Galloway and Camilo Mejia

The evening of the march, I went to First Congregation Church to hear George Galloway speak about the evil of this war. Galloway is full of spit and vinegar and it is refreshing to hear him speak the truth. There had several other speakers from the Arab-American League who were worthwhile listening to, also. They talked about the racism in our society and how things have been for them. They talked about the war and how they oppose it.

Camilo Mejia is the young man who was serving in the US military in Iraq back in 2004. He went home on leave, and decided not to return to Iraq. He felt it was immoral and illegal what the US military was doing over there. Camilo spent about 9 months in the military brig for taking this stand. I have always thought he was a remarkable person, and that he has a deep understanding of what this war is really about. He is also very humble. In his speech tonight, he said that we should all be grateful to the resistance in Iraq, since they are resisting for all of us. He seemed to convey the idea that this violent resistance is responsible for stopping the continuation of the war into other countries that Bush or Cheney may want to invade. I found his speech somewhat upsetting, since he seemed to be in favor of violence, as long as it was coming from the Iraqi resistance.

I believe, as did Martin Luther King, Junior, that violence begets violence. I believe violence is self-defeating, and this seems very evident to me in the ongoing events in Iraq. I believe this violence in Iraq will tear the country apart. Therefore, I only support the non-violent resistance to the American occupation of Iraq. It is harder, and very dangerous, to practice non-violent resistance against a violent force. But ultimately, I feel it is the only route to finding a peaceful solution. It seems that using violence to stop violence may be justified or explainable, however, after the violence is over the seeds for the next violent confrontation have been sown.

I wish Camilo Mejia saw it the way I see it.

Peace Rally and March

I woke up on Saturday morning (on the train) when I heard Cecil's voice saying: "sounds like a Rovian plot". That immediately got my attention, since one never knows what Rove might do. Turns out, Rebecca called him and told him about the power being out at the Amtrak stations in NY and Boston and Philadelphia. We were riding on Amtrak at the time, but we had no problems. I did not sleep well on the train, but Cecil and David said it was okay.

We got to Union Station about 10 AM and I decided to carry my bag and my backpack to the protest area. I intended to leave it with NC Peace and Justice, since they were going to have a tent there, while I marched. Cecil and I could not find the tent, and when I finally got a hold of Andrew on my new cell phone, he said they had ditched that plan to have a tent.

So, I had brought WNC Peace Coalition banner, my "I Want Peace" flag and all my stuff I needed for the weekend with me, and I felt I could not just leave them and go walk in the march. I set up shop in a tent with Code Pink and Progressive Democrats of America.

There were a lot of people there. I heard some of the speeches from ANSWER stage, and I walked around a bit looking at all the tables of groups working for peace and justice and political change. It did seem the rally was more of an anti-Bush rally than an anti-war rally.

Here are some signs I saw:

Make levees, not war

War is terrorism

Bush lied, thousands died

Cheney: evil, crazy or just plain mean?

Pink Slip Bush: Fire the Liar

War is not the Answer

The only politicians who came to this event were Representatives Woolsey, Conyers, McKinney. No Senators were there. Cindy Sheehan spoke, as did Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton. People came from all over the USA, and I met several from other countries. I would think there were about 300,000 people there.

The parade route was rather long, and the parade started at 1 PM, and was still not finished when I left at 5:30 PM. I didn't walk it though, due to my excess baggage (which I should have put into a locker at Union Station). I really liked all the drumming in the parade.

Later that night, someone told me that her group went past the small group of pro-war demonstrators and they said nothing to them. They made the sign "shame, shame" with their fingers though, and the pro-war group went nuts.

Here's some chants from Code Pink:

Halliburton, Kellogg, Brown and Root, Go to Iraq and loot, loot, loot.

Or…We're hear to say: Get out of Iraq. And to Halliburton: No more contracts.

Or…How many contacts? Way too many And for Halliburton, not another penny.

We chased Dick Cheney around the streets shouting: You can run but you can't hide, We can see your greedy side.

It was great being with so many people who are also trying to stop this evil war.

We watched the news that night, and not much was said about the 200-300,000 who showed up to march and protest. Our corporate media is useless.

Off to DC Again!

Tonight, I leave for DC. Tomorrow I rally and march, Sunday is a Progressive Democrats meeting and Monday is another lobby day. I will present all 100 US Senators with a paper and picture about Ali Nabis Jabur and his tragic story (I blogged about that last month). I will be recording what the Senators (and more likely, their staff) have to say in response.

I hope all goes well in DC and I hope we wake a few people up.

Bad winds blowing

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Rita and Katrina.

Last night, at a Progressive Democratic meeting, we heard how the leadership in the NC Democratic party explain why leading Democrats are still supporting the position that the US armed forces should stay in Iraq. The leading argument is that "if we leave, civil war will break out and things will get much worse for the Iraqi people". Well, this flies in the face of the fact that things are consistently getting worse in Iraq. Actually, much, much worse.

I read extensively on Iraq and what is happening there. This does not make me an expert, but it does make me well-informed. I know enough to draw certain conclusions, and while I am not immune to drawing the wrong conclusions, it makes it very unlikely.

I started paying attention to Iraq when I first sniffed the Bush administrations' intentions of going to war in a country that was not in civil war and had not attacked or threatened another country in 12 years. Furthermore, there was a history of gross civil rights abuses in Iraq, but that history was at least 12 years prior. (Actually, it looks like a lot of the claims we were lead to believe about Saddam were overblown and the worst of his abuses and killings happened with US administration support. I can send you photos of Rumsfeld shaking Saddam's hand.) And, if human rights abuses were a good reason for invasion, they we would have invaded Sudan or DR Congo, where millions have been killed in the last few years.

I wrote several impassioned letters to Mr. Edwards (Democratic Senator from NC who voted for this war) to inform him of what I saw and what I knew before this war started. He aided the starting of this war, and he enabled the Bush administration to do what they have done. I remember writing shortly after the war started "I HOPE YOU FIND THOSE WMDS TO JUSTIFY THIS ILLEGAL AND IMMORAL WAR". I knew, of course, that they would not.

When Kerry was running for President, neither he nor Edwards condemned this war or called for it to end. Instead, they claimed they could do war better. I don't know how anyone can win elections by claiming to do crimes better, and I knew they would lose. It is the last time I will vote for Edwards for any federal office.

IN IRAQ:

In this past week, we have seen the"liberated" (Iraqi police) pick up the "liberators" (British troops) because they were undercover and shot an Iraqi policeman. These arrested men were broken out of jail by British troops buy demolishing the jail. The MOD in Britain said they "knocked down a wall". That is a lie, and I know because I read and look at lots of photos from Iraq. The Iraqi think the car the British undercover troops were in were full of explosives, and they think that the Brits and Americans are behind a lot of the car bombings in Iraq. There is no clear evidence of explosives in the car. However, the British troops did not allow the Iraqis to examine the car after they took it away from the original police who made the arrests. The arresting police claim they saw explosives in the car. This incident certainly undermines any idea of "Iraqi sovereignty".

This past week, there are reports of $1 billion gone missing from the prior "transitional" Iraqi government.

This past week, we have had two reports of "terrorists" using children as human shields in two areas of Iraq: Baghdad and Mosul. In both cases, the DOD came out with the report that these "terrorists" were carrying children in their arms and the US military shot the "terrorists" and accidentally killed the children, because they did not see the children. So, we are supposed to believe that two identical incidents happen for the same reasons in two different parts of the country on the same day. And furthermore, we are supposed to believe that the US troops can see well enough to identify a "terrorist" by face recognition or because the "terrorist" is carrying a long distance weapon of some sort, but the US troops cannot see well enough to determine they had a child in their arms. I find that implausible.

Today, there is a report that US troops stormed the house of the deputy mayor of Dhuluiyah (a town in Iraq) and took him into the street and shot him in the head. The US troops also killed a couple of police in that town in the same manner. That sounds like an implausible report also, but I will not write it off just yet. I will wait to see what other stories or pictures or reports come out of Iraq to support or refute this statement. I certainly will not take the DOD as the last or final word on the subject.

I read about the Abu Ghraib torture (and many others) for a full 8 months before the photos came out. Torture is still going on, and most Americans would have never believed that our troops would engage in gay S& M pornography if those photos had not come out. The Pentagon is preventing the release of more photos and videos. Those videos reported contain film of young Iraqi boys being raped in front of their mothers. There is just no way you will ever convince me that the entire "chain of command" in these incidents is not culpable. And I will never be convinced they did not happen. Yes, some US troops are raping children in front of their mothers.

And it is getting clearer and clearer that the US forces over there do not know who is friend and who is foe.

And I would like to share a statement made on a website comment section that I regularly read. This is directed towards a guy who is a supporter of Bush and his war on Iraq, but keep in mind that it also apply to those who did not support the invasion, but support the continuation of hostilities. Every word of it rings true to me. I substituted his name for "Bush and war supporter" to make it easier to read.

Quote:"People like him are enablers of what happened to Falluja. They rationalize it. They make such things thinkable, and hence doable, and hence actually done. (Bush and war supporter) is parroting the civilized discourse of Wolfowitz, Feith, etc. That discourse led to dogs eating corpses, to the stench from the rotting flesh of hundreds of innocent victims who got in the way of the Administration's cockeyed objectives; and I'd like it if all those who argue like the (Bush and war supporter) had to have their unprotected noses thrust into those putrid mounds of the dead their arguments inevitably necessitate. That, rather than the arguments on our side, would be much more effective in ending such evil.

