsive documents to the original Committee request, almost two months after it was first issued.

Also on Blackwater, Jeremy Scahill offers (at the Los Angeles Times) that the investigation into the September 16th slaughter of 17 Iraqi soldiers is riddled with flaws: US civilian law applies to those "working for or directly accompanying the U.S. military," the 2006 Defense Authorization Act that placed "all U.S. Contractors under the Uniform Code of Military Justice" is untested "and the Department of Defense has shown no desire to use this option"; Paul Bremer's Order 17 prevents Iraq from prosecuting; and, most importantly, the investigation focuses only on the contractors: "The investigation must determine which operatives killed the Iraqis on Sept. 16, but it can't stop there. It must extend to those who hired them and deployed them, armed, dangerous and apparently above the law." On KPFK's Mid-Day News today, Scahill explained, "The real culpable party here is the State Department which hired Blackwater, deployed it -- armed dangerous and apparently above the law. And what I think is a bigger scandal than Blackwater is how the State Department from the moment the shooting happened has tried to cover up for its actions. I mean, let's remember here that the State Department's initial report on the shooting was drafted by a Blackwater contractor on official US government stationary, the crime scene was contaminated -- for two weeks there were no law enforcement investigators there -- and in October we found out that the State Department had granted some Blackwater operatives 'limited use immunity' in return for their statements and what that means is anything that these Blackwater guards said to the State Department cannot and will not be used in a court of law and can't be used to bring criminal charges against them which creates serious obstacles to prosecuting them. And then yesterday at the hearing of the House Oversight Committee, chaired by Henry Waxman, we find out that the State Department Inspector General -- the senior official responsible for investigating charges of waste, fraud and abuse -- on contracts like that given to Blackwater is actually the brother of a Blackwater advisory board member".

Protests continue in Seattle at the Port of Olympia. As Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) noted today:"The protests were organized by the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance which aims to stop the U.S. military from using the port to ship equipment to Iraq. Police used pepper spray to disperse a crowd of more than one-hundred fifty people. It's the second straight week of protests at the port." Peter Bohmer (CounterPunch) observes, "For 10 days, anti-war activists in Olympia, Washington have slowed down and for two different periods of 12 hours or more, stopped the flow of military weapons and military cargo that were unloaded from a Navy ship that had returned from Iraq. For 24 hours day, we have used a variety of tactics and actions. They have included sitting in front of trucks carrying Stryker vehicles and other military equipment from leaving the Port of Olympia, building barricades on the roads where these military vehicles were taveling, anti-war demostrations through the streets of Olympia and vigils, downtown. A hearing was held at City Hall, last Sunday, November 11th, 2007 to document the excessive police force used against people who participated in these actions. We testified at the Olympia City Council and at a hearing of the elected Port Commissioners demanding that they take a stand opposing the U.S. war against Iraq by not letting our Port be used to transport war supplies. About 500 people have taken part in some or all of these protests."

Turning to the topic of PTSD, Iraq War veteran Brad Gaskins (25-years-old) was arrested yesterday, 10 miles from Fort Drum, where he was headed to turn himself in.

Brad Gaskins, 25-years-old, who was 10 miles from Fort Drum, holding a press conference before turning himself in, when the military showed up with local police to arrest him. Fernanda Santos (New York Times) reports, "The soldier, Brad Gaskins, an Army sergeant who had served two tours in Iraq, was speaking with a television reporter at the cafe when two officers from the fort entered with two local police officers, who took him away, his lawyer, Tod Ensign, said." Gaskins suffers from PTSD and was diagnosed with PTSD while in the military, not that the chain of command was concerned about that. Amy Ohler's "Soldier arrestd after being AWOL" (News 10 Now) offers the reaction of a family member to the arrest: "'Here he is, a young man who has been in the Amy since he was 17 years old, who fought for this country and when he comes back to his own country he's treated like a criminal,' said Sonia Murray, Gaskins' aunt."And in an update on last week's decision to suspend and attempt to expell high school students who peacefully protested the illegal war and followed school directions while doing so, Crystal Yednak (New York Times) reports that all but four have been "allowed to return to class" except for four whose suspension will end Friday.

