The War Protestors Who Will Never Go Away
UPDATE: Due to time constraints, The Prissy Patriot will return Tuesday...but don't miss these:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/04/wirq04.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/12/04/ixportal.html UK Telegraph-US Army admits Iraqis outnumber foreign fighters as its main enemy-12/04/05
The insurgents have the support of most locals. "They have the ability to move freely around the city," said Capt Twain Hickman, the commander of India Company of the 3/7 US Marines battalion. "That means they can attack at a time of their choosing."
Of 1,300 suspected insurgents arrested over the past five months in and around Ramadi, none has been a foreigner. Col John Gronski, senior officer in the town, Anbar's provincial capital, said that almost all insurgent fighting there was by Iraqis. Foreigners provided only money and logistical support.
"The foreign fighters are staying north of the [Euphrates] river, training and advising, like the Soviets were doing in Vietnam," he said.
You don't say-And this...Col Gronski said the local nature of the insurgency meant that even the few civic leaders prepared to work with the Americans view the fighters as legitimate. "They see them as resistance. They don't view these local guys placing IEDs [improvised explosive devices] and firing mortars at us as insurgents."
Some Iraqis in Ramadi now adhere to Zarqawi's radical Islamist philosophy, but for most the insurgency is about removing the occupiers, Col Herbert said. "Their family and tribal honour has been impugned if we're on their ground. They're almost duty bound to fight.
So bring home our troops!
A Look at the past www.prospect.org/print/V5/19/galbraith-j.html
American Prospect-Did the U.S. Military Plan a Nuclear First Strike for 1963?
One meeting, even in the White House, does not establish that first-strike was in fact the nuclear policy of the United States. Kennedy's recorded response, moreover, indicates his personal determination, shared by his civilian advisers, that it never become so. But we do know, from Howard Burris's notes, that a first strike plan had authors close to the decision center. How close, in the end, did they get?
Civilian control of nuclear forces was no sure thing in 1961. Was it secure when the window opened, if it did, in 1963? Kennedy's actions and Johnson's eerie remark are consistent with the possibility that the calendar and risks of a first-strike window remained in the minds of both men as late as November, 1963 and possibly in Johnson's mind for a good deal longer.
In any event, the fact that first-strike planning got as far as it did raises grave questions about the history of the Cold War. Much more needs to be known: about nuclear decision-making under Eisenhower and Nixon, about the events of late 1963, about later technical developments such as MIRV and Star Wars. Surely it is now time to declassify all records on this and related history.
Boston Review- bostonreview.net/BR28.5/galbraith.html Exit Strategy-by James K. Galbraith
In 1963, JFK ordered a complete withdrawal from Vietnam
Kai Bird’s 1998 biography of McGeorge and William Bundy briefly reviews the discussions of withdrawal reported to have occurred in late 1963 but accepts the general verdict that Kennedy did not intend to quit. So does Fredrik Logevall, whose substantial 1999 book steadfastly insists that the choices Kennedy faced were either escalation or negotiation and did not include withdrawal without negotiation.
All this (and more) is in spite of evidence to the contrary, advanced over the years by a tiny handful of authors. In 1972 Peter Dale Scott first made the case that Johnson’s NSAM 273—the document that Gibbons relied on in making the case for continuity—was in fact a departure from Kennedy’s policy; his essay appeared in Gravel’s edition of The Pentagon Papers. Arthur M. Schlesinger’s Robert Kennedy and His Times tells in a few tantalizing pages of the “first application” in October 1963 “of Kennedy’s phased withdrawal plan.”
From Prissy's Inbox Saturday-FW From a Coastie Mom:
Wrote this tonight - just needed to share, feel free to pass along - Chase
[Chase finished her Army Reserve time several months ago.]
Powerless No More
A part of me died that day, the day I got the call
They showed you on TV, there was nothing I could do at all.Except cry and scream your name. Why did you have to be in so much pain?
Why couldn’t I be there to save you? If they would rescue you, it would make dreams come true.
I lay in bed awake, crying for you to be safe I would give my life for yours, I prayed to take your place.
I lived life in a daze, As if my entire world was covered in a haze.
Until that fateful day they said you were dead, I can’t believe they showed a video of you getting shot in the head.
I collapsed to the floor unable to move I screamed and cried, I had nothing else to lose.
I still showed up for duty, boots polished, uniform on I felt sick standing there leading troops, my faith in the army was gone
I wanted to leave, to throw it all away, I don’t believe in this war, why the hell should I stay?
I asked others how they could stand there, Acting as if they didn’t even care.
To that they said “that’s war, people die Pull yourself together, soldiers don’t cry.”
"There was no body, no real proof, to confirm that you’re dead You were such a young soldier, so eager to be led
Your family waits for that knock at the door, To confirm that they lost the son they adored
How many more years will this war go on? How long will the people buy the administrations con?