Yes, if every pro-Bush, pro-war American (Susan's note: that would include Kerry and Edwards and Clinton) had to personally clean up what they wrought in Falluja, and what they wrought in Mosul, Tel Affar, Ramadi, Samarra, Baghdad, al-Qaim, etc; if they had to pick up the body parts left from the wedding parties of Afghanistan and Iraq obliterated by American bombs, then we might get somewhere. But I've become cynical of civilized discourse with apologists for American empire. It's the deja vu, you see...Twenty years ago, people like the (war supporter) were defending the Reagan regime's Central America policy, its support for Jonas Savimbi, its support for Saddam Hussein....So yes, I think they need to be dragged through the city of Falluja to see what their rationalizations enabled. (NB--I said I would like to see them spat at, not torn limb from limb, and their ideological justifications and excuses treated with utter and thoroughly merited scorn by the mothers and brothers and grandfathers and children and husbands who had to gather up the fruits of the (Bush and war supporter's) myth in their bloodsoaked blankets and sheets.)

Those rationalizations are driven by an ideology---the ideology Bush supporters exemplifies so well--of American smugness and self-deluded assumptions of moral nobility that, I've become convinced after living for 17 years in the USA, is in fact morally intolerable in something quite akin to the way fascist ideology is intolerable, and should have been treated as such in the 1930s (but unfortunately wasn't).You see, it's not American neo-Nazi skinheads who presided over the killing fields of Vietnam, or Central America, or Iraq. No, it's the leaders who propagate mythic thinking--polite, civilized, decent, American small "c" conservatives, Republicans and Democrats alike, flag-waving soccer moms, teary-eyed veterans, small town editorialists, middle America. That's who enabled the illegal bombing of Cambodia, who discussed at the local diner whether napalm was justified or not (after a naked girl was shown running away from a napalm attack), and who are still defending the Iraq policy at the water cooler...

The (Bush and war supporters) of this country need to be much more ferociously exposed to the horrors of what their lazy, complacent thinking has wrought, and made to feel the full force of not just the hatred much of the world feels for America, but how well merited it is. (Bush and war supporter)-style thinking is a psychological defense mechanism---systematic denial---against the latter. As such, it needs to be ripped, not respected.The trouble is that (supporting Bush and war) enables the US to commit monstrosity after moral monstrosity with a 'good conscience', and despite appearances, it's immune (by design, like all psychological defense mechanisms) to rational persuasion.No, you have to drag these folks through the byways of Central America, Vietnam, Iraq, etc and thrust their faces in the gore, make them pick up the limbs and torsos of children, and subject them to the rage of their victims' parents.They need to be shocked into understanding the truth about these things, because the schoolbook/media version of reality systematically masks that truth, thus facilitating repetition after repetition of mass slaughter by the good ol' USA.

The myth that (Bush and war supporters) operates with needs to be smashed in much the same way that the Nazi myth needed to be smashed. Neither is amenable to rational argument, because the accepted categories in which polite discussion takes place simply serve to protect the myth, by suggesting that it deserves a hearing and should be accorded a modicum of intellectual respectability.

I don't believe it should.

You see, I've heard much smarter people than (Bush and war supporter) politely discuss and defend the myth--for example, inside the US embassy in San Salvador, 15 years ago. This after more than 10 years of funding for the murderous El Salvadoran military, a few months after they had murdered six Jesuit priests (and their housekeeper, and her daughter), and after tens of thousands of death-squad victims among the Salvadoran poor; but there they were--Ivy League, super-articulate professional defenders of the myth, and professional enablers of the slaughterhouse they effectively ruled over. ($4 billion for the likes of Colonel Elena Fuentes? School of the Americas? Oh yes, all very civilized, very polite, very rational).

I'm sorry, but I've no patience for that kind of civilized discussion. I came to the conclusion on my visits to Central America 15 years ago that it's like sitting down to tea with von Ribbentrop while the Wehrmacht marches into the Sudetenland, Austria, Poland and France. America has bombed or invaded Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Libya, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq and supported death-squad activity in other places just in my lifetime. The death toll (that perpetrated by America, and by the German Nazis) in both cases is in the millions.

What's going on in Iraq is a large-scale atrocity committed by America. That is the essential truth that all the (Bush supporter's) witterings are designed to block out.You don't discuss that politely with those who would rationalize and defend it. You treat them with scorn and contempt, rather like LBJ and Nixon were treated by the anti-war movement. You win, not by according their arguments respect and a fair hearing, but by getting more and more people comfortable with ridiculing them, by a steady drumbeat of scorn and mockery, and by making them sense just how despised and despicable they've become."

The above was written on the comment section of Today In Iraq by someone named stunster.

Lockheed Martin advertises on CNN

Well, they used to, anyway. I have not watched in a while. But why would they advertise on CNN? How many CNN viewers are buying nuclear weapons or stealth attack fighters? The answer is: NO ONE! The advertising dollars are just a form of “kickback” to CNN. The advertisements are made to portray Lockheed Martin as *True Patriots Who Protect America*. (like heck they do!)

Lockheed Martin had $20.7 billion in contracts in 2004 with the Pentagon. Lockheed Martin made $2.16 million in campaign contributions in 2004 (guess who to?), which is another form of “kickback”. All of this is legal, of course. Lockheed Martin made the F-117 stealth attack fighters that did SHOCK AND AWE in March of 2003 in Baghdad. CNN did not show the results of those bombing runs, and of course, neither did the other “news” stations. One of those bombing runs, meant to get Saddam, instead killed an entire family with the exception on the baby. The baby girl was thrown clear of the bombed home and into a neighbor’s puddle, where she was found the next morning. She was injured, but she survived. I heard this story from Mary Trotochaud and Rick McDowell. They are Quakers who were living in Baghdad at the time. They visited the extended family and heard the story. The family that was bombed out of existence using Lockheed Martin’s jets had never spoken to Saddam. This story never made it into the corporate news media.

Lockheed Martin also makes Patriot missiles. They have contracts with the Department of Homeland Security. One of these is a $591 million Air Force contract to provide classified and unclassified information technology services to Defense Department users. (Hey, maybe for a couple of million more, they could monitor the Weather Channel for those Homeland Insecurity guys?)

A former lobbyist for Lockheed Martin is Philip Perry as General Counsul for the Department of Homeland Insecurity. Perry is married to one of Cheney’s daughters (that would be the one that is straight). The CEO of Lockheed Martin is Robert Stevens and the corporate headquarters is at 6801 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda MD, 20817.

Nice little system: The politicians make war, Lockheed Martin makes a bundle, they give kickbacks to the politicians in the form of campaign contributions (plus the politicians can buy stock and make a bundle themselves), and then Lockheed Martin buys advertising on CNN (and probably FAUX and MSNBC too). Now, we couldn’t have a good news story on the aftereffects of a bombing run and then follow up with a Patriotic Commercial with the same Lockheed Martin stealth attack fighters that dropped the bombs, could we? How would that look? So, CNN knows the rules and they don’t show those pictures of dead Iraqis from US bombs. And the politicians and their aides are adamant that we only use “smart bombs” and that we “really care” about civilian casualties and we try to minimize that. Of course, if that were true, then the military would collect and publish data to prove it.

But they don’t.

So, everyone gets rich at Lockheed Martin, the US Senate, the White House, and CNN. And how they can look in the mirror without throwing up is beyond me.

The information for this piece came from watching CNN and an article by Frida Berrigan in The Nonviolent Activist, a magazine of the War Resisters League.

News Items of Note

Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday offered sympathy to the families of fallen soldiers who face 'irreplaceable' losses but insisted the Iraq war was worth fighting despite growing American unease. Cheney spoke in Springfield, Missouri, the day after supporters of anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan held a series of candlelight vigils around the country to call attention to her demands for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. The vice president did not mention Sheehan, whose 24-year-old son Casey was killed in combat in Iraq, but in an address to veterans he spoke at length about the difficulties faced by families like Sheehan's. Cheney speaks at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, June 13, 2005. (Chris Kleponis/Reuters)

So how come he didn’t publicly encourage his children to serve? None of them are in the military, just like their father wasn’t in the military. The entire family has no idea what serving in the armed forces is like, and no idea of what an ‘irreplaceable’ loss really is.



Barbara Bush just before the start of the war on Iraq:
“Why should we hear about body bags, and deaths, and how many, what day it's gonna happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Oh, I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?’



Afghanistan:
This past April, the UN eliminated the job of its top investigator on human rights in Afghanistan after he criticized violations by US forces in that country. His name was Cherif Bassiouni. He criticized the US for detaining prisoners without trial and from barring almost all human rights monitors from visiting the prisons. He also noted that US troops were breaking into homes with no legal authority, engaging in torture. The UN eliminated this position under pressure from the USA.

Bush said.....

The larger point is, and the fundamental question is, did Saddam Hussein have a weapons program? And the answer is, absolutely.

**And we gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn't let them in.**

And, therefore, after a reasonable request, we decided to remove him from power, along with other nations, so as to make sure he was not a threat to the United States and our friends and allies in the region. I firmly believe the decisions we made will make America more secure and the world more peaceful.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/07/20030714-3.html

from July 14, 2003. Amazingly enough, the US press let him get away with saying this.

