The Common Ills: Another US soldier dies while serving in Iraq

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Another US soldier dies while serving in Iraq

Sunday another US soldier died while serving in Iraq. Neither DoD nor USF has issued a statement on the death on his death but his family has gone public. WTEN reports, "21-year old Pvt. David Jones joined the Army less than one year ago, and was serving his first tour of duty in Iraq as a prison guard. The 2008 St. Johnsville High School graduate was in good spirits when he spoke to his mother last week, but his girlfriend received a cryptic message from him minutes before his death." Theresa Bennett explains her son (biological nephew but she raised him) would have been back in the US "on leave next week. He had bought tickets to a New York Giants football game and planned to propose to his girlfriend at halftime." In Iraq, David Jones was a prison guard. The Albany Times Union reports that his body was discovered "with a gunshot wound to his head. His girlfriend, Brittany Winton, said that shortly before he was found, he sent her a Facebook message that said 'By the time you get this I'll probably be gone'." Stephanie Sorrell-White (Observer-Dispatch) quotes his baseball coach Jason Brundage stating, "David was a good kid. He was outgoing, had a lot of energy, always talking but never saying anything bad about anyone." Julie Tremmel (Fox 23 News) speaks with the family and his brother Bernie Bennett states, "I talked to him the other day and he was gonna be back for my birthday and we were going to celebrate together." Theresa Bennet adds, "He sent Brittany an engagement ring and gave it to her mother to hold on to. And he sent us tickets to the Dallas Cowboys and Giants game on November 8th and he was gonna propose to her at half time."

The family wants answers about David Jones' death and they deserve them. A much more minor issue, but still an issue, is why USF is unable to issue announcements on deaths. Issuing announcements is their job. Of course, to do so, would be to draw attention to a death and everyone's working overtime to pretend that there are no US soldiers in Iraq anymore and Barack uttered a few words on August 31st and 'peace' prevailed. It's a disservice to those stationed there, it's a disservice to those like David Jones who are losing their lives.

Ryan Hall (Great Falls Tribune) reports from Camp Shelby on the 163rd Combined Arms Battalion training as 600 members prepare to deploy to Iraq next month. Perry Backus (Missoulian) quotes 18-year-old Pfc Ty Harrison stating, "I've really got no idea what to expect when I get over there."

Turning to idiot Clyde Haberman (New York Times) who whines like a little baby that, boo-hoo, Senator Charles Schumer and Republican candidate Jay Townsend didn't discuss the Iraq War or the Afghanistan War in their debate. They could have, the sniveling little coward says, brought it up themselves. And Clyde also finds time to blame "the nature of the debate." But like all cowards and useless whores, he can't point to the people responsible. Journalists asked the questions at that debate. If you're upset that two ongoing wars weren't discussed, the blame lies with the journalists (one as moderator, three as panelists -- let's name the guilty -- Pat Kiernan, Liz Benjamin, Juan Manuel Benitez and Bobby Cuza) who decided what would a topic and what wouldn't be. In Florida, their senate debate found time for Iraq because real journalists -- St. Petersburg Times' Adam Smith and CNN's Candy Crowley -- were in charge. Not the declawed tabbys of NYC. Clyde can make a million useless excuses and they have as much value as Clyde himself: Zero. Upset with the questions asked? Don't blame the format, don't blame the candidates. Blame the journalists asking the questions. And then blame the useless like Clyde who refuse reality in their rush to cover up for the sins of their peers.

Turning to Australi where Sabra Lane (Australia's ABC) reports Senator Nick Minchin has called the Iraq War a debacle: "The debacle that ensued in Iraq has made the vital campaign in Afghanistan more protracted and more difficult." How contrite he is remains to be seen. Minchin served in the cabinet of War Hawk John Howard. The Iraq War and Howard's support led him to be knocked out as Prime Minister by Kevin Rudd. Rudd, like Barack, would make a great show of the end of 'combat' in Iraq for Australian troops. Australian troops remain in Iraq even now that Rudd is no longer prime minister. War Hawk Howard finally got a little of the press attention he's long sought as a result of an incident. The Daily Mirror reports that two shoes were hurled at Howard (but missed him) with the thrower proclaiming, "That is for the Iraqi dead!"

Even this attention has been -- like Howard -- small. Largely due to it being a pale copy of the December 14, 2008. incident in Baghdad when Bully Boy Bush and Nouri al-Maliki met up in Baghdad for a photo-op as the two singed the Strategic Framework Agreement and the treaty masquerading as a Status Of Forces Agreement.

Reality intruded on the staged moment when Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi threw his shoes at Bush.

Late Friday, WikiLeaks released 391,832 US military documents on the Iraq War. Today on The Diane Rehm Show (airs on most NPR stations and begins streaming live online at 10:00 a.m. EST), Diane will devote the first hour to a discussion on the WikiLeaks revelations (and her second hour will find her joined by Juan Williams to discuss his NPR career and firing).

The following community sites -- plus Diane Rehm, wowOwow, Jane Fonda and Antiwar.com -- updated last night and this morning: