Thursday, October 29, 2009

US military announces a death

Today the US military announced: "JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – A Soldier who was currently assigned to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) died Wednesday of a non-combat related injury at Camp Adder, Iraq. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.The names of service members are announced through the U.S. Department of Defense official website at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/. The announcements are made on the Web site no earlier than 24 hours after notification of the service member's primary next of kin. The incident is under investigation." The announcement brings the total number of US service members killed in Iraq to 4353.


The Friends Committee on National Legislation is a "Quaker" organization. The organization's not Quaker. They walked away from religion long ago and will regret should the draft ever return. They're a group that's not sure if they believe in God or not but hide behind religion because it makes their 'radicalism' more palatable to the masses -- they are the American Friends Service Committee and, yes, they are a joke. Their spokespeople include non-Quakers like Raed Jarrar.

Translation, they're fools and liars. And they sent a yada-yada to the public e-mail account:


President Barack Obama today signed legislation that that formally recognizes the U.S. obligation to withdraw from Iraq and requires the Pentagon to provide quarterly reports on the progress of that withdrawal.
This is the first time since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 that Congress has
passed legislation that affirms that the United States is committed to leaving
Iraq by a specific date, two national Quaker organizations, the American
Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Friends Committee on National
Legislation (FCNL) said today.

Again, FCNL is seen as the lobbying organization for AFSC -- but it's better for them to present it as though they're two different organizations (mass support!) the same way they continue to LIE and present themselves as a Quaker organization. (AFSC was a Quaker organization during Vietnam.)

They have spent a little over ten months working on the above nonsense which is meaningless. And Raed Jarrar, don't e-mail me. I'll rip you apart quicker than Dona has in her replies to you. Translation, stay the hell away from me, Freak Show.

Their press release is full of lies which is what you expect from a bunch of liars. There is nothing to applaud and nothing has been done.

What they've been trying to do in the last months is justify their lies and their whoring for Barack. So they've tried to get Congress to sign off on the Status Of Forces Agreement. Congress did not do that which is why the Freak Show has to write their press release with little lies padding across the floor on tiny cat's feet.

There is nothing binding in the clause included in the defense budget bill other than a requirement that the administration report every three months on the status of a possible withdrawal.

Every three months? Right now, Ike Skelton, Chair of the US House Armed Services Committee, has to beg the Pentagon to see the supposed 'plan' for withdrawal. Beg. Nothing has changed with the law and does nothing to stop the prevention of a new negotiation being signed by the US and Iraq to continue to provide troops in Iraq -- which will take place because there is no way the Iraqi air force will be able to defend the skies. We've noted that point here since 2006. At the end of 2008, the press finally started to notice. Now they're silent. And while they're silent, the target goals for the Iraqi air force? They're not being met.

But the Freak Show wants you to buy into the LIE that the Iraq War is over and the troops are coming home. The Freak Show also wanted you to vote Barack Obama and, no, peace groups do not focus on electing presidents. They focus on ending an ongoing war and attempting to educate regarding wars and peace. The Freak Show lies that they're Quakers. The Freak Show is nothing but liars. And pampered sons of privilege whom, you'll note, fled Iraq long before the refugee crisis because they had the money to do so. (I believe Dona worded that a bit more to the point in an e-mail reply to Raed.)

After the joke that was the much ballyhooed benchmarks of 2007, it takes a real fool to believe that Congress getting reports means a damn thing. But then it takes someone ignorant of American government in the first place to not grasp that the administration is supposed to report Congress on all their actions, by law. When they don't? We get Iran-Contra. Thanks for wasting all of our time Faux Quakers. [Disclosure, back during Vietnam, Elaine and I often worked in support activities with AFSC. That was back when they were a real organization and did something that made a difference. Those days ended long ago. Neither Elaine nor I have a thing to do with that wack-job organization today and we have not and will not promote it. It is a joke.] And let me repeat one more time, for those who are not religious to present themselves as a religious organization is highly offensive in any culture.

From the Freak Show to reality, James King (Phoenix News) observes, "Didn't President Obama tell us we were leaving Iraq? Tell that to the troops in the Army's 653rd Support Group. The Valley-based unit said goodby to friends and family Sunday at a deployment ceremony in Mesa as they prepare to ship out to Iraq next month." Weldon B. Johnson (Arizona Republic) reports on the deployment ceremony as well and quotes Apryl Clark, wife of Capt Jeffery Clark, stating she feels, "Anxiety. Support. I'm just trying to keep it all together. But also pride. I'm proud of my husband."

Yesterday's snapshot included the following:

The US military announced yesterda: "CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – A Multi-National Corps-Iraq Soldier died today of a non-combat related injury at Camp Victory. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense. The names of service members are announced through the U.S. Department of Defense official website at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/. The announcements are made on the Web site no earlier than 24 hours after notification of the service member's primary next of kin. The incident is under investigation." DoD identifes the fallen as Maj David L. Audo from Saint Joseph, Illinois who was 35-years-old.

Matt Misterek (News Tribune) reports David Audo served in Kosovo, in Iraq in 2003, in Afghanistan in 2005 and was on his second tour of Iraq when he was killed. He is survived by a wife, Rebecca K. Johnson, and their two children. Meanwhile, this morning (eleven a.m. Central), an Iraq War veteran who was killed this month will be buried with the mass held at San Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Alton, Texas with the funeral services to take place after in Mission, Texas at Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery. Martha L. Hernandez (The Monitor) reports the 26-year-old was "the 28th service member from the Rio Grande Valley to die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan." David De Leon, Bradley Espinoza's step-father, is quoted explaining, "Bradly was a very playful kid, very active, but he always had a smile on his face. He was always playing jokes for the fun of it. He was very friendly -- he had a lot of friends since he was a little kid. I remember him with love, without malice."

Staying with the topic of service members, we'll note this from Amy Goodman's "War condolences Obama hasn't sent" (The Union):

U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Chancellor Keesling died in Iraq on June 19, 2009, from "a non-combat related incident," according to the Pentagon. Keesling had killed himself. He was just one in what is turning out to be a record year for suicides in the U.S. military.
In August, President Barack Obama addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, saying, "[T]here is nothing more sobering than signing a letter of condolence to the family of [a] serviceman or -woman who has given their life for our country."
To their surprise, Jannett and Gregg Keesling, Chance's parents, won't be getting such a letter. Obama does not write condolence letters to loved ones of those who commit suicide in the theater of combat. [After making inquiries, the Keeslings discovered that this was not because of an oversight. Instead, it's because of a longstanding U.S. policy to deny presidential condolence letters to the families of soldiers who take their own lives.]

Goodman spoke with Jannett and Gregg Keeslin on Tuesday's Democracy Now! (click here for the segment -- text, audio and video options).

The following community sites updated last night:


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