Also:
Three babies died of dehydration at a major landmark in a major US city. Weather was sunny and dry, there was no foreign or terrorist attack going on.... but I have heard rumors that some criminals were firing on the US National Guard. That never stopped them in Iraq or Afghanistan, did it?

Homeland Insecurity

Today is the fourth anniversary of the terrorists attack on NYC and DC. As soon as the second plane hit, I knew this country would go to war against somebody - not at all sure who that "somebody" was. Today, we know it is Osama Bin Laden and his al Qaeda gang. Yes, the very same folks who we supported, trained and armed in Afghanistan - when they were fighting the Russians. That was evil for the USA to support them, because what they were doing was evil. Bin Laden thinks that his group "bled" Russia to an early demise, and a lot of kooks here in the USA like to think that Reagan did it (single-handedly!). The fact is: Russia went broke. Today, the USA is going broke, but I digress.

This morning was a beautiful Sunday morning here in the mountains, and it was wonderful sitting in church by the open door and looking out at all the green, all the trees. But before heading there, I listened to the news on the radio.

First, we still have not found Bin Laden.

Second, the number of terrorists attacks by al Qaeda has hit record levels. It is way up over pre-9/11 levels. This would indicate that we are losing our "war on terror".

Third, some American fools think we are winning against al Qaeda because we have (mostly) chased them out of Afghanistan. These fools have never heard of a guerilla war, I guess.

Fourth, Senator Lieberman thinks that Chertoff has done a great job at Homeland Security. This is in spite of the fact that Chertoff knew NOTHING about thousands of Americans stuck at the New Orleans convention center with no food, no water, no sanitation, no shelter and no help. Amazingly enough, Chertoff did not know about this situation even though it had been on CNN/MSNBC/FAUX news for over a day. Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins are the ones in charge of oversight of Homeland Security, and they are CLUELESS. I am calling them tomorrow.

Fifth, the US Congress has just added the "nuclear option" to our pre-emptive war policy. That means that this government decided it is okay to drop nukes on countries that have WMDs. Apparently, not having found those imaginary WMDs in Iraq does not even give these fools some pause.

Sixth, Bush and the Pentagon goons will have their "Freedom Walk"today were they once again tie 9/11 to the war on Iraq. Hey, they never DIRECTLY make that statement, they just imply it in a million different ways. And a lot of American fools believe it. Also, this "Walk" has very tight security. On the public streets of America's capitol, you are not allowed in without a prior reservation.

All of this underlines a comment made in an article by Anthony Gregory: "Nothing is better for government growth than it's own failures to fulfill it's supposed duties."

And, true to form, Lieberman and Collins think we need to spend more money on Homeland Security.

I believe the fiasco shown us down in New Orleans underlines one thing: if something happens, we are on our own. If our local or state government cannot help us, we are out of luck. Our federal government, with all it's resources, will not be there to help us out. As Mr. Broussard said: "Nobody's coming." (By the way, the nursing home were his co-worker's mother drowned FIVE DAYS AFTER THE STORM HIT has been evacuated. The US government would not allow pictures by the press. I am so damn sick of the US press censoring things and protecting the criminals running this country into the ground - or swamp, as the case may be. There were 32 elderly dead people taken from that nursing home today. May they rest in peace. Imagine what they were thinking as they called and called and called and called for help - and no help came.)

Another lesson from today is: we never can know how things will turn out. And that things will change, and change again. This is, of course, part of the process of life..... but this morning, I just feel a great deal of dread for where this country is headed and for the damage that we may do to other countries and peoples on the way to where we are headed. People fret about the gas costing over $3 a gallon: I think this is laughable. If only our problems were so small!

I'm worried these Washington nutcakes will ruin our country and nuke the world in the process.

I'm worried 32 elderly people drowning in their nursing home after making phone calls for FOUR DAYS IN A ROW will end up look like nothing. Actually, when you think about it, it is nothing much compaired to what we have done in foreign countries, like Iraq.

Today at church, I spoke of Ali Nasir Jabur. I told his story and told how I am bringing 100 sheets of paper with me to the US Senate on 9/26/05 to give to each and every Senator. These papers have the story of Ali on them, to ask for help for Ali, and to let them know of his plight. May his family rest in peace, and I pray Ali is surviving in spite of his horrific losses.

Another Letter

This letter to the editor was written by Adrianna Stansbury, and it appeared in the Asheville Citizen Times recently.

“I’m almost 12 years old and I live in the Montford area of Asheville. I’m half Polish and I spent this summer in Poland with my grandma. When I sat down to watch the news with
her, I saw horrible pictures and footage of Iraq that made me want to turn away. A child crying for it’s mother and then being run over by a tank. People screeching as they look at
their bloody wounds. The footage was so direct that my 6-year-old sister wasn’t allowed to watch it. The news doesn’t show anything like that here. I guess we are all like 6-year-olds here. Why can’t Americans be shown what our nation is really doing?” Adrianna Stansbury, Asheville

This is one child who will never be fooled by CNN, MSNBC or FAUX news. And the reason that Americans cannot be shown what our nation is really doing is because they would immediately demand a stop to it all. And that would mean there are no more war
profits for the Cheney administration, and no control of the area and resources (oil) for the Cheney administration.

To the Iraqi people: some of us know the truth, in spite of our corporate media and their attempts to cheerlead the current Cheney administration - we know the truth. So does Adrianna.

And while there are too few of us to make a difference at this time, I have hope that one day the rest of America will wake up. Just like they are waking up to how well our federal government will assist and rescue us in case of a major disaster when local and state government agencies were overwhelmed.

Barbara Bush has her say

Barbara Bush:
Things Working Out 'Very Well' for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans -

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this--this (she chuckles slightly) is working very well for them."

One has to wonder why someone like Barbara Bush (mother of the President) are even allowed in the United States.

The true face of the US Government

If you have high speed internet, watch this clip from Meet the Press of an interview with Mr. Broussard of Louisiana:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10121.htm

Quotes for our times

From one of the 7/7/05 bombers in London:
"Until we feel security, you will be our target. Until you stop the bombing, gassing, imprisonment and torture of my people, we will not stop this fight."

I think we can assume that those bombings were a response to the war on Iraq, and mistreatment of Muslims -which we should stop anyway, just because it is illegal and immoral and unchristian. Never mind that it is stupid beyond belief.

Chertoff in New Orleans in September 2005:
"We will not tolerate lawlessness, or violence, or interference with the evacuation. I'm satisfied that we have ... more than enough forces there and on the way."

They, of course, have nowhere near the needed resources or planning available. Chertoff is in charge of Homeland Security, which means we have no security.

Bush in July 2003:
"There are some who, uh, feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is: Bring 'em on. We got the force necessary to deal with the security situation."

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco in September 2005:
"These troops know how to shoot and kill, and they are more than willing to do so, and I expect they will," she said.

This was when she ordered the 'shoot to kill' policy for looters, some of whom are desperate because they have been without food and water for days, some of whom are crazy from stress, and some of whom are drug addicts. Bring 'em on, indeed.

Bush in August 2005:
"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."

Well, as a matter of fact, just about everybody who worked in New Orleans on disaster preparation did anticipate exact that.

Martin Luther King, Jr.:
"I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today--my own government."

How the US government handles humanitarian crisis

Overwhelming force to shock and awe had been available to military plans with ample reserve. But the world's sole superpower pleads powerlessness to protect civilians and national properties and treasures under its coercive military control. Despite total US control of Iraqi airspace, there is no around-the-clock airlift of humanitarian supplies as in the Berlin blockade, notwithstanding that the toppling of Saddam's statue in central Baghdad by a handful was eagerly compared with the fall of the Berlin Wall by the US media. Apparently, Arabs don't need food and water as much as Europeans do. The US military can summon hundred of cruise missiles and precision bombs to target Saddam on a few minutes' notice, yet this superpower that spends more on its military than all the world's other nations combined cannot provide law and order and basic sustenance for the people it has just conquered. This is a superpower only of destruction, and a paper tiger when it comes to humanitarian rescue.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ED24Ak04.html

The above was written in April, 2003. Most of it applies to how the US federal government has handled the disaster in New Orleans. It is no surprise to me that they have messed this up beyond belief, what really puzzles me is why Americans voted them back into office.

I have been so distressed today from the ongoing crisis in New Orleans and the ongoing crisis in Iraq. I feel like beating my head against a wall and scream HOW CAN AMERICANS BE SO STUPID?

The deaths in the stampede were mainly due to the very high level of stress and fear in the Iraqi people, caused by the optional war for imaginary weapons.

The deaths in New Orleans are caused by a hurricane and a generous helping of human stupidity. Stupid to build a city below sea level and then not keep the levees repaired. Stupid not to evacuate the people, which means going in there with a bus and getting people on the bus. Stupid not to plan for such an emergency by FEMA and local government and federal government. Stupid to send 20,000+ stressed out poor people to all live and sleep together at the Superdome or the Astrodome. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

In Havana, they evacuate all the people in a target area and take them, by bus, to schools in safe areas. In Havana, they are way smarter than the Americans.

God help the poor people in New Orleans and in Iraq.