talking entry

i'm not a football nut but i believe an end run is when they try to go around some 1. dona called me today to tell me that the person who refused to reply to c.i.'s e-mail (asking that i be e-mailed a 1 sentence e-mail stating whether or not he was in on forwarding my e-mail) e-mailed the public account of the common ills today. dona asked me to check my account to see if an e-mail had arrived from the man to me? nope. not in my inbox, not in my junk mail folder.

dona said, 'don't worry about it, it's deleted.' i'm glad my friends stand up for and with me. i do not understand, however, why some 1 thinks he can do an end run around me to get highlighted at the common ills. c.i.'s e-mail was very clear: you and your organization will not be noted at any community site unless i get a 1-sentence explanation. there is no end run around me. but thanks for playing.

on any given day, there are probably 15 to 20 events c.i. would like to have time and space for. most never get noted. on top of those things (like robert parry's book event in arlington, virginia this saturday starting at 4:00 pm with his sons nat and sam), there are also things that come in to the public account and c.i. notes them when possible. actually, c.i. makes a list of them and, from that list, notes when possible. howard zinn is elaine's favorite of all time so c.i. will always work in zinn when possible (robert parry's my favorite of all time) but there are things c.i. wants to note on any given day that aren't requested and there's not time. c.i.'s not going to make time to note something that comes into the public account from some 1 who may or may not have intentionally participated in the forwarding of my e-mail.

i mean, if you look at the snapshot today, there just wasn't time to note the health issues emerging in the news about veterans. you've got the canadian supreme court announcing a decision tomorrow. each snapshot is a juggle. what gets included, what doesn't?

is something being covered by others? can a topic wait a day or 2 because it is being covered?

c.i. comes into the third estate sunday review writing editions each saturday with 30 to 40 possible iraq topics and most are topics because there wasn't time during the week.

and just to explain (this was covered at 2 other sites), since we did 'Editorial: Victories for Watada and the Constitution' and were arguing (rightly) how important the decision judge benjamin settle reached was, if we offered a variety of iraq topics, my point of view was watada wouldn't get the attention he deserved.

we've got 1 idea that was supposed to be done sunday (from the previous week when time ran out) but i really felt if we did that it would end up overwhelming or distracting. some agreed with that point, some just wanted to get the edition done (it was a very long writing edition) and some said 'whatever.'

ironically, c.i.'s the one who gets griped out in an e-mail for that. (see 'And the war drags on . . .') i asked dona on the phone today, 'did third get complaints?' nope. that makes sense, right? gripe at the 1 person who is covering iraq non-stop.

and then there was the whiner (also see 'And the war drags on . . .') who wanted to complain about ava and c.i.'s 'TV: The drip-drip of Carpoolers' because t.v. isn't serious. or serious enough for him. what a dope. ava and c.i. are calling out a show for reducing 1 african-american character to nothing but feet and having the other be the driver for white people. i'd say those are important points to make. i'd also argue that their feminist take remains the strongest thing online week after week. i really think that you could gather their t.v. commentaries from the last 2 years together and put them in a book. i re-read their stuff all the time. they really have provided 2 strong feminist voices that have been funny and insightful. and at a time when so much of the commentaries have come from non-feminists, i'm just thrilled that those 2 give a voice and that their voice is so appreciated.

which, by the way, is why they do those t.v. commentaries - they are the most popular feature every week. the writing itself goes fairly quickly. but they have to do a lot of research during the week by calling friends working on shows, friends that have worked with people on a show, friends at the network, go down the list. and they are both on the road every week speaking out against the illegal war. so they really don't have the time for that.

the thing that now takes the most time is their getting ready to write. i'm talking about in the writing sessions. there is a lot of 'we can't do it this week.' they've been able to pull it off each week but it is a lot of pressure.

but it figures that a man would show up and whine that a review that dealing with racism, sexism and female deaths in iraq wasn't serious enough.

waaah, for all the little boys who never grow up, waaah.

by the 1st weekend of january they will have written at least 156 t.v. commentaries. what a body of work.

before some 1 says, 'they didn't write the t.v. pieces themselves the 1st month!' no, they didn't. however, 1 week they did a movie (at jim's request - or sexist and racist reactions to a movie) so the next week they did 2 commentaries (covering 3 shows). in addition, they've done 2 commentaires at other times as well and 1 week they did 3 t.v. commentaries. which is why i say 'at least 156.' it may be much more.

