Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count counts 88 people killed from July 1st through the 4th.
Kay Johnson and Lara Jakes (AP) observe, "Part of the problem is the dysfunctional Iraqi government that, so far this year, has failed to protect its public or settle internal power squabbles." Which is much better than yesterday when the press floated that guns were coming into Iraq from Syria (a hypothesis that went against everything the press and US government had said for months now).
Meanwhile in England there are developments in a 2003 Iraq attack. The mother of Copral Paul Long has filed a lawsuit. In June 2003, 24-year-old Paul Long was killed while serving in Iraq. The UK Ministry of Defence issued the following statement and photo:
It is with very deep regret that the Ministry of Defence has to confirm that Corporal Paul Graham Long was killed in action in southern Iraq on 24 June 2003 whilst serving with 156 Provost Company, Royal Military Police.
Aged 24, he came from Colchester in Essex.
Born in Portsmouth, Paul Long attended Blackmoor CofE Primary School and All Hallows RC Comprehensive in Aldershot, before moving to South Shields where he attended Hebburn College. He joined the Regular Army in April 1999, having served two years with the Territorial Army, and was posted to 156 Provost Company in March 2000. A member of the Parachute Provost Platoon, he was a qualified radio operator. This was his first operational deployment. Paul was a dedicated soldier who loved his work.
His mother Patricia Long, supported by her other two children and other family members, said that, "the Army was his life."
A requiem was held at a Roman Catholic church in South Shields on 4 July, after which his brother and sister, Byron and Maria, paid the following tribute:
Born in Portsmouth, Paul Long attended Blackmoor CofE Primary School and All Hallows RC Comprehensive in Aldershot, before moving to South Shields where he attended Hebburn College. He joined the Regular Army in April 1999, having served two years with the Territorial Army, and was posted to 156 Provost Company in March 2000. A member of the Parachute Provost Platoon, he was a qualified radio operator. This was his first operational deployment. Paul was a dedicated soldier who loved his work.
His mother Patricia Long, supported by her other two children and other family members, said that, "the Army was his life."
A requiem was held at a Roman Catholic church in South Shields on 4 July, after which his brother and sister, Byron and Maria, paid the following tribute:
"Our brother, Paul Graham Long, known affectionately by all his family, friends and Army colleagues as Paul, joined the Royal Military Police in 1999. He wanted only to help others less fortunate than himself.The media are asked to respect the family's privacy at this very difficult time.
"Paul leaves behind a loving wife Gemma and a baby son of 11 months, Benjamin David, and our devoted mother Patricia.
"We would really appreciate it if there were no further visits from the press and other media, so that we can be left to mourn Paul in peace. Paul, who was loved dearly and will be sadly missed, died doing what he did best: helping others.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and friends of all the Royal Military Police killed in Iraq."
Paul Long's mother has filed the suit. It's 9:52 PM EST, Jul 5th. And this morning, this wrongly read that Pat Long was the mother of Thomas Richard Keys, another British soldier killed in the incident. My apologies. I was obviously reading the two sources we link to in a moment completely wrong. My apologies, it was my mistake.
Thank you to a friend with Stop The War who caught it and called me tonight. Thomas Richard Keys is Reg Keys son. He died in the same incident and we'll keep the UK Ministry of Defence issued the following statement and photo upon his passing in this entry:
It is with very deep regret that the Ministry of Defence has to confirm that Lance-Corporal Thomas Richard Keys was killed in action in southern Iraq on 24 June 2003 whilst serving with 156 Provost Company, Royal Military Police.
Aged 20, he came from Llanuwchllyn, near Bala in Wales, and was single.
He joined the Army in August 1998, initially serving with 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment. He transferred to the RMP and joined 156 Provost Company in January 2002. He had served on operations in Sierra Leone and Northern Ireland and deployed to Jamaica on exercise. A popular soldier, Thomas was a fully trained paratrooper and physical training instructor who played football for the Company.
His funeral service, with full military honours, was held at St John's Church in Barmouth on 14 July.
He joined the Army in August 1998, initially serving with 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment. He transferred to the RMP and joined 156 Provost Company in January 2002. He had served on operations in Sierra Leone and Northern Ireland and deployed to Jamaica on exercise. A popular soldier, Thomas was a fully trained paratrooper and physical training instructor who played football for the Company.