Bad Water Rising / Bad Wind Blowing

Here are some of my sources for information on Iraq:

US casualties and some news stories:
http://icasualties.org/oif/

Daily blog of news stories from all over, along with a lively comment section that often catches errors in those news sources:
http://dailywarnews.blogspot.com/

Another one: http://warincontext.org/

Click on news, or editorials/opinions for various opinions:
http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news2005-08-2110492.htm

List of news stories here, and I always look at the photo slideshow. The photos often tell something the corporate press is overlooking: http://news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=34&tmpl=fc&in=World&cat=Iraq

The photos are often hard to look at. Imagine how hard it would be to live it. Keep in mind that no news source is infallible, the good ones however do self-correct. Juan Cole is very knowledgeable on the Middle East (Informed Comment blog) but he often jumps to the wrong conclusion.... like saying the death of the innocent guy (shot by police on the London subway) was the fault of the terrorists. He said this the day he was killed, and a couple of weeks later, the truth started coming out - and that innocent death is the rest of police bungling, if not outright testosterone poisoning.

And I also like to read Iraqi bloggers. Sunshine is one of my favorite bloggers, and she is a 13-year-old girl in Mosul. I also like Faiza’s writings and I am happy to say she is a friend of mine. Faiza writes the blog “A Family in Baghdad.” She and her family have moved to Amman, because of the danger. She has two sons who write blogs also. There are about 150 Iraqi bloggers now, with many different opinions (the pro-war ones are much more respectful of Cindy Sheehan than the pro-war crowd in the USA). I cannot read all the Iraqi bloggers any more.

Here’s an example of a news story from Iraq:

More Univ. professors killed By Mohammed Salah
Azzaman, August 28, 2005

Unidentified gunmen have gunned down three university professors, all of them from the University of Mustansiriya in Baghdad. The incident, which took place at main entrance to the campus, takes the number of professors murdered since the U.S.-led invasion of the country to 58. “Unidentified people shot and killed Dr. Zaki al-Ani from the College of Arts and Dr. Hashem Abdulamir from the College of Education,” a university source told the newspaper on condition of anonymity. The third professor, Dr. Sameer Yalda of the College of Economics and Administration, was kidnapped as he left the university and his body was found dumped on a main street in Baghdad. The incentives behind the killings are now known. And the police have not yet solved the mystery behind any of the previous 55 murders of Iraqi university professors. As a result, Iraqi professionals are leaving in droves. Statistics by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research show that more professors have left the country since the U.S. invasion than under the reign of former leader Saddam Hussein.

Without a question, this murder of these three professors did happen, since it is widely reported. It is also widely reported that professors are leaving Iraq in significant numbers. So, it is safe to say that the conclusions reached in this article are correct. How very sad.

The tragedy unfolding in the southern USA is also very, very sad. I would like to recommend that Americans call their local blood bank and see if they need more blood. I have heard they are low, and this is something no other country can do for us.

I wish that we had such extensive, heart-wrenching coverage of the reality of what is going on Iraq, particularly with the US bombing. First, it would inspire Americans to open their wallets to help Iraqis (directly, not via the US government corruption programs) and they would insist on an end to war. It amazes me that there are Americans who feel we cannot leave Iraq because the Iraqis could be worse off. This invasion and occupation has devastated that country and by every available measure, the Iraqis are worse off now than they were three years ago.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we started using our heads to create and protect and conserve – instead of destroy?
Imagine if we really protected and respected the environment, and respected and protected each other…….

Letter to Christian Science Monitor

Here's what they published the other day (after I corrected the spelling errors):

Our US corporate media are focusing on Cindy Sheehan in an obsessive manner, as they are often prone to do, whether or not the story is of any substance. One could have a long discussion on why they act this way, but I do think this story has substance. We need to find out the real reasons we went to war in Iraq and what this administration hopes to accomplish there. There needs to be an accounting and responsibility for what has happened, both to the grieving parents and to our country and to the world.

But most importantly, to the Iraqi people.

Susan Oehler
Asheville, N.C.


And here is what they did not include, the first paragraph:

Mr. O'Neill claims in his opinion piece (The Iraq War and the Politics of Grief) that "antiwar forces push these families further into the spotlight." This is certainly not true for Cindy Sheehan. She has sought out the spotlight, and spoken out, at every opportunity allowed to her. She has publicly stated that she opposed this war from the very beginning, but did not act on her feelings until after her son's death. She has publicly stated that she regrets not having done so.

Ali Nasir Jabur

Ali is a 10 year old who lives in Tikrit. I found his picture on Yahoo News photos by the Associated Press. Ali is squatting in the back of a truck, and in one photo he is looking at the photographer, and in another he is holding his head in his hands. There is not a single story written about Ali or what happened to him, just two photographs.

With Ali in the back of the truck is the dead bodies of his parents, his two brothers and his sister. The caption says that unknown gunman wearing Iraqi security forces raided their home the previous night, while Ali was hidden under a blanket. Ali survived. His family is dead. The world barely notices. I noticed.

I hope that the killers of these people are found and brought to justice. I hope the people who started this war, which lead to this awful, violent, lawless situation, are also brought to justice. I hope and pray that Ali will be okay, and I hope he finds this blog one day and knows that at least one American noticed what happened, that at least one American cared. And there is one more thing I will do: I will make 100 copies of the photo of Ali in the truck with his five dead family members and I will give one to each and every US Senator's office. I cannot guarantee that the Senators will see them, but someone working in their office will. I will write on there: HELP THIS CHILD. I will point out that they are responsible for having started this war which lead to this horrific loss for Ali, and that they are responsible for this child and his well being. And I will hold Ali and his friends, neighbors, relatives and fellow countrymen in the light.

I wish I could do more. I also wish (unkind and un-Christian as this may be) that this type of loss and suffering would come into the life of each and every warmonger.

May Ali's family rest in peace. May Ali find a decent life inspite of his unbelivable losses and his country in turmoil.

Baghdad residents and US Troops

I was looking at Iraq Coalition Casualties webpage, and just noticed the following articles and what was said..... and what was NOT said.

Baghdad civilian death totals are extreme - from Washington Times

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20050821-110618-6132r.htm

Here's the whole article: "Civilian deaths in Baghdad in July were more than New York City had in all of 2004, and that's excluding car bombings and suicide bombings. Time magazine reports the surge in non-combat related violence is due to the various sects in Iraq who want to start a civil war. Reports that death squads are entering quiet Baghdad neighborhoods and killing innocent civilians are growing. Baghdad central morgue director, Faiq Amin Bakr, said 880 violent deaths occurred in the city in July. There are more than 5 million people living in Baghdad. In New York City, with a population of about 8 million, 571 people were killed in 2004. In Baghdad, another 100 people were killed by terrorism in July.

(There you have it: all those deaths are caused by death squads and terrorists. No responsibility by Americans, and no excuses of PTSD either.)


However, this man lived to tell his tale:

Iraqi General Says US Troops Shot Him - Police

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - "An Iraqi general who commands the country's border defence force was shot and wounded while driving in Baghdad late on Saturday and accused U.S. troops of firing on his car, police and hospital sources said. The report could not be confirmed directly with the general; a U.S. military spokesman said he was unaware of an incident."

(Sorry not to link, but the link is so long, I'm afraid it will mess up the page.)

And finally, even though Baghdad residents are hearty souls who do not suffer from PTSD even after years of war in their city and seeing their neighbor down the street get blow to bits, having US troops fire at them, living without electricity, water, jobs, and the threat of night time raids into their homes by US troops, Iraqi troops, Wolf Brigade, and god-knows-who, this is not true of US service after a year in the conflict zone:

In Two Shooting by Iraq Vets, War Stress Blamed by Associated Press

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2005/aug/20/082010527.html

"One was a skinny 20-year-old discharged from the Army who couldn't shake the piercing rat-a-tat-tat reminders of combat. The other, a decorated Marine family man whose job preparing bodies of U.S. soldiers for burial had caused clammy, restless nights. Both home from duty in Iraq.."

"Flashbacks, nightmares, a struggle to reconnect to an old life - these are all signs of post-traumatic stress disorder that many soldiers suffer from. The Army's surgeon general has said 30 percent of U.S. troops surveyed have developed stress-related mental health problems just months after returning home. A New England Journal of Medicine study found almost 1 in 6 soldiers showing symptoms of mental stress."

That article is worth reading in full.

See how our media presents things? See how Americans can be so blind?

Driving by......

Frank Rich (NYT) wrote an article today called "The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan" that has this statement:

"THIS summer in Crawford, the White House went to this playbook once too often. When Mr. Bush's motorcade left a grieving mother in the dust to speed on to a fund-raiser, that was one fat-cat party too far."

This reminded me of the first time I heard Cindy speak - at Eyes Wide Open in Washington DC last January. It was the evening of the inauguration, and as she spoke stretch limo after stretch limo after stretch limo after stretch limo drive by. Oblivious.

Crawford wasn't the first time Bush supporters drove by Cindy Sheehan and ignored her and the pain inherent in their war policies.

They didn't know? Come on, now!

This is a clip from TV NEWS LIES:

"This weekend CNN will launch a full frontal assault on the truth with their expose on the “intelligence failure” that led the US to believe that Iraq had WMD.

There will be no mention of the overwhelming majority of the global intelligence community who knew Iraq posed no threat.

There will be no mention of the Office of Special Plans set up to re-evaluate the findings of the US intelligence community.

There will be no mention of the cherry picking or the ignoring all opinions that did not support findings that would indicate Iraq was a threat.

There will be no mention on how Scott Ritter, Hans Blix & every single anti-war Bush hater liberal, was 100% correct about Iraq not being a threat.

There will be no mention of the PNAC plan to invade Iraq and about their New Pearl Harbor comments that gave them their free ticket to proceed with their insane plan.