there are many great 1s in 2007 but for t & me, our favorite is 'TV: Aftermath leaves an aftertaste.' that 1 from february 2007 should be an intro to susan faludi's wonderful book the terror dream. it's covering the show jericho and addressing how women are being stripped of their power:

A friend who writes for episodic television and gets lost in the intricacies frequently, when hitting the sauce heavy, wonders about The Lone Gunmen and the episode where a plane almost flew into the WTC and whether that was supposed to prepare the American people for what was to come on 9-11? We'd be more concerned about what Jericho is supposed to prepare us for.
Apparently, come the nuclear attack, all good and bad women are supposed to make like Bonnie Tyler and start rasping, "I need a hero, I'm holding out for a hero . . ." Since the best that fictionalized programming can offer up is Skeet, we'd suggest women learn to be their own heroes and strongly suggest you study just what uses Heddy (the always amazing Jennifer Jason Leigh) can find for a pair of stilleto heels in Single White Female.
The producers of this show know no Heddy, know no woman who can do a damn thing other than stand on the sidelines nervously while waiting for the men to do.
Consider us optimists but, in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, we would have thought a survival instinct would kick in. On Jericho, the women grab the pom-poms.

there are like 6 other sections i want to quote but i'll just go with their concluding paragraph:

In times of crisis, Jericho tells you, natural leaders emerge and that's based on something other than the ability to lead, it's based on whether or not you've got a Y chromosome. We don't buy into the belief that the dangling Y means extra intelligence or natural leadership but, come the nuclear aftermath, women should keep in mind that the heavily worshipped area, in this society, is also a very sensitive one. Aim the stilleto there as well.

all i can say is 'wow.' t was asking me today if they do outlines or what? when i've been physically present (unless we're all together for a rally or all out at c.i.'s in california, i participate by phone), they have no idea what they're writing. they've done the research and sometimes they will call a friend (and wake her or him to ask a question) but mainly they're just bouncing it off each other, the show. and then they write the 1st sentence. at that point, they have no idea where they are headed. about 1/2 way in they're talking so fast to each other - tossing lines and points at one another - that they're cooking.

but they write in a 1st draft and that's what goes up. there isn't time for a polish or edit. and when you realize you are reading a 1st draft that's been written so quickly (15 to 20 minutes is the average) that's even more amazing. but their getting to that 15 to 20 minutes time of writing takes longer and longer these days and i know it's from the pressure that's on their shoulders due to every 1 (that's true of us as much as the site's readers) expecting so much. when it gets to be way too much - the expectations - they will go off in another direction. they really can't handle that sort of attention. (like when they did 3 news programs in a row and were being hailed as 'serious' now - when they'd been tackling serious issues the whole time.)

that's going to be it for me tonight. and if any 1's not pleased with my topics, i'm on the couch, leaning back, typing this up with 1 hand and asking flyboy 'help!' for the copy & pastes because (a) i was breast feeding and (b) now the baby's fallen asleep and lately, when that happens, i need to stay still for about an hour or else what should be down for the night turns into only a brief nap as soon as i move.

let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'

Wednesday, November 14, 2007. Chaos and violence continue, the Green Zone is targeted, the US military announces deaths, an army captain who went AWOL turns himself in, news due out from Canada's Supreme Court, and more.

Indybay Media has posted an (audio) interview with war resister Brad McCall conducted by Courage to Resist. Brad McCall is the war resister who self-checked out and attempted entry into Canada only to be arrested (September 19, 2007) crossing the border. McCall explains in the interview that he applied for CO status and waited ("and begged and begged and begged") before realizing it wasn't happening.


Brad McCall: I made, the final decision, I made it one night. I found out -- or one day. I talked to a friend of mine in Colorado Springs and he told me about these GIs that were running to Canada and I was like, 'Wow, this is cool.' . . . I went to another one of my friends' house and got on my laptop at her house and we both looked and saw that it's very possible. And we found Resisters.ca on the internet and that night I made the choice that a week later we would leave. She traveled with me as just a friend and that we'd leave in a week which, as a matter of face, was payday. So I knew I would need some cash to get on the road and get moving."

Courage to Resist: So you drove to British Columbia?

Brad McCall: Yes.

Courage to Resist: And did you connect immediately with other resisters up there?