How many more have to die in vain? How many more families will deal with this pain?
I will not stand by, I will not be powerless I will do everything I can to help clean up this mess
What will you do, will you stand idly by? Or will you promote peace so no others will die.
NOTE to politicians-the ones ignoring the people that is-Free consulting advice from Prissy today. Unlike so many of you, Prissy talks to everyday folks everywhere she goes.
They do not say, "Oh, Prissy, how silly" when she asks them, "What if the people took to the halls of Congress and refuse to leave until we get a pull out plan for Iraq?" They do not even smile. They say that may be a logical next step...as they tire of paying for your war. Prissy knows you receive their many letters and phone calls.
As taxpayers, we are certainly within bounds. It is most certainly taxation without representation, when you refuse to do the will of the people, claiming this leadership knows better than We the people. The case can easily be made that they do not.
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051202/ap_on_go_ot/vietnam_skewed_intelligence
Yahoo News-Analysis Casts Doubt on Vietnam War Claims
Among the documents released Thursday is an article written by NSA historian Robert J. Hanyok for the agency's classified publication, Cryptologic Quarterly. In it, he declares that his review of the complete intelligence shows beyond doubt "no attack happened that night."
Claims that North Vietnamese boats attacked two U. S. Navy destroyers on Aug. 4, 1964 — just two days after an initial assault on one of those ships — rallied Congress behind Johnson's build-up of the war. The so-called Gulf of Tonkin resolution passed three days later empowered him to take "all necessary steps" in the region and opened the way for large-scale commitment of U.S. forces.
As with the intelligence that convinced the administration and lawmakers that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, the article asserts officials gave much weight to scant evidence.
When Prissy was in school, Vietnam was a sore spot in the history books and barely received mention.
Republicans, protests and Kent State have a special relationship and history here in Ohio. It was a Republican governor which ordered protestors of the Vietnam war to be fired upon by the National Guard and four college students died.
So is it any wonder protest is new to Prissy? Hardly encouraged as a past time. Fine suburban schools everywhere are known for employing conform or be cast out curriculum...not to worry- we succeed in spite of them.
Some might wonder why the young men in the film did the barbaric acts to the Vietnamese- they felt their training left them little more than animal and their goal was to become man again.
Prissy thinks the fault lies also with the American people who allowed it to go on so long. Our soldiers did what they did with little guidance or oversight and with a public who didn't want to know what happened in that war.
Politicians and the Pentagon (same thing) were more concerned about body counts of dead Vietnamese -apparently, this was a measure of the war's success for them.
Leaders used the same lines then "We cannot cut and run" "We have a responsibility to the Vietnamese to defend them from civil war" , ect. They even used the chemical we used in Fallujah- a charge originally denied by our government-they originally denied it then, too. Prissy must profess they are using the same play book-as they appear to have no original thought process of their own. This time we all have access to the same text-so you can easily know what comes next.
In the end, the war liberated no one, but left thousands, if not millions homeless, maimed and killed. We left Vietnam a destroyed nation after years and years of ongoing war. The same will happen the longer we stay in Iraq. catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4990/1180/1600/bush_villains.jpg">
Holy Toledo Batman, we have seen this despicable team before!
Only after we left Vietnam was there any hope of peace. A war based on lies will never be a "noble cause" and it was unwinnable from the day we loaded the planes.
Oh yes- there was a short window, after the fall of Saddam things had a chance to go right. Going in, toppling Saddam and rebuilding right away was never the true vision for the neocons. They wanted another Vietnam-to loot the treasury. Sure, these guys can pass a test or grade your grammer, but they know nothing about people. It was to their undoing...In this case, it is laughable to think the Iraqi people are concerned American will "Cut and Run"-they want us OUT. (See British Defence poll in previous posts-82% want US to leave)
Granny says its more like, "Here's your hat, what's your hurry?". Prissy is sure the Iraqi people would help us pack...their legitimate government representatives have asked us to leave-yesterday and June 20-only reported by French papers. Didn't hear Dubya mention that.
It is up to Americans to support a war or withhold that support. After all, we pay for it and military families pay the most...and we will not go away. Prissy signs up new military families here in Ohio every day-and now we have "Friends of Military Families Speak Out."
Face the facts neocons, your war is over. Prissy promises you will give in or be fired before the American people and the rest of the world succumbs to your infinite wisdom on this one.
They say liberal like its a bad thing. Most women say they prefer liberal men 10 to 1-many stated Republican men won't dance, either. A PP survey. Visitor at Camp Casey-Crawford, Texas Thanksgiving 2005.
Prissy was glad to see Nancy Pelosi change her tactics and back Congressman Murtha's plan for redeployment. Readers should be aware a Military Families Speak Out mother held her Thanksgiving dinner on Nancy's sidewalk-complete with empty place setting for her son-on his third tour of duty in Iraq.