His funeral service, with full military honours, was held at St John's Church in Barmouth on 14 July.
The Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette reports Pat Long, Paul Long's mother, is petitioning the court "for a fresh independent inquiry into her son's death "by a mob of Iraqis at a police station in Majar-al-Kabir." The British troops had "little ammunition" and an out of date radio/walkie talkie that "was completely useless in a built-up area and could only be used in open fileds." ITV explains the Secretary of Defence Philip Hammond has thus far refused to grant a fresh inquest and so Pat Long has taken the issue to the High Court. Again, my apologies for my error.
Kat's "Kat's Korner: Demos, live and what the fans want" and Isaiah's"Little Dicky Loves Bad Boys" went up yesterday and the following community sites updated last night and this morning:
THIS JUST IN! NOVEL STRATEGY!
For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org 2012 Green Presidential Nominating Convention, July 12-15 in Baltimore, Md. http://www.gpconvention2012.com
Media Credentialing page http://www.gpconvention2012.com/p/media.html
WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party candidates and leaders said today that the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) should not distract Americans from the demand for real health care reform -- Medicare For All.
Greens said that Medicare For All (single-payer national health care) will expand on the beneficial parts of the ACA and extend the guarantee of quality health care to every American, while solving its deficiencies, especially the unpopular individual mandate. Greens support expanded and improved Medicare For All, to include dental, vision, hearing, nutritional counseling, and proactive medicine, without co-pays, deductibles, and "doughnut holes."
Medicare For All would cover all Americans, provide full choice of physician and hospital, and cut costs dramatically: current Medicare administrative overhead is only 3%, while for-profit health insurance administrative overhead is as high as 30%. The Green Party also supports efforts to enact statewide single-payer legislation in many states.
The Green Party is preparing for its 2012 National Convention in Baltimore, Md., July 12-15. Baltimore has one of the premier hospitals in the country, Johns Hopkins, but too many Baltimore residents remain without access to health care. Andrew Straw, Green candidate for the US House of Representatives in Indiana, 2nd District (http://www.strawforcongress.com):
"While many people are celebrating the court's decision upholding the insurance mandate, we should remember that the mandate is a direct public subsidy to sustain and enrich the health insurance industry and maintain its bureaucratic control over our medical system. We urge Americans to support Medicare For All, which will remove for-profit insurance companies from the system, along with the excessive profits and CEO salaries that keep driving up medical costs. The ACA doesn't give us universal coverage -- at least 26 million people will remain uninsured. It doesn't control skyrocketing costs and won't stop people from going into financial ruin because of a medical emergency. The Court's decision furthermore overruled expansion of Medicaid coverage, which could push millions more Americans out of coverage. That's why we need Medicare For All." Audrey Clement, Green candidate for Arlington County Board in Virginia (http://www.AudreyClement.org) and co-chair of the Green Party of the United States:
"We shouldn't forget that the individual mandate is a Republican idea that the Obama Administration coopted -- along with many other Republican ideas and goals since his election. The mandate was introduced by the rightwing Heritage Foundation and promoted nationally by Republicans during the 1990s. It was the basis of Gov. Romney's statewide health care reform plan in Massachusetts. President Obama embraced the mandate idea to win the support of the powerful insurance lobbies for the ACA and pay them back for contributing record-high contributions to his campaign. The health care debate has been rigged all along so that, whether the ACA passed and survived a court challenge or the GOP succeeded in blocking it, the biggest winners would be the health insurance bureaucracy and other corporate health care lobbies." Darryl! Moch, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States:
