Saturday, June 19, 2010

The rain never comes

Oh, the rain never comes
Count my blessings on my thumbs
And the dogs just want to sleep in the sun
All day
-- "'J' for Jules," written by Aimee Mann, first appears on 'Til Tuesday's Everything's Different Now.

Aziz Alwan and Leila Fadel (Washington Post) report, "At least one person was killed and three others were injured Saturday in the southern port city of Basra when police fired into a crowd of unruly protesters who were demanding electricity and potable water to help cope with the blistering summer heat, officials and witnesses said." Jomana Karadsheh (CNN) states "hundreds" were demonstrating, throwing bricks and stones at buildings and Iraq's 'security' forces and Karadsheh notes, "More than seven years after the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq still suffers from a lack of basic services including water and electricity. The lack of power is especially unnerving during Iraq's searing summers. Temperatures in Basra, one of the hottest places in the country, soared above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday." In a 24 hour period, Basra receives -- on a good day -- six hours of electricity. Karim Jamil (AFP) adds, "Thousands had gathered to demand the dismissal of Electricity Minister Karim Wahid and provincial officials over the rationing, which sees residents receive power for just one hour in five in temperatures that hit 54 degrees Celsius (130 Fahrenheit) on Saturday, an AFP correspondent said." Jamil reports signs reading "We don't want oil or medicine, we want water and electricity" and "The people of Basra ask the authorities to provide services for citizens." Aref Mohammed (Reuters) notes, "Demonstrators said the Basra protest was spontaneous. But provincial council officials from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law bloc said the rally had been exploited by Shi'ite political rivals, who want Maliki to give up his bid for a second term in talks on forming a coalition government."

In other, ongoing violence today, Turkish military planes again bombed northern Iraq as the struggle between the Turkish military and the PKK continues. The PKK has bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. They advocate for a Kurdish homeland (and a bit more but that's their overall goal). They are seen as terrorists by a number of governments including Turkey, the US, the UK and by the European Union. Sebnem Arsu (New York Times) reports that the PKK launched an attack today which reaulted in 8 Turkish soldiers being killed and fourteen more injured leading to the Turkish bombings. The call-and-response of the activities may cover Saturday, but this back-and-forth has been going on for years. BBC News traces this week's exchanges between the two groups and also goes back a bit further.

In other reported violence Reuters notes 3 Baghdda roadside bombings have claimed 2 lives and left fourteen people injured, a Mosul roadside bombing injured two police officers, a Mosul grenade attack injured two people, 1 corpse was discovered in Kirkuk and, dropping back to Friday, a Baghdad sticky bombing injured three people and 2 Baghdad roadside bombings (one after the other) injured two people and five police officers.


International law and human rights expert Professor Frances A. Boyle is calling for a War Crimes Tribunal into Israel's attack on the floatilla. Caro (MakeThemAccountable) deconstructs one of 2008's more insane arguments advocating for Barack.

Wednesday the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing which is covered in Wednesday's snapshot and Friday's snapshot. Alaska's Democratic Party Senator Mark Begich did the bulk of the questioning in the first panel and chaired the second panel. His office notes:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Julie Hasquet, Press Secretary
(907) 258-9304 office
(907) 350-4846 cell
June 16, 2010
2010-120

U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, chairing a hearing of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today secured a commitment from the Veterans Administration (VA) to a high level meeting in the next three months with officials from the Indian Health Services (IHS) to focus on ways to improve care for rural veterans.

The topic of the hearing was VA Health Care in Rural Areas and included testimony from three Alaska witnesses directly involved in health care delivery to Alaska's veterans.

"I am pleased the VA recognizes the challenges faced by Alaska's veterans, particularly in rural areas, in accessing affordable and easily available health care services," Begich said. "The more we can coordinate and find ways to improve the system, the better off Alaska's veterans will be."