..........You will only see scabs who will take the blame for the administration in order to make it seem as if there were actually people who felt Iraq was a real threat."

Tonight I emailed a women on a local listserve about the war and how we got into it. I told her that I figured out that Iraq had no nuclear WMDs, and even if they did have biological or chemical WMDs, they were not a threat to the USA. I noticed that most of the rest of the world was opposed to this war, including the majority of Iraq's neighbors. Now, if I was smart enough to figure this all out, they were too. And that INCLUDES THE DEMOCRATS. Never forget that Edwards made a bunch of money on this war, all legally. As did Cheney.

The reasons for this war do not lie in failed "intelligence". The reasons lie in the lies. This war is a lie. I remember Aaron Brown on CNN on the night of Powell's presentation to the UN. One would have to conclude he had no ability for critical thinking after watching that. I noticed the rest of the world didn't buy it, and neither did the UN. One would think that was a BIG FREAKING CLUE, IF YOU HAD A CLUE!

I remember Aaron Brown having Scott Ritter on his program and then he spent all his time asking Ritter about a dismissed arrest record instead of the WMD programs in Iraq. Brown acted like a mouthpiece for the Bush administration, and helped keep the American people stupid.

Maybe Brown really is that stupid, I don't know. But the entire White House staff and nearly the entire US Senate can not be that stupid. Especially Edwards: I wrote and told him the truth.

This CNN piece on "intelligence failure" is on Sunday night at 8 and 11 PM. Somebody please watch it and tell me if TV NEWS LIES is correct or not. I pulled the plug on them back in June of 2003. I figured they were useless. I predict that Sunday's program will be a massive "feel good" attempt by CNN to convince the American people that we were all just mistaken, but it couldn't be helped. Everybody was fooled, and no one is to blame. Lest of all, CNN.

The story of our "Vigil for Cindy"

Tonight, over 264 people in Asheville came together to hold a candlelight vigil to show support for Cindy Sheehan. The main reason Cindy is popular in Asheville is because she came to speak at our Peace Rally last March and she touched a lot of hearts. I first started emailing Cindy sometime last fall. In January, I realized that she would be at the EYES WIDE OPEN exhibit in DC, where I was volunteering to work. That was the first time I got to talk to her in person. She was a terrific speaker, and as she spoke, I struggled to keep the candles going in the cold DC wind. (More on my experiences in DC last January are in my blog.)

I asked Cindy to come to Asheville to speak at our rally, which she gladly did, at her own expense. She had spoken in Fayetteville the day before. As always, she was a great speaker. Some time after that, I looked at Cindy's statements and pictures with her meeting with Bush in June 2004. I asked her about these statements, and the first thing she said was that she was still in shock when that meeting took place. She then said that she went on (after the Bush meeting) to investigate further what was going on in Iraq and how we got into that war in the first place. In short, she educated herself. She saw through all the lies behind this war. That was what inspired her to become an activist. And she is, quite clearly, driven.

It was a great pleasure to go on the radio program Listen To Women with Cindy and two Vets for Peace and two local poets on the evening of the Peace Rally. It was a great program that we did.

I have found over the past year that I do not agree 100% with Cindy's positions. One example of that was when I gave her grief this past June for giving hugs to Representative Walter Jones (R- NC). Jones had changed his position on the war: when it started, he was all for it. Today, he is calling for the US troops to come home. But I was still thinking that Jones was doing this for political expediency, not from a change of heart. One factor that caused me to see him in this light was the fact that he eloquently went on and on about the American losses in this war, while he did not bring up the Iraqi losses, which were far, far worse. Cindy defended him, saying that he had to come farther than she did, but the important thing is that he has awakened to the truth about this war. So, I decided to go meet Representative Walter Jones, and it was claiming that I was a friend of Cindy's that got me in the door. I took along my display boards of Iraqi casualties, which I showed to his staff. I did not see Representative Jones until I returned later to see if Cindy was available to go to lunch with me (she was involved with the media, I think Democracy Now! was doing an interview). Then I got to talk to Jones, and I could tell that he was aware of the price the Iraqi people are paying and aware of the nonsense of this war.

Tonight, we held a "Vigil for Cindy." It was one of 1,700+ rallies across the nation. As people spoke and sang, I did exactly what I did in DC when I listened to Cindy speak: I struggled to keep the candles light. Tonight, it was not a cold wind that blew out the candles, it was instead a soft and gentle summer rain. I find gentle summertime rains to be a blessing and a joy.

They did weaken the paper bags used for the luminaries, however, which caused them to fall over on the flame and then go up in a small, but spectacular fire.

It was cool to watch.

Cindy Sheehan's statement

This is George Bush’s Accountability Moment

This is George Bush’s accountability moment. That’s why I’m here.

The mainstream media aren’t holding him accountable. Neither is Congress. So I’m not leaving Crawford until he’s held accountable. It’s ironic, given the attacks leveled at me recently, how some in the media are so quick to scrutinize -- and distort -- the words and actions of a grieving mother but not the words and actions of the president of the United States.

But now it’s time for him to level with me and with the American people. I think that’s why there’s been such an outpouring of support. This is giving the 61 percent of Americans who feel that the war is wrong something to do -- something that allows their voices to be heard. It’s a way for them to stand up and show that they DO want our troops home, and that they know this war IS a mistake… a mistake they want to see corrected.

It’s too late to bring back the people who are already dead, but there are tens of thousands of people still in harm’s way. There is too much at stake to worry about our own egos. When my son was killed, I had to face the fact that I was somehow also responsible for what happened.

Every American that allows this to continue has, to some extent, blood on their hands. Some of us have a little bit, and some of us are soaked in it. People have asked what it is I want to say to President Bush. Well, my message is a simple one. He’s said that my son -- and the other children we’ve lost -- died for a noble cause. I want to find out what that noble cause is. And I want to ask him: “If it’s such a noble cause, have you asked your daughters to enlist? Have you encouraged them to go take the place of soldiers who are on their third tour of duty?” I also want him to stop using my son’s name to justify the war. The idea that we have to “complete the mission” in Iraq to honor Casey’s sacrifice is, to me, a sacrilege to my son’s name. Besides, does the president any longer even know what “the mission” really is over there?

Casey knew that the war was wrong from the beginning. But he felt it was his duty to go, that his buddies were going, and that he had no choice. The people who send our young, honorable, brave soldiers to die in this war, have no skin in the game. They don’t have any loved ones in harm’s way. As for people like O’Reilly and Hannity and Michelle Malkin and Rush Limbaugh and all the others who are attacking me and parroting the administration line that we must complete the mission there -- they don’t have one thing at stake. They don’t suffer through sleepless nights worrying about their loved ones.

Before this all started, I used to think that one person couldn’t make a difference... but now I see that one person who has the backing and support of millions of people can make a huge difference. That’s why I’m going to be out here until one of three things happens: It’s August 31st and the president’s vacation ends and he leaves Crawford. They take me away in a squad car. Or he finally agrees to speak with me.

If he does, he’d better be prepared for me to hold his feet to the fire. If he starts talking about freedom and democracy -- or about how the war in Iraq is protecting America -- I’m not going to let him get away with it. Like I said, this is George Bush’s accountability moment.


MoveOn and True Majority has asked people to hold candlelight vigils to show support for Cindy Sheehan. I often find I am not on the same page as MoveOn, but this is one event I agreed to host. There will be a candlelight vigil at 7:30 PM on August 17, 2005 at Pack Square in downtown Asheville. I will do the candle luminary around the fountain again, and after it gets dark, it is beautiful.

Bless the children....

Every night, I look at the photos from Yahoo News. There are a bunch of photos there tonight of children who have been hurt by violence in Iraq. The news story says the Iraqis claim the US military fired at them, and the US military claims they did not. Regardless of who fired the weapon, it is the US military's responsibility to keep the children safe. They are failing to do so.

There are also pictures of Iraqi homes that have been trashed by US troops doing searches at 3 AM. If this happened in America, having foreign troops come into people's homes for searches and trashing the homes, there would be an insurgency that would put all prior insurgencies in the entire history of the world to shame. Imagine how that type of search in the middle of the night would scare the heck out of the children..... Imagine how it would undermine their beliefs that Mommy and Daddy, who are big and strong and know everything, would keep them safe......

God Bless the Children caught up in war.

Lighting Candles

Last night, our local Peace Coalition group marked the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. We had a candlelight prayer vigil in our square downtown here in Asheville. We started with a circle with about 35 people there, and then we set up candle luminaries and floating candles around the fountain in Pack Square. It looked quite beautiful and peaceful.

I don’t know if our prayers and wishes for the innocent victims of war will stop any future killing or stop any future wars or even stop any more dropping of nuclear bombs. I just know I have to light a candle (well, many of them) against the darkness and the evil of war and nuclear bombs. I know we have to win this struggle before we put an end to any more innocent lives, before we ruin our world with nuclear pollution. Never in the history of humankind has a weapon been made and then not utilized, but with these nuclear weapons, we must make sure that does not happen – not now, not ever.

Also, I want to say I am so proud of my friend, Cindy Sheehan, who is protesting outside Bush’s ranch in Texas. She is finally getting some publicity (more than she got for our March 19th/20th rallies and march). I am proud of what she is doing, and proud to call her my friend. I can only imagine that camping out in the Texas heat is much easier than burying your child from a senseless war.

Cindy and Gold Star Families for Peace have asked all of us to call the White House (202-456-1111) or email Mr. Bush (president@whitehouse.gov) and tell him: “ Talk to Cindy”.