"What we need is a health care system that promotes healthy living from a holistic approach that includes prevention. The best way to save money and health care costs is to prevent illnesses in the first place or at least with proper prevention methods to lessen the severity should an illness occur. Medicare For All gives government a stake in promoting prevention and healthy living for all Americans. The Green Party offers the kind of medicine that we need -- a system that does not depend on wealthy corporations to provide insurance. It's a system that guarantees that everyone in the US has the same quality care currently enjoyed by the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court justices (and their families) and funded by taxpayers and hardworking people in this country." Ursula Rozum, Green candidate for the US House in Syracuse, in New York's 24th District (http://www.ursulaforcongress.com):
"We must make health care a right for all Americans. Instead of making health care a right, President Obama and Congress confirmed the notion that expanded coverage is only worth pursuing if the profits of insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other health care corporations can be guaranteed. That's why health insurance industry representatives were invited to help write the legislation. The Affordable Care Act will help many Americans -- but millions will be left out in the cold. It is ultimately a victory for the idea that no reform is desirable without an assurance that corporate profits will be maintained or increased. The Green Party says that human needs must overrule corporate profits and that for-profit insurance companies must be removed from our health care system." See also:
"'Health law upheld, but health needs still unmet': national doctors group; Although the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, the law will not remedy the U.S. health crisis, physicians group says"
Physicians for a National Health Program, press release, June 28, 2012
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2012/june/%E2%80%98health-law-upheld-but-health-needs-still-unmet%E2%80%99-national-doctors-group
"Single Payer Advocates Says Medicare for All Remains the Solution in Light of US Supreme Court Ruling"
Single Payer New York, press release, June 28, 2012
http://singlepayernewyork.org/?p=1167
"Two-thirds of Americans support Medicare for all"
By Kip Sullivan, J.D., PNHP.org
http://www.pnhp.org/sites/default/files/docs/2011/Kip-Sullivan-Two-thirds-support-medicare-for-all.pdf
"The Green Party urges the Supreme Court to strike down the Affordable Care Act's health insurance mandates, sees a chance for Medicare For All"
Green Party press release, March 5, 2012
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=487
"Should Obama's Health Care Be Opposed?: An Exchange"
Letter from Marcia Angell, The New York Review of Books, June 7, 2012
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jun/07/should-obamas-health-care-be-opposed-exchange/
Healthcare-NOW!
http://www.healthcare-now.org
Single Payer Now (California)
http://www.singlepayernow.net
Single-Payer Frequently Asked Questions
Physicians for a National Health Program
http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single-payer-faq MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191
2012 Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention, July 12-15 in Baltimore, Md. http://www.gpconvention2012.com
Green candidate database and campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
Ballot Access Page http://www.gp.org/2012/ballot-access.html
Video Page http://www.gp.org/video/index.php
Green Papers http://www.greenpapers.net
Google+ http://www.gp.org/google
Twitter http://twitter.com/gpus
Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus
GP-TV Twitter page http://www.gp.org/twitter
Facebook page http://www.gp.org/facebook Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United States
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog
1 hour ago
We'll close with this from the national Green Party:
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org 2012 Green Presidential Nominating Convention, July 12-15 in Baltimore, Md. http://www.gpconvention2012.com
Media Credentialing page http://www.gpconvention2012.com/p/media.html
WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party candidates and leaders said today that the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) should not distract Americans from the demand for real health care reform -- Medicare For All.
Greens said that Medicare For All (single-payer national health care) will expand on the beneficial parts of the ACA and extend the guarantee of quality health care to every American, while solving its deficiencies, especially the unpopular individual mandate. Greens support expanded and improved Medicare For All, to include dental, vision, hearing, nutritional counseling, and proactive medicine, without co-pays, deductibles, and "doughnut holes."
Medicare For All would cover all Americans, provide full choice of physician and hospital, and cut costs dramatically: current Medicare administrative overhead is only 3%, while for-profit health insurance administrative overhead is as high as 30%. The Green Party also supports efforts to enact statewide single-payer legislation in many states.