The committee heard testimony from Dan Winkelman, Vice President and General Counsel at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation; Brigadier General Deborah McManus, Assistant Adjutant General and Commander, Alaska National Guard; and Verdie Bowen, Director, Office of Veterans Affairs, Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

All of the Alaska witnesses testified about the difficulty in providing efficient services for veterans in rural parts of the state.

Winkelman testified that high energy, food and personnel costs add to the enormous disparity rural veterans have in accessing health care, a problem compounded by the fact there are few veterans health facilities in rural areas.

"To lack access upon their return from duty to culturally appropriate and quality health care services by the VA is a shame," Winkelman said.

Witnesses talked about the possibility and need for allowing rural veterans to access care at IHS funded facilities and have the VA reimburse the provider later, in many cases saving money and time by not forcing veterans to travel to Alaska's larger cities where VA facilities are located.

In response to the testimony and under questioning from Sen. Begich, VA Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management, William Schoenhard agreed to organize a high level meeting between VA and IHS officials in the next few months.

"We should collaborate. I would certainly welcome how we can better serve and get veterans engaged with IHS," Schoenhard testified.

Schoenhard admitted the VA doesn't have a thorough understanding of some of the obstacles faced by rural veterans and is looking at ways to revitalize the Rural Pilot Project, an outreach program designed to enroll more rural Alaska veterans in the VA health system.



Space permitting, we'll include that in the snapshot on Monday. The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.




















































World Refugee Day




That's Angelina Jolie above, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, speaking about the importance of World Refugee Day: "Having a home, a place where we feel safe, is something most of us take for granted. Yet those who flee from conflict and persecution no longer have a home. And it will be years before they can even return. In fact, many may never go home again. On this day, World Refugee Day, please remember the millions of people around the world forced from their homes whose only hope of returning is to not be forgotten." World Refugee Day is tomorrow. Yesterday at the State Dept (link has text and video), Assistant Secretary Eric P. Schwartz commented on World Refugee Day. We'll note the following:

Good afternoon. Today, the Secretary hosted an event at the Department with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Gutierrez, in which we marked World Refugee Day, which is an international commemoration designed to highlight the needs of refugees and vulnerable people, as well as to promote sustained commitment to international humanitarian response.

It was quite an event. Scott Pelley of CBS hosted it and featured through video and audio hookup Angelina Jolie, who was in Ecuador, and UNHCR representatives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Antonio Gutierrez was in Syria. And so I thought I would talk a little bit about our program, our refugee program, and answer any questions you might have about humanitarian response.

There are many reasons why the protection of the most vulnerable really needs to be and is at the center of policy making. First, it’s the moral imperative, the simple policy goal of saving lives. The people of the United States, and in particular the Congress, has demonstrated really remarkable support for efforts to alleviate human suffering. Even in this very difficult budget time that we face, consistently the Congress gives us more money than we ask for for these activities. And if you think about it, that’s a pretty significant statement. And we have a profound responsibility to make good use of the resources they provide.

Second, our leadership role on these issues helps us to influence the progressive development of international humanitarian law, international programs, and policy, so that the quality of the international community’s response continues to improve. And also it enables us as leaders to drive the development of these issues like no other government in the world.

Normally we could all have a good laugh at that last paragraph above. Leadership? The US led on the Iraq War, that is to be sure. The illegal war which produced the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since WWII. And under the previous and current White House administrations, the US government has granted refugee status to very, very few applicants. But this year, doing too little is -- by comparison -- a plus.

How did that happen? Many European countries, with England showing 'leadership,' decided the thing to do was to begin forced deportations back to Iraq for refugees -- the UN's warning against such a move be damned.

Forcing refugees to return to an unsafe country is a War Crime when the region is engulfed in war. As bad as that is, beating the refugees to get them on the plane and beating them to get them off the plane would constitute further crimes. England stands accused of allowing their border agency to beat the refugees. In what will stand as one of the biggest governmental p.r. blunders of 2010, Jim Muir (BBC News) reports that when the United Kingdom Border Agency staff was questioned about the allegations, "The UKBA declined to comment on the specific allegations, but said minimum force would only be used as a last resort." Did UKBA employees beat Iraqi refugees? Response: If so, it was only as last resort. (The UKBA has since issued a statement denying any abuse.)