And contributions to Gold Star Families for Peace or Code Pink would also be appreciated.

response to those on the wrong side of things

The following comments were in response to a website called Right Wing News. The comments from Right Wing News are in quotes.

"Given all that, how any informed person can buy into Lancet's numbers is simply beyond me."

The larger point is this: if we are there to bring the Iraqi people freedom and democracy, how come this administration is making NO efforts to record and document the number and type and severity of civilian casualties and civilian suffering? This speaks volumes.

"Furthermore, after the war had begun, in September of 2003, President Bush himself publicly & explicitly said: "We have no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with the 11 September attacks." It doesn't get much clearer than that."

You are right, it doesn't get much clearer than that, even though Bush mentioned terrorism about 33 times in his speech last month to bolster support for the Iraq war. Why are we in Iraq? WHY HAVEN'T WE CAUGHT BIN LADEN?

"The problem with trying to claim that the war in Iraq was preordained during some 1998 PNAC meeting is that the United States government has been trying to find a way to get rid of Saddam Hussein since the Gulf War."

Go read PNAC. They are interested in way more than the Middle East. If you have no morals and want to get rich, buy stock in companies like Lockheed Martin. The time to do something about Saddam was early 1980's. Reagan blew it. Rumsfeld was buddy-buddy with Saddam back then. Oh, and who was it that thought we should have a proxy war against the Russians in Afghanistan???? That turned out not to be such a great idea, arming and training Bin Laden's group. But for those with no morals and the right stocks, it was financially very rewarding.

"Why are we going to invade Iraq? Nine days after 9/11, George Bush said, "(W)e will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime."

Does this mean that Bush is going to do some shock and awe on Britain? They clearly have terrorists there, and if we bomb them to rubble, that will take care of that problem.

"Kerry even pointed out that he thought Saddam might give WMDs to terrorists."

Do you really think Kerry is that stupid? Or Bush? How come some right-wingers like you think the "Democrats are stupid, too!" is a valid argument? It makes you look stupid to argue that Democrats are as stupid as Republicans, because, frankly, neither group is stupid. And the political posturing done to make them look like they are really fighting each other is for the stupid American’s entertainment. It serves no other real purpose. Meanwhile, they get rich.
'The man who blew up the World Trade Center in 1993 was sheltered by Saddam Hussein'
I don't know about the rest of Hitchen's claims, but this one isn't true.

"What the 9/11 Commission was trying to get across was that there was no evidence that Saddam and Al-Qaeda collaborated on specific attacks, not that they didn't have a working relationship."

If they had a working relationship then they would have collaborated on attacks. That's what terrorism is: attacking civilians to inspire terror. It is not about garden parties or charity balls.

“Consider this comment by former CIA Director George Tenet in a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee on October 7, 2002: "Credible reporting states that al Qaeda leaders sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire WMD capabilities. The reporting also stated that Iraq has provided training to al Qaeda members in the areas of poisons and gases and making conventional bombs."

That would be the same Tenet that said finding the WMDs in Iraq would be a "slam dunk".

"Here's more from Richard Miniter, author of "Losing Bin Laden: How Bill Clinton's Failures Unleashed Global Terror": "

Hey, remember when Clinton wanted to bomb Afghanistan to get Bin Laden and the Republicans said he was "wagging the dog" to detract from his Oval Office blowjob? I'm glad Clinton didn't bomb Bin Laden because I am sure that he (like Bush) would have killed civilians. Do you think Bush is at all concerned about the civilians who died in the bombing of Iraq? No, I don't think so either. By the way, I know a couple of Americans who were in Baghdad in the summer and fall of 2003 and they met a baby whose parents, siblings and aunts were bombed to death in April 2003 by US bombs. The baby was thrown from the house and landed in a puddle in a neighbor's yard. They call her the "miracle baby" since she survived and no one else in her family did. That was one of the "surgical strikes" to get Saddam. The family had never even talked to Saddam, much less had him in their home. Do you think anyone will bomb you in your home one day?

“We had already been bombing the Iraqis in the no-fly zone and we increased the pace to soften them up a bit just in case we had to go in. It probably saved the lives of some of our soldiers and almost no one except members of Saddam's government seemed upset about it while it was actually going on."

That bombing killed civilians too, and I (for one) was upset about it. Why did we need to "soften them up"? Didn't we have the superior military? Do you think the 9/11 attacks and the London bombings were to "soften us up"? I know for a fact that lots of Iraqis were upset about the US bombings all along. I would be upset too if someone dropped (or set off) bombs in my country. How about you?

"Bush, like a lot of other people, was wrong about Saddam Hussein having stockpiles of WMDs. But without question, he did not lie about it."

Now, if I started a war that turned out to be over a bunch of baloney about invisible WMDs.... and I didn't lie about it.....I'd be pissed off as all hell at the fools who mislead me. I'd fire Tenet for his stupid comments about "slam-dunk". I'd damn sure fire a heck of a lot more people than just Tenet. But, I'm an audiologist. And I knew they were not going to find any nuclear WMDs in Iraq. That was very clear. And, it was unlikely they would find any other kind of WMDs there, but if they did, those weapons would not be able to hurt the USA. And, amazingly enough, most of the countries around Iraq did not feel threatened at all, and did not support a war. What's up with that? I remember Powell and Rice claiming in 2001 that Saddam was contained and not a threat. Funny how nobody else in DC remembers that. I knew Powell's presentation at the UN in 2003 was based on heresy and circumstantial evidence. The rest of the world (outside of the USA) figured that out too, which was why the UN did not pass a resolution to go to war in Iraq. I remember people like Cheney and Rumsfeld and Tenet saying they knew where the WMDs were - yet they would not tell the UN inspectors. Now, why was that?

Could it be they wanted a war, no matter what? And did all those Democrats who also claimed to believe all this WMD nonsense also feel that way? I sat in on a public US Senate Armed Services Committee meeting last month, and it was all about POLITICAL POSTURING and damn little else. Little concern about the troops, none for the Iraqi people that we are supposedly bringing "freedom and democracy" to (and I don't believe that one either), but lots of concern about how the American public is starting to NOT support this war - which impacts on their REELECTION PROSPECTS.

There is not a dime's worth of difference between most of the Republicans and the Democrats up in DC today. And none of them were so stupid to really think there was a treat in Iraq to the USA, no matter how they lie or how they act. And the majority of them (Cheney and Edwards, for sure) made a great deal of money off this war while their kids don't serve. Think about it. Either they lied, or they were very STUPID. Do you really think they are that STUPID with all that wealth they have?

USA: GO OUT!!

Today I read that al Sadr has collected signatures from over 1 million Iraqi citizens saying they want the US forces to leave now. Some of those Iraqis actually left their thumbprint in blood. I guess this was to insure that someone down the road can verify them through their DNA, and thereby make sure that all the signatures are from separate individuals. No, actually, I think they did it to make a statement.

The majority of Iraqis want us out of there, no matter what the so-called "Truth Tour" says.

Rummyland

From my op-ed:

“Sen. Levin pointed out that not meeting timetables in Iraq's political processes could have negative repercussions for U.S. troops. He suggested that consequences be lined up for the Iraqis for not getting things done on time.”

I did not put into my op-ed that Senator Collins stated the same ideas and sentiments. And, it looks like Rumsfeld took that to the Iraqis.


From a NY Times article today:
“Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld urged Iraqi political leaders today to settle their differences and agree on a new constitution quickly,”

And:
“Mr. Rumsfeld laid out a remarkably blunt prescription for what Iraqi leaders must do in the coming weeks and months to ensure that a stable, secure and popularly elected government survives,”

And:
“We don't want any delays," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "They're simply going to have to make the compromises necessary and get on with it." He added, "That's what politics is about."

Now, here’s were it gets interesting… or is that confusing? Rumsfeld is also apposed to any FOREIGN interference in Iraq! Yes, he truly feels that way, without noticing that the US government is directly interfering in Iraq! Well, maybe he considers Iraq to be the 51st state, I don’t know. But here is what he said:

From the NY Times article:
(Iraqi politicians are) ….”to exert more influence with Syria and Iran to force them to end support for the insurgency here.”

and from The Telegraph (UK):
"Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, has urged Iraqi leaders to resist interference by the country's neighbours Iran and Syria. Washington has accused Syria of allowing militants to enter Iraq, and says Iran is trying to gain political influence in Baghdad."

US Congress Dog and Pony Show

The following is my op-ed published in the local paper last week. They picked the title.


Congress holds dog and pony shows on Iraq war while Americans keep dying
July 20, 2005

Last month, while in Washington, D.C., I sat through a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting. It struck me as a dog and pony show, with pointless political posturing by nearly all the senators. It seemed they were mainly concerned with declining public support for the ongoing war in Iraq and what impact that might have on their future reelection prospects. There was considerably less concern expressed for the U.S. troops in Iraq, and I heard no concern whatsoever expressed about the welfare of the Iraqi people.

In front of the senators were Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gens. George Casey, John Abizaid and Richard Myers. Casey said that the insurgents in Iraq would be defeated when they see the political process as more viable. Several of the generals did express that they thought the insurgency was getting stronger, but that we are making progress and victory is certain. They commented on how pulling out of Iraq would plunge the country into chaos. From my perspective, chaos seems to be the ongoing state of Iraq since 2003.