Brad McCall: Well, initially the first thing that happened to me up there when I got to British Columbia was I was arrested at the border. For that week that I was still in Fort Carson, I had e-mail contact with Canada and with people that were willing to help me and I didn't realize that my parents actually had my e-mail password and they were watching all of this go down. And they were e-mailing all these e-mails to my commander and first sergeant so they knew I was going to Canada.

Courage to Resist: Well I guess I don't need to ask about support from your family for this decision?

Brad McCall: Oh, oh, God, no. I've been disowned. But that's why I love Canada. I have nothing to go back to in the United States so I'm very content with staying here for the rest of my life.

Courage to Resist: So you were arrested at the border?

Brad McCall: Yes, I was arrested at the border on the command of the US army by Canadian Border Services Agency -- not by US services, but Canadian services -- put into a Canadian jail for two days until my lawyer showed up and got me.

Courage to Resist: Now this was a Canadian lawyer, yes?

Brad McCall: Yes.

Courage to Resist: From a Canadian support committee for GI resisters?

Brad McCall: No, he's just a, uh, young lawyer. He supports the cause. He's an immigration lawyer. And he said -- the first thing he told me -- he said. "Me helping you guys out is a no-brainer." He said, "I'm not associated with the War Resisters Support Campaign or the War Resisters League or any anti-war group. I'm a lawyer by myself and I'm helping you guys out. And he's really an awesome guy.

Courage to Resist: An unsung hero.

Brad McCall: Yes, very much so.

Courage to Resist: So he got you out of the clink --

Brad McCall: Yes.

Courage to Resist: And then what did you do next?

Brad McCall: Well, um, while I was in jail, I filed refugee claim stating that I was requesting to be a refugee from the United States on ground that if I go back to the United States, I will be persecuted or legally prosecuted for my beliefs -- politically, morally and spiritually.

Courage to Resist: Right.

Brad McCall: And so that's what I've done. I've started my refugee claim, working on that --

Courage to Resist: And what's the status of that claim right now? Where are you in the process?

Brad McCall: Right now it's just a claim. It has to come under review by the Refugee Board of Canada and they will determine whether or not I am liable for refugee status. . So far there's only been two that have come up to the Refugee Board, only two claims by war resisters, and they have both been denied. They're in the appeals process right now.

Courage to Resist: This is Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey.

Brad McCall: Exactly.

Courage to Resist: Exactly. They're going to the Supreme Court I understand?

Brad McCall: Exactly. So me I'm not really expecting a victory in the way of getting refugee status. I'm not expecting that so I'm having to go ahead and prepare for other plans.

Hinzman and Hughey are waiting to hear whether or not Canada's Supreme Court will grant a hearing to their appeal over the Immigration and Refugee Board (really one person) denying them refugee status. Hinzman was the first resister during the Iraq War who went to Canada to go public with his resistance. He became the first to apply for refugee status (January 2004). He lives there with his wife Nga Nguyen and their son Liam. Prior to making the decision, Hinzman applied for CO status and was denied. Hughey went to Canada in March 2004. McCall's stories of conflicts with his family are echoed in the early reaction of Brandon Hughey's father. However, at the 2005 Veterans for Peace conference held in Texas, David Hughey delivered an amazing speech explaining the conflicts and how they had been resolved concluding with "I just thought I'd come up and introduce myself. I do support my son." The War Resisters Support Campaign announces:

Supreme Court decision on Hinzman & Hughey expected on THURSDAY NOV. 15th, 2007
The Supreme Court of Canada is expected to post its decision on whether or not it will hear the appeal by US war resisters Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey THIS THURSDAY at 9:45 am.
The decision will be posted at . . . [click here] (the case number for Jeremy Hinzman is 32113, and for Brandon Hughey it is 32111).
If the decision is negative, join protests in cities across the country. Check the take action page for listing of protests locations.
If the decision is positive, we will celebrate right across the country -- but there will still be much work to do to ensure that US soldiers who refuse to fight in Iraq have refuge in Canada. In TORNOTO, join us at 7 p.m. at Grossman's Tavern, 379 Spadina Avenue (at Cecil Street) for a 'Leave to Appeal' party.

That is tomorrow. On Iraq, McCall declared, "I want people to realize this is new era of war and Iraq is not going to -- if we don't stop Iraq, Iraq is not going to be the last step, not going to be the last frontier or whatever that the United States tries to take, it's just the beginning of a long series of wars that I can see in the future. It's not going to be pretty. And we've got to do something about it now. We have to do something about it now."