The rest of the Democrats would be wise to follow suit-they too face simliar treatment, along with Republicans.
The Nation proclaims it will not endorse any candidate who refuses to call for an end to the war in Iraq. Prissy concurs.
Murtha's plan is at least a start-which is more than any other Republican or Democrat has done. It is a start to undo the horrific damages done-to the people of Iraq (who did not ask us to come-but did ask us to leave) to the United States Military (especially reserve units) and the taxpayers. As for the military, Vietnam "broke it" and Iraq is doing the same. Our military should be used for two purposes and two purposes only: 1) Humanitarian relief efforts 2) Defense.
Did politicians think military families would say "OK, I see they are telling us we can't leave Iraq-gee, I guess we're stuck."
Prissy can promise them should they dig their heels in and mimic Dubya, they will be looking for a new job because Military Families and Friends of Military Families will not back down or back off. We will continue to turn up the heat and remind them all, whom they must represent. We have truth on our side and are far more determined than any politician. The public has turned anti-war, too.
The gang of thugs who perpetrated this war must be held accountable if we are ever to regain a reputation as a nation that values human rights and the rule of law.
Hot Links There is much of which to approve in the recent speech of Rep. John P. Murtha, Democrat of Pennsylvania, on Iraq. The hawkish Murtha had been critical of the Bush administration's handling of the war for some time, but until now his solution had been to call for more troops. On November 17, however, he recognized courageously that U.S. troops "can not accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. IT IS TIME TO BRING THEM HOME."
Murtha pointed out that a recent poll indicated that 80% of Iraqis want the U.S. out. This poll, a secret British defense ministry survey conducted in August 2005, is consistent with earlier polls and several facts: the fact that most slates in the January 2005 election -- including the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), which won the election -- had in their platform the demand for a timetable for the withdrawal of occupation forces from Iraq; a U.S. military poll in February that found only 23% of urban residents supported the presence of coalition troops, compared to 71% opposed; the statement of 126 members of the Iraqi National Assembly, including a majority of the 140 MPs of the majority UIA, demanding "the departure of the occupation force"; and the request made repeatedly by the National Sovereignty Committee of the Iraq National Assembly for a withdrawal timetable for "occupation troops." WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House expressed concern on Thursday at reports that the U.S. military has secretly paid Iraqi newspapers to run dozens of pro-American articles written by a special military task force.
The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday the program began this year and the articles were written in English, translated into Arabic and then given to Baghdad newspapers to print in return for money.
"We're very concerned about the reports. We are seeking more information from the
Pentagon," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
He said Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had indicated that Pentagon officials are looking into the reports.
"We need to know what the facts are. Gen. Pace indicated it was news to him as well," McClellan said. Indeed, the White House (or Pentagon) is concerned they got caught again.
www.fas.org/sgp/news/2005/11/ap110105.html Federation of American Scientists: Classified article in journal raises questions on Vietnam War Researcher says papers falsified
WASHINGTON -- The National Security Agency has been blocking the release of an article by one of its historians that says intelligence officers falsified documents about a disputed attack that was used to escalate the Vietnam War, according to a researcher who has requested the article.
Matthew Aid, who asked for the article under the Freedom of Information Act last year, said it appears that officers at the NSA made honest mistakes in translating interceptions involving the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident. That was a reported North Vietnamese attack on American destroyers that helped lead to President Lyndon B. Johnson's escalation of US involvement in Vietnam.
Rather than correct the mistakes, the 2001 article in the NSA's classified Cryptologic Quarterly says, midlevel officials decided to falsify documents to cover up the errors, according to Aid, who is working on a history of the agency and has talked to a number of current and former government officials about this chapter of American history.
Aid draws comparisons to more recent intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction that overstated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's arsenal.
"The question becomes, why not release this?" Aid said of the article. "We have some documents that, from my perspective, I think would be very instructive to the public and the intelligence community . . . on a mistake made 41 years ago that was just as bad as the WMD debacle." BERLIN, Nov 28: EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini threatened sanctions on Monday for any EU nation found to have allowed secret CIA prison camps to operate on their soil. "Should the accusations be accurate, I would be forced to draw serious consequences," Frattini said at a security conference in Berlin. He said that any EU country found to have harboured one of the reported prison camps could have their voting rights in the Council of Ministers, the body which groups the 25 EU heads of government, suspended.
Frattini said the operation of such camps on EU soil would violate the bloc's rules governing freedom and human rights.
He said the EU had made contact several days ago with the White House about possible secret CIA activities in Europe, but Washington had "unfortunately not yet given any formal assurance" that the reports were untrue. At least the EU is concerned about justice and liberty for all...