Sen. Levin pointed out that not meeting timetables in Iraq's political processes could have negative repercussions for U.S. troops. He suggested that consequences be lined up for the Iraqis for not getting things done on time. I hope those Iraqis realize that they not only have to "do" democracy the way the senator wants, they had better be prompt about it too.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., ripped into Rumsfeld, reminding him of his many mistakes. This really struck me as useless, although it had some entertainment value. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., mostly followed Kennedy's example and sharply criticized Rumsfeld.

I do appreciate Byrd saying that not enough questions were asked before the war, and that Americans have not heard enough of the truth.

One of the generals claimed that terrorists want chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and that they will not hesitate to use them against us. I think it is odd that we know so much about the terrorists, except who they are, where they are, what they have planned, when they will attack, how they will attack and why they are interested in killing us. This general also stated that our enemies want people to believe that we don't respect Iraqis and that we are there to steal their resources. I would say that showing a total lack of concern for the suffering we've caused them does show disrespect. And I do not believe we are there to bring "freedom and democracy" to the Iraqi people any more than we are there to secure the invisible weapons of mass destruction.

Sen. McCain asked about how many Iraqi troops were ready, without anyone mentioning that a good number of the Iraqi troops are actually insurgents. He went on to say that the generals and Rumsfeld gave him hope and confidence. So, starting an optional war for bogus reasons and then totally bungling the aftermath inspires hope and confidence. Well, I guess you go to war with the politicians you have.

The military guys presented data on how they started paying Iraqis for "tips" this past April to catch the insurgents and terrorists, causing the number of tips to go up significantly. The number of attacks has also gone up significantly. They did not comment on (nor were they asked) how many of these tips were actually helpful. The day after this meeting, I read an Iraqi blogger's report that people are given money for tips even if the tips are useless.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole commented on the "Terrorism in the Hands of Justice" TV program in Iraq. This program shows men confessing to terrorist acts after they have clearly been beaten. There is no evidence, no judge, no jury and no trial, just tortured confessions, which are probably bogus. Dole also commented on the reconstruction in Iraq and how the good news isn't getting out. (And here's why, Sen. Dole: because the death rate keeps going up and up and up).

There were no calls to withdraw from Iraq, nor where there calls to increase U.S. troop numbers. This Senate dog and pony show was a sequel to the "Everyone but ME is responsible for this mess" positioning which followed the "How could we know that he got rid of the weapons of mass destruction?" posturing, which came after the "Let's vote for optional war! It's patriotic!" game.

Meanwhile, on the day of this dog and pony show, eight U.S. troops were killed. More than 700 Iraqi civilians, army and police were killed in the month of June alone, and life in most of Iraq has been turned into a living hell. It seems to me that the senators have their priorities, and a lot of their information, wrong.

Susan Oehler has lived in Asheville for the past eight years. She is an audiologist with more than 22 years experience. She is also a member of the WNC Peace Coalition.


And the link to the op-ed:
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050720/OPINION03/507200307/1058/OPINION01

Khalid is free!

I have been so worried about Khalid and his mother, Faiza. I just read that Khalid is now out of jail on his brother's blog Raed in the Middle.

I am so grateful. The Jarrars are good people who do not believe in violence and do not support lies - no matter who tells them.

I am so happy. I hope Khalid and Faiza get back to Amman soon and blog all about their experiences.

Silence

Today, the Iraqi people stood in silence in remembrance of the victims of last week's car bombs. Today, they stood in silence to take a stand against terrorists, against violence.

Today, I suspect some London punks set out to scare the local population. They succeeded.

Today, I made copies of Helena's excellent handout (adapted for our use) of the danger of nuclear bombs. I can't help thinking the real danger though, far and away, is the nuclear materials and nuclear waste being transported on our highways. All it would take is a truck accident to have a nuclear disaster. Today, people are worried about terrorists (the non-state kind) getting their hands on a nuclear bomb. I would say that is unlikely. Think truck accidents.

Today, NPR went on and on about baseball and steroids. It seems they are going down the same road as the network and cable TV "news" - which is, telling us stories about junk that is not significant and will not impact on our lives. Filling our heads with garbage, while we ignore the important issues.

I worship in silence, and believe that the wisdom of the world and it's strength, comes from silence. I think the word of God comes through the silence, and all each of us needs to do is listen for it. Today, I stood in silence with the Iraqi people, and held them in the light.

Today, I wait in hopeful silence for news about Khalid and his mother, Faiza.

Indeed, what difference does it make?

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy? Gandhi

And Mr. Aaron Brown: Please go to Iraq and show them how to make lemonade out of the bombs we sent them.

And somebody explain to idiots at CNN that you can't deliver democracy to people via bullets and bombs before they help start another war.

Emailing with Martha

This is an email exchange between me and Martha Zoller, of the Truth Tour to Iraq.

Me:
I wish you would talk to ordinary Iraqis and find out what they think, and how their life is going. Sticking to the Green Zone leaves a very incomplete picture.

Martha:
We will do that but it's one step at a time. We did talk to ordinary Iraqis and overwhelmingly they want the soldiers to stay and with the bombings being targeted on civilians--it is driving them to the coalition even more strongly. It is a start, I wouldn't expect to get the whole picture in a week, but you have to start somewhere. The goal of the trip was to talk to soldiers. The next trip will be to go to outlying areas and then back to the cities. One step at a time. Thanks for taking the time to write. Martha


Me:
First you said you will do that (talk to ordinary Iraqis) then you said you did do that??? ..... I'm confused. thanks.


Martha:
We will do more of that is what I meant-- A little jet lagged, please forgive me--we plugged a three week trip into 4 days. Martha

Me:
Oh, I wish you could have stayed longer. thanks.


So, she spent 4 days in the Green Zone, the goal was to talk to soldiers, and she intends to talk to ordinary Iraqis more next time. In spite of those limitations, she makes the claim that ordinary Iraqis (who are in the Green Zone, and who, I would suppose, speak English) want US troops to stay and the bombings targeting the civilians are driving them to the coalition even more strongly.

Well, here's her contact information, in case anyone's interested:

> MARTHA HAS A NEW DIRECT LINE-- 770 531 6504> > Reply to this email via mzoller@wdun.com or martha@marthazoller.com. > These are my only two email addresses.> > You can listen to The Martha Zoller Show streaming live on> www.marthazoller.com or www.wdun.com and on www.rightalk.com> > > Martha> WDUN AM 550's> The Martha Zoller Show> Fox 5 Atlanta's The Georgia Gang> 770 532 9921> 1102 Thompson Bridge Road> Gainesville, GA 30501> www.marthazoller.com

I did maintain a polite tone with her (and maybe I will get some more responses from her?!) but I think if I listened to her show, I'd probably lose it. And now you know that email to me is fair game!

Please come to Washington, DC

An adaption on the lyrics of a song called "Chicago" written many years ago by Graham Nash.

"So your brother's bound and gagged
And they've chained him to a chair
Won't you please come to the Senate just to sing
In a land that's known as Freedom
How can such a thing be fair?
Won't you please come to Washington for the help that we can bring

We can change the world
Rearrange the world
It's dying - to get better
Politicians get yourselves lost
We are sick of you here

Won't you please come to Washington for a ride
Don't ask them to help you'Cause they'll turn a deaf ear
Won't you please come to Washington or else join the other side

We can change the world
Rearrange the world
It's dying - if you believe in justice
It's dying - and if you believe in freedom
It's dying - let a man live his own life
It's dying - wars and occupations
Who needs them, open up the door

Somehow Iraqis must be free
I hope the day comes soon
Won't you please come to Washington, show your face
From the bottom of the ocean
To the mountains of the moon
Won't you please come to Washington, no one else can take your place

We can change the world............


Well, what we really need to change is in Washington DC. United for Peace and Justice is having a march and rally on September 24, 2005. This will be followed by a day of interfaith services and training for lobbying. And this will be followed by a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. We need millions to show up.

More information at: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=2854

Please come to Washington, no one else can take your place.

Interior Minister Soulagh

Faiza is in Baghdad (reportedly) and she said she will go and talk with the Interior Minister about Khalid's detention. Today, I read this on the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.

07/16/05 M&C: Iraq foils assassination attempt
An independent Iraqi newspaper Saturday said Iraq`s Interior Minister Bayan Soulagh escaped an assassination attempt. The attacker, dressed in an Iraqi police uniform, had sneaked into the Convention Center, located in the high security Green Zone.


What a horrible, horrible mess the Bush administration has created.

Faiza goes to Baghdad

Faiza has gone to Baghdad to try to talk to the Interior Minister about Khalid's being in the jail of the secret police (under the CIA, apparently). She asks for our prayers.

I think this is going to turn out okay, once the authorities (is that what they are? I don't know.) figure out that Khalid and his family is against all violence.

Silence speaks volumes and Khalid is detained

Today, the British people observed a couple of minutes of silence in memory of the victims of last weeks' terrorist bombings. I am very impressed that the whole country took part in this display of solidarity in the face of fear and violence. It shows amazing strength. In the Quaker faith, the silence of the meeting is where we connect with the voice and messages of God. May they find comfort in their faith. Their silence spoke volumes about faith and goodness.