There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes James Stepp, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Carla Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters.


The voice of war resister Camilo Mejia is featured in Rebel Voices -- playing now through December 16th at Culture Project and based on Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's best-selling book Voices of a People's History of the United States. It features dramatic readings of historical voices such as war resister Mejia, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Malcom X and others will be featured. Zinn will take part in the November 18th presentation (the official opening night -- but performances are already taking place) and musician Allison Mooerer will head the permanent cast while those confirmed to be performing on selected nights are Ally Sheedy (actress and poet, best known for films such as High Art, The Breakfast Club, Maid to Order, the two Short Circuit films, St. Elmo's Fire, War Games, and, along with Nicky Katt, has good buzz on the forthcoming Harold), Eve Ensler who wrote the theater classic The Vagina Monologues (no, it's not too soon to call that a classic), actor David Strathaim (L.A. Confidential, The Firm, Bob Roberts, Dolores Claiborne and The Bourne Ultimatum), actor and playwright Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Clueless -- film and TV series, Gregory and Chicken Little), actress Lili Taylor (Dogfight, Shortcuts, Say Anything, Household Saints, I Shot Andy Warhol, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, State of Mind) and actor, director and activist Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Beloved, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Rainmaker, Places In The Heart, Dreamgirls, Shooter and who appeared on Democracy Now! Friday addressing the US militarization of Africa) The directors are Will Pomerantz and Rob Urbinati with Urbinati collaborating with Zinn and Arnove on the play. Tickets are $21 for previews and $41 for regular performances (beginning with the Nov. 18th opening night). The theater is located at 55 Mercer Street and tickets can be purchased there, over the phone (212-352-3101) or online here and here. More information can be found at Culture Project.

Meanwhile IVAW is organizing a March 2008 DC event:

In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
Click here to sign a statement of support for Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan

IVAW's announcement above will be in tomorrow and Friday's snapshot and then it will appear summarized in each snapshot until the March testimony begins.

Turning to the topic of AWOL, Robert Przbylski (noted here and here and here) is no longer missing. The Army captain was stationed in Germany, due to deploy to Iraq early next year and has disappeared last month. From the beginning, Stars and Stripes' John Vandiver has owned the story because no one else could show interest. Sunday Vandiver
reported the Przbylski turned himself in last Friday: "When Przylski turned himself in Friday night he was on the brink of being declared a deserter, a designation that can take effect after 30 consecutive days of unauthorized absence. Officials said Przybylski was still in AWOL status when he turned himself in. It is unclear whether the prospect of being classified a deserter was a fact in Przybylski's return. It also remains unclear what prompted him to depart in the first place." What is known is that he went missing last month (October 10th -- if not before), that his unit had learned they were deploying to Iraq in March, that he comes from a military family (his father is a retired army Lt. Col.) and that Przybylski had already served one tour of duty in Iraq. Vandiver reports that the absence is under investigation and Przybylski is currently "restricted to Baumholder barracks and [will] be given a temporary assignment while the case is investigated."

Turning to the topic of Turkey and northern Iraq, Paul Schemm (AP) reports, "Kurdish guerillas watch the border for any signs that Turkey's military will carry out threats to sweep across. But other rumblings are coming from inside Iraq: a new ambivialence among Iraq's Kurds about support for their rebel cousins holed up in the mountains. The fear -- expressed by Kurdish officials and on the streets -- is that the showdown could threaten the relatively peaceful and prosperous enclave that Kurds have carved out since 1991 after generations of poverty and oppression." Meanwhile, following reports of the Turkish attacks on northern Iraq Monday and yesterday, China's Xinhua reports Aydogan Babaoglu (the commander of Turkey's air force) has declared it didn't happen stating: "None of the aircraft of Turkish Air Forces conducted a cross-border operation, and such reports are groundless." Bay Fang (Chicago Tribune) tries to track it down noting the following are on record stating attacks took place: Fouad Hussein (spokesperson for Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq) states two airplanes flew in and "dropped flares on five villages" on Monday, Iraqi army Col. Hussein Tamir ("who supervises border guards") states "helicopters opened fire on abandoned Iraqi villages". Damien Cave (New York Times) cited Iraqi officials for a "Turkish military aircraft" attack in northern Iraq Tuesday and noted, "Officials from Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region could not agree on whether helicopters or planes had been used" while also quoting Fouad Hussein. Today's Zaman, citing "[u]nnamed Kuridsh officials," report "that the villages" were "Pirbela, Birsaka, Avashin and the Norgole area". In addition, eye witnesses have reported what they saw and heard. Patrick Cockburn (Independent of London) quotes Ibrahim Mazori stating, "I was on the other side of the mountain when I heard huge explosions and could smell TNT powder all over the area" while . Meanwhile CBS and AP note that Jala Talabani, Iraq's Kurdish president, declared today, without any further comment, that, "The crisis with Turkey has passed." Similar statements have been made before.