Congratulations, British government officials, short of submerging a refugee in a vat of boiling water, your actions have provided cover for the appalling and indecisive 'leadership' of every other government when it comes to Iraqi refugees. What a proud moment on the eve of World Refugee Day.

The following community sites updated last night and today:



Joan Wile is the founder of Grandmothers Against the War and has written the book Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up for Peace. We'll close with her "GRAY PANTHERS OPPOSE NANCY PELOSI ON HEALTH CARE BILL:"


The fight for a single payer health care bill is not over, if the Gray Panthers have anything to do with it. In no uncertain terms, they told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's staff on May 26 that the so-called "reform" health care legislation was not acceptable to their organization. Although there are a few aspects of the bill that they deem adequate, for the most part they cannot support it.

"Since 1970, the Gray Panthers have always fought for a single payer system, and we are still committed to that objective," said Susan Murany, Executive Secretary of the group, who attended the meeting in Pelosi's office, along with others representing organizations advocating for seniors.

Ms. Murany explained to the Speaker's staff that the Panthers demand a Single Payer system or, at the very least, a Public Option plan with teeth -- one for EVERYbody only. That is certainly not the case now, inasmuch as there is no public option at all in the current bill.

The other participants at the meeting in the Speaker's office, all leading organizations dedicated to seniors' issues, did not oppose the new legislation openly. Only Ms. Murany objected, expressing the Panthers' dissatisfaction and their resolve to keep struggling for a single payer system.

Generally, there appears to be considerable disappoiontment with new Congressional legislation. At the Campaign for America's Future Conference on June 8, for instance, Pelosi was shouted down on a number of issues.

Upon listening to its members after the so-called "reform" bill passed in March 2010, the Gray Panthers decided to launch an aggressive campaign to obtain a single payer health care plan rather than endorse the current legislation as the other seniors groups apparently have done. The Panthers state in their March 2010 response to the passage of the health care bill, "The Gray Panthers believe that profit needs to be taken out of health care." To that end, the Gray Panthers will dedicate themselves tirelessly to working for single payer health care and will do so, if necessary, without the support of other “aging” organizations.


"We need to be fighting for health care reform, NOT health insurance reform," Ms. Murany firmly declared.

The Gray Panthers, an intergenerational, multi-issue national social action organization formed in 1970 by the legendary firebrand, Maggie Kuhn, has been reinvigorated in recent years by a new Board of Directors and its dedication to three main causes -- the environment, health care, and peace. 2010 is their 40th Anniversary year, and to commemorate it, they designated 40 actions to occur throughout the year. Two have already been held on April 17, 2010 -- a 40th Anniversary gala in Washington DC and a demonstration in front of the White House demanding environmental protection.

And, now, once again, with their public announcement of opposition to the health care plan, the feisty Gray Panthers are in the vanguard fighting for a just cause where others fear to tread.


The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.










thomas friedman is a great man






oh boy it never ends















































Friday, June 18, 2010

Iraq snapshot

Friday, June 10, 2010. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq's border problems now include the one they share with Syria, Allawi says Iraq needs help to end the political stalemate that has gripped the country, and more.
 
 
 
The US Social Forum is taking place in Detroit, MI from June 22-26, 2010 and IVAW will be there!                           
1) IVAW will be leading a GI Resistance Workshop. Iraq and Afghanistan War Resisters will testify to the struggle and value of resisting militarism and discuss what support is needed to build the GI Movement. http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/building-gi-resistance-movement                                                      
2) Building a Military Resistance Movement: Veterans, Service Members & Allies Organizing Together. This workshop, lead by IVAW and Civilian- Soldier Alliance will be an introductory training on supporting war resisters and being a strong and accountable ally to veterans and service-members organizing for change.                http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/building-military-resistance-movement-ve...   
3) Veterans and Military Families: Impact of the Wars; Impact on Movements. An exploration of how veterans and military families use their unique voices and perspectives to end wars and promote peace and social change.                  http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/veterans-and-military-families-impact-wa...              
 
