Monday, June 21, 2010

'As soon as I saw them, I knew'

Johanna Cassidy tells Melissa Keeney (WSPA, link has text and video), "As soon as I saw them, I knew." She's referring to the soldiers who came to her home to tell her that her husband died in Iraq. Saturday the Defense Dept issued the following:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Capt. Michael P. Cassidy, 41, of Simpsonville, S.C., died June 17 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
For more information related to this release, media may contact the Fort Stewart Public Affairs Office at 912-435-9879.

"I call him Clark Kent-Superman because Mike was very unassuming, very humble. When you
met him, he was very sweet. You had no idea how brilliant, how capable, how talented he was," Johanna Cassidy says of her late husband. Michael Cassidy is among the 4407 US service members who have died in the Iraq War.


Last week, the Washington Post offered an editorial asserting the US Senate Armed Services Committee was acting irresponsibly, Senator Carl Levin, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, responds:

The Post's recent editorial on U.S. funding for Iraq's defense ministry ["Poor transition," June 18] accused the Senate Armed Services Committee of ignoring "a few facts" in trimming $1 billion from the administration's request of $2 billion for Iraq security funding. That's funny, because The Post ignored plenty of facts in its editorial.

The Post made two arguments: that Iraq's budget is in such terrible shape that it can't make up the funding difference on its own and that the cut sends a message "that the long-term strategic partnership" between our two nations "is likely to be barren." Both arguments are wrong.

The case that Iraq's budget is in worse shape than our own, and therefore the country is unable to provide funding for its own defense, is simply false. The Post ignored the fact that just this month, Iraq's finance minister reported that the budget has a $10 billion surplus, thanks to rising oil prices, and that projections for future deficits have fallen. At the same time that oil prices are bringing a budget windfall, Iraq is slashing spending on its security.

Even with our approved cut, U.S. taxpayers will contribute $1 billion next year directly to building Iraq's military, in addition to the cost of maintaining our troop presence. I doubt American taxpayers see that as a "barren" commitment.

Supporters of the Iraq war downplayed or ignored the costs in advocating invasion. Those costs now total more than $800 billion. The American taxpayer can't ignore those costs, and neither can we in Congress.

Carl Levin, Washington



Susan reminds that Kat's review of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Mojo went up yesterday morning and Kat's review of Sarah McLachlan's Laws of Illusion went up late last night. She also asked if we could note that Third's "Roundtable: Between A Heart And A Rock Place" of the new book Between A Heart And A Rock Place, $25.99 from HarperCollins, written by Pat Benatar with Patsi Bale Cox. Also Helen asks if we can put hard numbers in "Only 30% of Diane Rehm's guests are women (Ava and C.I.)"? I thought we had. We didn't. Sorry. We've got a percentage and the total number of guests but did not provide the breakdown (female: 70 guests; male: 162). That'll be added this morning, thanks for catching that, Helen.

Lastly, The Brussells Tribunal has released their latest newsletter on Iraq and Palestine:

In the latest newsletter, we focus on the Israeli attack on the Free Gaza Flotilla in an interview with Ian Douglas, YET ANOTHER ISRAELI MASSACRE while Curtis Doebbler analyzes the illegality at the base of Israel: ISRAEL AND INTERNATIONAL LAW.

On Iraq, Hana Al Bayaty reveals the ongoing tragedy of the US occupation, THE MARTYRED IRAQI PEOPLE, and we illustrate the study OCCUPIED BAGHDAD: LEAST LIVABLE CITY ON PLANET with a photographic survey of Iraq past and present - newsletter 5 - click here

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Dans la dernière newsletter, nous nous sommes concentrés sur l’attaque de la Flottille de la Liberté en route pour Gaza avec une interview de Ian Douglas, ENCORE UN MASSACRE ISRAELIEN, alors que Curtis Doebbler analyse l’illégalité de l’Etat israélien dans ISRAEL ET LE DROIT INTERNATIONAL.

Pour l’Irak, Hana Al Bayati révèle la tragédie sans fin de l’occupation irakienne, LES IRAKIENS, UNE POPULATIO MARTYRE, puis nous illustrons l’étude BAGDAD OCCUPEE: LA VILLE LA MOINS HABITABLE DE LA PLANETE, avec une enquête photographique sur l’Irak de maintenant et d’avant - bulletin 5 - cliquez ici

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In de recente nieuwsbrief focussen we op de Israëlische aanval op de “Free Gaza flotilla" in een interview met Ian Douglas, NOG EEN ISRAELISCHE SLACHTING, terwijl Curtis Doebbler de illegaliteit die aan de grondslag ligt van Israël analyseert: ISRAEL EN HET INTERNATIONAAL RECHT.

Hana Al Bayaty brengt de voortdurende tragedie van Irak door de de VS-bezetting nogmaals onder de aandacht, HET GEMARTELDE IRAKESE VOLK, en de studie over BEZET BAGDAD, MEEST ONLEEFBARE STAD OP DEZE PLANEET, illustreren we met een fotoreportage van Irak in verleden en heden. - nieuwsbrief 5 - klik hier

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En el último boletín nos centramos en el ataque israelí a la Flotilla de la Libertad a Gaza en una entrevista con Ian Douglas, OTRA MASACRE ISRAELÍ MÁS, mientras que Curtis Doebbler analiza la ilegalidad sobre la que se sustenta Israel: ISRAEL Y EL DERECHO INTERNACIONAL.

Respecto a Iraq, Hana Al Bayaty revela la actual tragedia de la ocupación estadounidense, EL MARTIRIZADO PUEBLO IRAQUÍ, e ilustramos el estudio BAGDAD OCUPADO: LA CIUDAD MENOS HABITABLE DEL PLANERA con un estudio fotográfico del pasado y presente de Iraq. - boletin informativo 5 - pinche aqui


There's another demonstration in Iraq today and I'm focusing on that with rusty language skills so this is just going to have to do for this entry.
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