Turning to some of today's reported violence . .

Bombings?

Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing ("targeted an American patrol") that claimed the lives of 2 civilians and left three more wounded (this was the bombing that targeted the Green Zone -- a second Baghdad roadside bombing targeting "an American patrol" had no reported casualties) and a Babil car bombing targeting "a host tent for Sheikh Ammar Al-Gurtani" claimed the lives of 3 civilians and left eight more wounded. CNN notes, "The sheiks and the al-Kardani tribe are part fo the 'Iskandairya Awakening,' one of Iraq's emerging 'awakening' movements -- the grass-roots citizen groups opposing al Qaeda in Iraq." And, left unstated, taking money from the US.

Shootings?

Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 1 Iraqi soldier shot dead in Hawija and, when police reported on the scene, 1 police officer was shot dead.

Kidnappings?

Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a farmer was kidnapped "between Hawija and Abassiyah".

Corpses?

Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 5 corpses were discovered in Iraq.



Today, the US military announced, "A Multi-National Corps - Iraq Soldier was killed today during military operations near the city of Mosul. The Soldier was mortally wounded by gunfire while providing security to a Police Transitional Team training mission near an Iraqi Police Station." And they announced: "Two Multi-National Division -- North Soldiers died as a result of an explosion while conducting operations in Diyala Province, Nov. 13. Additionally, four MND-N Soldiers were wounded and evacuated to a coalition hospital." Reuters count is 3863 US service members have died thus far in the illegal war. ICCC's total is also 3863 with 19 for the month thus far. (Neither total includes the 4 US service members who are known to have died from the physical wounds they received in Iraq after leaving Iraq: Jack D. Richards, Gerald J. Cassidy, John "Bill" Smith and Raymond A. Salerno III.) And Paul Tait and Missy Ryan (Reuters) report that the roadside bombing "targeting a passing American military convoy, killed a U.S. soldier and a civilian and wounded seven people including five soldiers, the U.S. military said. . . . The explosion in Baghdad was close to a checkpoint where hundreds of Iraqis who work inside the sprawling complex queue every morning." The US military announcement reads: "An explosively formed penetrator detonated in Central Baghdad Nov. 14, killing a Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldier and wounding five others. Also, one Iraqi civilian was killed and two others were wounded."

Another attack on the Green Zone? Guess it will be harder to spin that as "safety" -- but give the Operation Happy Talkers time, give them time. Meanwhile the central government in Iraq continues to be in shambles. AP reports: "Iraqi troops seized the west Baghdad headquarters of a powerful Sunni Muslim group Wednesday, cordoning off the building and ordering employees out, the group said. Iraqi security forces dispatched by the Sunni Endowment, a government agency that cares for Sunni mosques and shrines, surrounded the mosque complex where the group is based at 9 a.m. and demanded that the building be evacuated before noon, the Association of Muslim Scholars said in a statement posted on its Web site." CBS and AP note the Association of Muslim Scholars' spokesperson Mohammed Bahsar al-Faydi is of the opinion that the forces "were not government forces but the personal guards of Ahmed Abdul-Ghafoor al-Samarraie, the head of the Sunni Endowment". Reuters notes that they were Sunni Endowment security guards and that in addition to everyone being kicked out of the building "a radio broadcast from the mosque had been stopped." Paul Tait and Missy Ryan also note that a de-de-Baathification bill is being hailed as 'progress' even though it's just been given to parlaiment (from Nouri al-Maliki's cabinet) and "[o]fficals had previously said the bill had already been given to parliament." As Damien Cave (New York Times) notes, this follows yesterday's call by the Sadr bloc for Parliament to be dissolved.