 
In the US, the morning began with AFP reporting a car bombing in Baquba today has resulted in at least thirty-two people injured.  BBC News explains the bombing targeted a police officer's home and that a Tuz Khormato car bombing which claimed 7 lives and left at least fifty injured in a bombing targeting a Shia Turkmen councillor. Tim Arango (New York Times) reports the death toll has risen to 9 for the Tuz Khomato bombing. DPA notes a Baghdad home invasion in which a Water Resources Ministry worker, his wife and their two sons were all shot dead. Of the Baghdad home invasion and that the wife was pregnant while adding that Hossam al-Majmaai ("chief of the Awakening Councils tribal security force in Diayala province") survived an assassination attempt.
 
As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Turkey and Iran continue to shell northern Iraq.  Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) explains today, "The Turkish military today said that they had killed over 100 Kurdish rebels in the past month of attacks on northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, including 20 in the past week. Most of the deaths came in air strikes against the region, but earlier this week hundreds of Turkish soldiers also briefly marched into Iraqi Kurdistan in 'hot pursuit' of rebels, sparking a multi-hour gunbattle." Iraq shares borders with Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.  Two of those borders -- Iran and Turkey -- are now sources of violence.  A third may be emerging. Tim Arango (New York Times) reports 7 Iraqi soldiers were killed near the shared border with Syria today by unknown assailants.
 
In addition, Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports Baghdad International Airport was shelled with mortars Friday afternoon, a Thursday night Babuba police station bombing claimed the live of 2 police officers with three more wounded and, dropping back to Wednesday, a Mosul sticky bombing which clamed the life of 1 police officer.  Reuters notes a US interpreter, Hameed al-Daraji, was shot dead last night in his home by his son and his nephew due to being seen as a collaborator and traitor to Iraq.
 
 
Today the Washington Post offers an editorial entitled "The Senate picks a bad time to slash funds for Iraq" and it's a notion that we disagree with. But we'll pan for gold and ignore the alleged calamity that may result/is resulting from the Senate halfing Barack's request for $2 billion for the Iraq War to $1 billion. The board thinks it's a good thing that Iraq's spending so much on their security forces that that they have "needed bailouts from both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to fund its budget" and even more so that US Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill and Gen Ray Odierno have written a letter about how Iraq (quoting letter) "will have to issue new debt to cover its budget deficit in 2010."  Note where the money goes, note where it doesn't go.  Note also that 'security forces' have not stopped the violence (though they've frequently actively contributed to it).
 
March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. Three months and two days later, still no government. 163 seats are needed to form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance. Together, the two still lack four seats necessary (or so it is thought) to form the government.

CNN interviewed Ayad Allawi and they report he states that the stalemate will continue and the country "needs a lot of support to get out of this bottleneck and to secure its borders, to secure its stability, and to form a government." Meanwhile Jeffrey Feltman, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, is in Iraq in an attempt to minimize the damage Chris Hill's doing. Liz Sly (Los Angeles Times) interviews him:

Q: Do you feel there's a risk of another sectarian war, or has that danger passed?
I don't think anyone should be complacent. There is a history here. But in general Iraqis have turned to politics rather than violence as reflected in the political spectrum, as reflected in the elections and these are encouraging signs.
 
Q: What is the worst-case scenario for the road ahead, and what is the best?
 
I think that right now a worst-case scenario is that the government formation process be deadlocked to the point where institutions stop functioning. I don't see that happening, but one has to keep that in mind that that could happen. There are just a number of scenarios that are positive scenarios.… I would say an Iraq that is sovereign and self-reliant, that integrates into the region, where Iraq's communities feel their interests are represented.
 