Democracy Rising-Iraqi's United: The United States Must Leave
Wednesday, 23 November 2005
On Monday, November 21, leaders of Iraqi Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis called for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in the country in a proclamation issued after an Arab League conference in Cairo. These groups were sharply divided on other issues, indeed the Cairo meeting highlighted the differences between participants on issues like federalism in Iraq. And, at one point Shiite and Kurdish delegates stormed out of a closed session when one of the speakers said they had sold out to the Americans.
But, like the Iraqi citizenry they were united in their belief that it is time for the United States to plan its withdrawal. In a speech given on November 17, 2005 Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) pointed to recent polling of Iraqis saying: "A poll recently conducted shows that over 80% of Iraqis are strongly opposed to the presence of coalition troops, and about 45% of the Iraqi population believe attacks against American troops are justified. I believe we need to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis."
These views are reflected in the Final Statement of the National Accord Conference. Three times in the statement (the full Statement is reprinted below) the Iraqis called for a U.S. withdrawal expressing the sentiment of the Iraqi people saying: "The Iraqi people are looking forward to the day when the foreign forces would leave Iraq." And, that one of the topics in a National Accord Conference scheduled for either the first week of February or March in Baghdad will be: "The unity, independence, and sovereignty of Iraq and setting a program for ending the mission of the multinational forces." www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-oildeal1dec01,0,4057840.story?coll=la-home-headlines
LA Times-Kurdish Oil Deal Shocks Iraq's Political Leaders
A Norwegian company begins drilling in the north without approval from Baghdad.
BAGHDAD — A controversial oil exploration deal between Iraq's autonomy-minded Kurds and a Norwegian company got underway this week without the approval of the central government here, raising a potentially explosive issue at a time of heightened ethnic and sectarian tensions.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party, which controls a portion of the semiautonomous Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq, last year quietly signed a deal with Norway's DNO to drill for oil near the border city of Zakho. Iraqi and company officials describe the agreement as the first involving new exploration in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-1898794,00.html
UK Times Via RAW Story-US to pull out most of National Guard
THE US National Guard is planning to cut the number of its troops in Iraq by 75 per cent over the next year in a dramatic change of approach by the American military, The Times has learnt.
The substantial reduction in part-time troops — from eight combat brigades to two — follows growing evidence that the National Guard’s supply of equipment is becoming exhausted, leaving it unable to cope with domestic emergencies, such as Hurricane Katrina.
There has also been speculation that the force is simply running out of troops for deployment and that recruitment is suffering as a result of high casualty rates and unexpectedly long tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Guardsmen, who are recruited under the slogan “two weeks a year and one weekend a month‚”, report to their state governor, not to Washington, and many never expected to fight in foreign wars. On the day the President told the American people to prepare for the long haul in Iraq, here‚’s a story that seems to perfectly sum up our priorities as a nation. They’re calling it Mitzvahpalooza. It may go down in history as the world’s most obscene birthday party (eat your heart out Dennis Kozlowski). David H. Brooks, CEO of bulletproof vest maker DHB Industries, spared no expense for his 13-year old daughter‚’s entry into adulthood. The girl and 300 of her closest BFFs were entertained recently in New York‚’s Rainbow Room by Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, Kenny G, Aerosmith and, believe it or not, 50 Cent (I guess 500 large can make you forget all about street cred). It was hosted by Tom Petty. The reported cost: $10 million.
First off, what 13-year old is a fan of Don Henley, Fleetwood Mac and, for God‚’s sake, Kenny G? Who was this party really for? Second, and more importantly, where does a guy get $10 million to blow on a Bat Mitzvah? Well, it appears, from you, the American taxpayer. According to United for a Fair Economy, Brooks and Co. have made a tidy profit outfitting our nation’s fighting men and women in body armor that allegedly can‚’t take a hit from a 9mm round:
David H. Brooks, CEO of bulletproof vest maker DHB Industries, earned $70 million in 2004, 13,349% more than his 2001 compensation of $525,000. Brooks also sold company stock worth about $186 million last year, spooking investors who drove DHB’s share price from more than $22 to as low as $6.50 [DHB was trading at $4.20 today]. In May 2005, the U.S. Marines recalled more than 5,000 DHB armored vests after questions were raised about their effectiveness. By that time, Brooks had pocketed over $250 million in war windfalls. What ever happened to birthday cake and slumber parties? Granny says money doesn't buy taste...this is the firm that sold defective vests. What a vulgar display of poor taste in the middle of a war from someone whose profit is gained from that illegal war. Not that they care what any of the rest of think...
Quotes of the Day Everywhere Bush goes, he stirs up such a humongous mess, it can only be cleaned up by Halliburton." "President Bush is the fittest president in history. They said it's because he spends a lot of time exercising. See a lot of our previous presidents wasted that time reading." ~ Jay Leno