The Green Party is preparing for its 2012 National Convention in Baltimore, Md., July 12-15. Baltimore has one of the premier hospitals in the country, Johns Hopkins, but too many Baltimore residents remain without access to health care. Andrew Straw, Green candidate for the US House of Representatives in Indiana, 2nd District (http://www.strawforcongress.com):
"While many people are celebrating the court's decision upholding the insurance mandate, we should remember that the mandate is a direct public subsidy to sustain and enrich the health insurance industry and maintain its bureaucratic control over our medical system. We urge Americans to support Medicare For All, which will remove for-profit insurance companies from the system, along with the excessive profits and CEO salaries that keep driving up medical costs. The ACA doesn't give us universal coverage -- at least 26 million people will remain uninsured. It doesn't control skyrocketing costs and won't stop people from going into financial ruin because of a medical emergency. The Court's decision furthermore overruled expansion of Medicaid coverage, which could push millions more Americans out of coverage. That's why we need Medicare For All." Audrey Clement, Green candidate for Arlington County Board in Virginia (http://www.AudreyClement.org) and co-chair of the Green Party of the United States:
"We shouldn't forget that the individual mandate is a Republican idea that the Obama Administration coopted -- along with many other Republican ideas and goals since his election. The mandate was introduced by the rightwing Heritage Foundation and promoted nationally by Republicans during the 1990s. It was the basis of Gov. Romney's statewide health care reform plan in Massachusetts. President Obama embraced the mandate idea to win the support of the powerful insurance lobbies for the ACA and pay them back for contributing record-high contributions to his campaign. The health care debate has been rigged all along so that, whether the ACA passed and survived a court challenge or the GOP succeeded in blocking it, the biggest winners would be the health insurance bureaucracy and other corporate health care lobbies." Darryl! Moch, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States:
"What we need is a health care system that promotes healthy living from a holistic approach that includes prevention. The best way to save money and health care costs is to prevent illnesses in the first place or at least with proper prevention methods to lessen the severity should an illness occur. Medicare For All gives government a stake in promoting prevention and healthy living for all Americans. The Green Party offers the kind of medicine that we need -- a system that does not depend on wealthy corporations to provide insurance. It's a system that guarantees that everyone in the US has the same quality care currently enjoyed by the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court justices (and their families) and funded by taxpayers and hardworking people in this country." Ursula Rozum, Green candidate for the US House in Syracuse, in New York's 24th District (http://www.ursulaforcongress.com):
"We must make health care a right for all Americans. Instead of making health care a right, President Obama and Congress confirmed the notion that expanded coverage is only worth pursuing if the profits of insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other health care corporations can be guaranteed. That's why health insurance industry representatives were invited to help write the legislation. The Affordable Care Act will help many Americans -- but millions will be left out in the cold. It is ultimately a victory for the idea that no reform is desirable without an assurance that corporate profits will be maintained or increased. The Green Party says that human needs must overrule corporate profits and that for-profit insurance companies must be removed from our health care system." See also:
"'Health law upheld, but health needs still unmet': national doctors group; Although the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, the law will not remedy the U.S. health crisis, physicians group says"
Physicians for a National Health Program, press release, June 28, 2012
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2012/june/%E2%80%98health-law-upheld-but-health-needs-still-unmet%E2%80%99-national-doctors-group
"Single Payer Advocates Says Medicare for All Remains the Solution in Light of US Supreme Court Ruling"
Single Payer New York, press release, June 28, 2012
http://singlepayernewyork.org/?p=1167
"Two-thirds of Americans support Medicare for all"
By Kip Sullivan, J.D., PNHP.org
http://www.pnhp.org/sites/default/files/docs/2011/Kip-Sullivan-Two-thirds-support-medicare-for-all.pdf
"The Green Party urges the Supreme Court to strike down the Affordable Care Act's health insurance mandates, sees a chance for Medicare For All"
Green Party press release, March 5, 2012
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=487
"Should Obama's Health Care Be Opposed?: An Exchange"
Letter from Marcia Angell, The New York Review of Books, June 7, 2012
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jun/07/should-obamas-health-care-be-opposed-exchange/
Healthcare-NOW!
http://www.healthcare-now.org
Single Payer Now (California)
http://www.singlepayernow.net
Single-Payer Frequently Asked Questions
Physicians for a National Health Program
http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single-payer-faq MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191
2012 Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention, July 12-15 in Baltimore, Md. http://www.gpconvention2012.com
Green candidate database and campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
Ballot Access Page http://www.gp.org/2012/ballot-access.html
Video Page http://www.gp.org/video/index.php
Green Papers http://www.greenpapers.net
Google+ http://www.gp.org/google
Twitter http://twitter.com/gpus
Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus
GP-TV Twitter page http://www.gp.org/twitter
Facebook page http://www.gp.org/facebook Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United States
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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