And today, I got the awful news that Khalid Jarrar has gone missing. His brother reports that he was detained by the Mukhabarat, a secret service agency run in Iraq by the CIA. Per Raed Jarrar, this was the best outcome they could have hoped for: other alternatives were much more gruesome. I cannot imagine what they detained Khalid for, but Raed says it has to do with his writings or his blog. I met up with Khalid's mother last month in Washington, DC. Her blog is called "A Family in Baghdad". Most of the family is now in Amman, since Baghdad is so dangerous. Khalid went back to Baghdad because the family home was broken into - and his hard drive on his computer stolen. It looks like the Mukhabarat took it.

I have not heard much on the Mukhabarat, but I found this article today:

Amidst Doubts, CIA Hangs on to Control of Iraqi Intelligence Service By Hannah Allam and Warren P. Strobel Knight Ridder May 8, 2005 The CIA has so far refused to hand over control of Iraq's intelligence service to the newly elected Iraqi government in a turf war that exposes serious doubts the Bush administration has over the ability of Iraqi leaders to fight the insurgency and worries about the new government's close ties to Iran. The director of Iraq's secret police, a general who took part in a failed coup attempt against Saddam Hussein, was handpicked and funded by the U.S. government, and he still reports directly to the CIA, Iraqi politicians and intelligence officials in Baghdad said last week. Immediately after the elections in January, several Iraqi officials said, U.S. forces stashed the sensitive national intelligence archives of the past year inside American headquarters in Baghdad in order to keep them off-limits to the new government.

The full article is here was on the Iraq Coalition Casualties page.
I am hopeful that this will turn out okay, but I cannot imagine what the CIA is doing with Khalid or his computer or his blog. I sure hope they are reading my blog... and all my emails. Maybe they will learn something.

Another "key operative" of Zarqawi caught!

He sure does have a lot of "aides" and "operatives" in his staff.

And one has to wonder when our US media is going to learn anything. Someone in the Canadian press got it though: Haroon Siddiqui wrote an article for the Toronto Star titled "Bush's war on terror is a colossal failure". Not only is it (will be proved to be) a failure, it is highly immoral, illegal and oh-so-breathtakingly-stupid.

I heard a great song today by Pete Seeger titled "garbage". Here's one verse:

"Getting home and taking off his shoes he settles with the evening news
While the kids do homework with the TV in one ear
While Superman for thousandth's time sell talking dolls and conquers crime
(They) dutifully learn the date of birth of Paul Revere
In the paper there's a piece about the mayor's middle name
(And) he gets it done in time to watch the all-star bingo game

Oh, Garbage
We're filling up our minds with garbage
What will we do when there's nothing left to read
And there's nothing left to need, there's nothing left to watch, there's nothing left to touch, there's nothing left to walk upon and nothing left to ponder on, nothing left to see and nothing left to be - but garbage"

Well, that about sums up the state of corporate TV news in the USA.

Summertime Rain and Christine Kane

Tonight, I decided to take a break from work and activism and go see Christine Kane in concert. I was hoping she would sing "I'm a Southern Girl Now" but she didn't. She is terrific to listen to, and she is a great performer. She also writes great stuff, and the lyrics to the last song she sang is printed below. She addressed this song to a local environmental group, after someone said to her that they wonder what good they are doing with their activism. They are not seeing results. Of course, those of us in the Peace Movement feel the same way a good deal of the time.

When we left, the heavens opened up and lots of rain (from Hurricane Dennis) came down. Some beautiful lightening in the distance. Big puddles everywhere, the air smelling sweet and soft, and the rain and air so warm that it does not matter that one gets all wet. The wonderful gift of rain and summertime warmth was with me tonight. I love a rainy night.

Tonight, I passed up going to a town hall meeting with US Representative Charles Taylor (R- NC). It turns out I missed something. I just heard that he said "we have got to go and fight for the oil" and they got it on video! I wish I had taken my Iraqi Civilian Casualties display boards down there and then confronted him with the "fight for oil" in the face of the deaths of so many innocents. I am hoping they can get this video clip on the web soon. I will post a link if they can.

The last song Christine Kane did was called "The Good You Do" and here are the lyrics:

You say that in times like these
You're driven down to your knees
Looking around grieving what peace there was
You promised yourself you would
Work for a world of good
Look at you now, wondering what good it does

No lost hope, no violent point of view
Can erase all of the good you do

There's nothing as dark as night
But nothing so strong as light
Here is the choice: to let it burn out or bright
In a world where the fear and force
Have buried the silent source
Can you deny the need for a light like yours?

No fast pace, no jaded attitude
Can erase all of the good you do

If someone has left his wrath
On everything in his path
Taking the wealth and leaving his trash behind
Will you be peace or pride?
Can you at last decide?
There's no one to fight - we are the same inside
So go home and get some rest
There's many more miles and tests
All about love - what if it comes to be all that we have left?

No dark place, no debt, and no abuse
Can erase all of the good you do

(You can look Christine Kane up on the web and listen to her songs. Let's hope all the work we do has a great deal of good coming from them and brings good into our hearts and lives. Thank you Christine for such a lovely song. The Quakers believe there is the light of God in all people, and that we can connect more deeply with God by meeting for silent worship. In silence, we can hear the essence of God's light speak to us in our lives and in the world. We regularly strive to stay connected to the silent source of God. Do not let fear and violence bury your "silent source".)

Bombs on Thursday

On Thursday, there were 21 people killed in Iraq from mortars, bombs, bullets. This is from Iraq Coalition Casualties site, and I doubt it is a complete listing of all press articles about Iraq. I doubt that all the violence in Iraq makes it into the press.

And on Thursday, over 50 people were killed by bombs in London's subway and a bus.

Last week, we know that US bombs killed 17 civilians in Afghanistan.

I would say we are not winning our *war* on terror here. I would say it is getting worse. Violence begets violence, as always. It does seem to me that if war solved problems, we would have solved a few by now. Instead, it seems war leads to severe problems for civilians and lays the conditions for the next war.

Also, when I woke up on Thursday, I thought I heard NPR say that there were six bombings in London. Today I learned there were four bombs that went off and two found unexploded. This has struck me as very odd. Why were they reporting six bombs having gone off, when it was only four? How long did it take to find the unexploded bombs? Who found them? I sure hope they find whoever did this horrible crime.

And I hope they find out who had done all the bombings in Iraq (well, we know who dropped the air bombs already) and bring them to justice.

My heart goes out to all the innocent victims of violence.

Peace.

Judith Miller goes to jail for the wrong reasons!

Time for a party. Judith Miller went to jail for the wrong reasons, so to celebrate that, I am having a party on Saturday, July 9, at 6 PM. We can all sit around and talk about why Judith Miller should have been sent to jail instead of why she was sent to jail. I hope being in jail gives her time to think about all the people who are suffering in Iraq because of her war-mongering, but I doubt she will give it any thought.

Current History of Iraq

Below is a link to a website that has a list of the acts of violence in Iraq for the last two years (since Mr. Bush said "Bring 'em on!") Please take a look at it: http://dailywarnews.blogspot.com/

Visiting Senator's offices again

Today, I joined up with a women named Laura, who I met at the UFPJ meeting. She was from Texas, so we were going to go and visit her Senators, and stop in at Senator Reid's office and Senator Lautenberg's office. We went into the Russell Senate Office Building, and we were stopped because of my display boards. The officer there said we had to go to Special Events and get a special permit to get in. Since it was lunch time, and we had no appointments to talk to any Senators, I felt that this was going nowhere.

Odd, since I got in okay just two days before. Today, they were telling me that this was a protest. I tried to tell them it was just information. I did have on a tee shirt that said "Democracy is best taught by example, not by war" and I guess that could be considered a protest shirt.

I am now in Front Royal at a cafe. I am headed to the mountains and back to sweet home Asheville.

Meeting with UFPJ

Today, United for Peace with Justice had an organizational meeting. I have to admit I went brain-dead after five hours of the meeting, but it was very exciting to see and meet and talk to so many people who are involved in the peace movement here in the USA. There were four people from North Carolina, so that was really cool. One was a women that none of us knew, but the other three women did know each other from prior political/peace work.

There were 34 people present at this meeting, but a few more came in later. Some of the groups represented were PDA, DowningStreetMemo, Tax Resistors, Psychologists for Social Responsibility, Code Pink, 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Historians against the War, WNC Peace Coalition, and probably a few more that I missed. There was talk about stopping the funding for the war, the Out of Iraq Caucus, the Abercreombie-Jones bill, the Iraq Policy Working Group (by EPIC, funded by FCNL and others), the Downing Street Memo, and talk about legislative goals. There was also talk on opening an office for UFPJ in the DC area.

Bill Goold came and spoke to the group and also stayed to listen to what we were talking about and what goals and plans we were making. Bill is working with the Progressive Caucus, and I think he is a lobbyist for them, but I'm not totally clear on that.

There was a lot of talk on the upcoming events in September to be held here in DC. This is a huge undertaking, and a lot of logistics work will have to be done by the DC folks to make this happen. There will be a march on Washington on September 24th to end the war on Iraq. There will be an interfaith service and grassroots training on September 25th for all the peace activists. And there will be a day of visiting congress members on September 26th to educate them about war and peace issues. That last one is on a Monday, so this will be a full weekend. There is more information at http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

Some other goals proposed by this group:
*get all eight Downing Street Memos out to legislative aids
*establish a working relationship with the Out Of Iraq Caucus
*identify which congressional districts to target for lobbying and education
*organize legislation alerts network
*develop material for handouts on the congressional visits on Sept 26th.

The above is just a brief summary, but more information will be forthcoming. I hope you will consider going to DC in September to support this effort.