In a new UN PSA, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie notes, "Having a home, a place where we feel safe, is something most of us take for granted. Yet those who flee from conflict and persecution no longer have a home. And it will be years before they can even return.  In fact, many may never go home again.  On this day, World Refugee Day, please remember the millions of people around the world forced from their homes whose only hope of returning is to not be forgotten." World Refugee Day is this Sunday (June 20th).  In 'honor' of that, England, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands have been doing forced deportations of Iraqi refugees. Jim Muir (BBC News) reports that the UNHCR has started an investgation into whether or not British Border Agency employees beat Iraqi refugees, "The UKBA declined to comment on the specific allegations, but said minimum force would only be used as a last resort."  Apparently grasping that their 'heartwarming' statement would not go over well, the UKBA sent David Wood out to make the press rounds. Tom Pugh (Press Association) quotes him stating, "We reject all allegations that Iraqi returnees removed from the UK were mistreated by our staff. We can confirm that 43 Iraqi nationals were removed on a chartered flight to Baghdad on Wednesday 16 June." Owen Bowcott and Sam Jones (Guardian) add, "Iraqi officials were alleged to have boarded the flight when it touched down early yesterday to help security staff employed by the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) punch and drag reluctant failed asylum seekers off the plane."  What a great way for Great Britian to kick off World Refugee Day.   
 
 
 
Let's switch over to the US. Senator Daniel Akaka is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. His office notes:             

AKAKA AND BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS URGE INCREASED VA/DOD COORDINATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Senators call for specific actions from Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to the secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs sent yesterday, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and a bipartisan group of Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services committee members urged stronger coordination and better follow up on traumatic brain injury (TBI).       

"For the past nine years we have been a nation at war, and traumatic brain injury has become the signature wound. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have taken commendable steps to understand and treat TBI, but they must improve collaboration and share what they have learned. Veterans and their families should not have to wait nearly a decade for the government to adapt to the needs of the wounded," said Akaka.                   

The Senators called for specific improvements from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, including:       

  • Prompt action to finalize and implement DOD's draft policy mandating evaluation and rest periods for individuals with TBI, and to ensure that existing policies are being adhered to by each military service branch;
  • Action to ensure documentation of TBI and follow-up during Post-Deployment Health Assessments and Reassessments;         
  • Expedited establishment of DOD centers of excellence for military eye injuries, and for hearing loss and amputations;         
  • Quicker progress to make VA/DOD collaboration and data transfers more robust, comprehensive, and seamless; and         
  • Making full use of authority granted by Congress for VA to partner with state, local, and community providers to improve access to care and reduce the burden on veterans receiving treatment for TBI, and their family members.    

Last month, the Veterans' Affairs Committee held an oversight hearing on the state of care for troops and veterans suffering from TBI. In January 2008, Congress passed provisions authored by Chairman Akaka and approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee to reform VA/DOD collaboration and care related to TBI as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Akaka continues to work with committee members and others to ensure effective implementation.

To view the letter, click here: LINK

-END-

Kawika Riley         

Communications Director and Legislative Assistant        

U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs       

Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), Chairman    

http://veterans.senate.gov             

In addition, Wednesday the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing which Chair Akaka brought to order noting, "Today we will discuss VA health care in rural areas. Rural settings are some of the most difficult for VA and other government agencies to deliver care. I beieve, and I know many of my colleagues on this Committee share the view, that we must utilize all the tools at our disposal in order to provice access to care and services for veterans in rural and remote locations." We covered the first panel in Wednesday's snapshot and we'll grab the second panel now.  The second panel was made up of Brig Gen Deborah McManus, Yuckon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation's Dan Winkelman, the VA's William Schoenhard, the VA's Verdie Bowen and Dr. Robert Jesse (Dr. Jesse also appeared on the first panel).  This section of the hearing was chaired by Alaska Senator Mark Begich. Verdie Bowen explained that it could be difficult getting veterans to register for the programs and Dan Wikelman noted obstacles for rural areas including access to basic services and the cost of them.  As Brig Gen McManus noted, there are areas in Alaska that, forget the internet, do not even have phone service.
 