On the issue of the displaced Iraqis, nothing's being done. Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) noted today, "The leading refugee-advocate group Refugees International has issued a scathing critique of the Bush administration's treatment of displaced Iraqis. In a new report, Refugees International says the U.S. has been 'unforgivably slow' in resettling Iraqi refugees. Almost five million Iraqis are believed to have been displaced since the U.S. invasion. The U.S. is admitting more than three times as many Iranian immigrants as it is Iraqis." Hannah Allam (McClatchy Newspapers) quotes the report's co-author, Kristele Younes, declaring, "The first reason for this is the lack of political will. Until very recently, the Bush administration never even acknowledged the humanitarian crisis because they were concerned that it would be interpreted as acknowledging failure in Iraq. And President Bush still has yet to acknowledge that there are now almost 5 million Iraqis who've had to leave their homes." Younes co-authored the report with Jake Kurtzer and it includes the following policy recommendations:

1. The U.S. immediately appoint a senior PRM official to be based in the region and charged with coordinating both the assistance and resettlement components of its response; 2. The U.S. immediately appoint an ambassador level diplomat to be based in Syria; 3. The U.S. and other donors provide earmarked bilateral assistance to countries hosting large numbers of Iraqi refugees, either directly or through a Trust Fund established by the UN or the Arab League; 4. The U.S. fund all pending UN appeals at a level of 50% or more; 5. The UN country teams make responding to Iraqi refugees needs a priority, with the UN resident representatives acting as coordinators of the overall national UN response and as liaisons with the diplomatic and donor communities.

In mercenary news, David Johnston and John M. Broder (New York Times) report that the FBI investigation into Blackwater's slaughter of 17 Iraqis on September 16th have not released a report but reportedly "have found that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified and violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq, according to civilian and military officials briefed on the case."

In peace activism news, more activity in Olympia. On Monday, Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) noted, "In Olympia Washington, 15 anti-war demonstrators were arrested over the weekend while attempting to block a military convoy carrying Stryker vehicles. The protests were organized by the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance which aims to stop the U.S. military from using the Port of Olympia to ship equipment to Iraq. Protest organizers also accused police of brutalizing dozens of peaceful demonstrators and journalists. On Saturday police dressed in riot gear repeatedly used pepper spray and batons to break up the protest." The actions have continued and AP reports, "Police wearing riot gear fired pepper spray bullets into a crowd of more than 150 protesters Tuesday night at the Port Olympia and several military convoys eventually moved out" with approximately 50 activists arrested. Jeremy Pawloski (The Olympian) reports, "Olympia police in riot gear wore gas masks as they prepared to remove protesters from the main entrance about 11 p.m. At the same time, military convoys left for Fort Lewis from the port exit to Marine Drive" and that in addition to the pepper spray and pepper spray bullets, there are reports that "police also threw two concussion grenades into the crowd." And last week, Morton West High School students learned that their protest -- following the guidelines the school imposed -- against the illegal war was resulting in suspension and possible expulsion. The Columbia College Chicago chapter of SDS has started an online petition:

We are writing in defense of the students who now face excessive disciplinary actions at the hands of various Morton West school administrators. Our sympathies lie with the courageous and moral struggle that the students have taken up, and with their parents who still support them. The struggle for a peaceful and just society absent of war should not be met with punishment, but should be supported by the community as a whole, especially from within the educational setting. Furthermore, It is our firm belief that an injury to freedom for students anywhere is an injury to freedom for students everywhere. This is why we urge all Morton West administrators to drop all disciplinary action against the said students, and to remove any indications of said events from their permanent records. We urge you to respect these students right to free expression now and in the future. (Written by Columbia College Chicago Students for a Democratic Society)

At Consortium News, Robert Parry's "Why We Write" explains the basics of the site, yes, but also explains the very real need for Consortium News. He and his sons Nat and Sam will be speaking at Busboys and Poets in Arlingtion, Virginia Saturday Nov. 17th from four p.m. to six p.m. discussing their new book Neck Deep: The Disastrous Presidency of George W. Bush. Sam and Nat Parry have established their own journalist skills at Consortium News and they and Robert Parry can discuss any of the topics pertaining to the current administration but remember that Robert Parry has been doing investigative journalism for years -- long enough to have had neocon Daniel Pipes insult his reporting long, long before the Iraq War -- a sure sign his investigations cause discomfort.