Chair Mark Begich: [. . .] General, I know you with your work with women veterans -- and I know the coordination that you're doing there -- even within women veterans, it's a small, I want to say it's about a third of them are signed up or taking advantadge.  Can you elaborate a little on what you think and maybe following up a little bit on Mr. Bowen's comments regarding how hard it is to register.  What are you finding specifically in the area with women veterans? I know it's a concern for me, I know it's a concern for Senator [Patty] Murray.  Give me a little bit of thought on that.
 
 
Brig Gen Deborah McManus: Well when we look at our women -- female -- women veteran population, a lot of them are from the older wars and I think there's a cultural issue there.  Many of them, they were in subordinate roles or support roles and their service was not greatly appreciated when they returned to the States.  And also, a lot of them experienced Military Sexual Trauma whether its rape, sexual assault or harassment and so there was a fear of seeking help through the system so a lot of them just faded away.  However, I think, it's different with our current OEF/OIF veterans.  There are mechanisms so that they can report it and receive help.  And a lot of times women do not recognize they're veterans and women have traditionally been in a caregiver role so I think there's a cultural issue but there's an education issue and when we did that veterans  -- women veterans outreach campaign in November of '09 last year, we did see an increase in enrollment and use of services. 300 women additionally enrolled and 400 seeking services. So I think it's a routine, education system, let women know, they are vets too, they have earned these rights and these are their benefits. And a lot of them have female specific health care needs.  So now they understand that the VA  facilities can provide services in those areas as well.
 
Chair Mark Begich: Very good. Let me, if I can move over to this side, to either one of you who'd answer, is there more that the VA can do? And as an example was just given, how the outreach was done to increase the amount of women who recognized that they have benefits available to them but not be taking them for a variety of reasons as just described.  Do you have any thoughts on that, Dr. -- Dr. Jesse then?
 
Dr. Robert Jesse: Mmm. A couple of things. I think the issues that have been brought up are really important.  We've historically, in the health care side, measured access by wait times to clinic visits or wait times --
 
Chair Mark Begich: How many came through? How long they waited?
 
Dr. Robert Jesse: How long they waited. And-and all that's irrelevant if they don't know that they are entitled to services, they can't access those services, uh, they can't get to us, we're not connected to them in one way or another. And particularly as we move to our new models of care if you will where, uh, we're not talking about episodic access as a driving function but actually connectivity, that front end engagement becomes absolutely crucial. And we-we have an awful lot of effort going on trying to understand this now. Why don't people declare themselves as veterans on forms?  Why-why can we repeatedly send people information and they just don't act upon it?  Our assumption is, "Well, we sent it to you and you should have acted on it."  And the simple answer is peope should probably be enrolled when they swear into the military. I mean we talk about seemless transition and there is a lot of discussion going on with -- between VA and Department of Defense, how do we best effect that? And I can only say that, again, this is the Secretary's, one of his top priorities and he understands these issues probably better than-than any of our leadership in prior years. So we are trying to understand this.  We are trying to make it easier.  But there are complex issues here.  In terms of the women's issues, this gets, again, really interesting because historically we measure what we do in health care statistically, we look at quality statistically.  But whenever we try and look at women's health issues, the numbers aren't big enough to make sense of the statistics and what we've really learned from this is we-we have to treat each individual as a [. . . "end"?]  of one and try and understand how we can manage their health care needs in much more specific manner. And so the VA in the past several of years has done a lot of that, every VA facility now has women's health coordinators.  We do have an office for women's issues that's very proactive in-in-in trying to develop these -- The issue of Military Sexual Trauma are extremely complex. Just to get them coming forward, I think, is, uhm, is happening because the discussion is coming out into the open.  And again, we're-we're-we're willing to accept any help, any advice and we see these as very important issues and are trying to deal with them.
 
Chair Mark Begich: Do you -- So obviously for, if the General has some ideas, she'll be able to share them with you and you'll?  That's good.  I'll leave that to you two to go forward.  Let me kind of narrow down if I can on one and that's the Rural Health Project. Mr. Winkleman laid out some concerns and I know you've heard from me more than once on this issue.  The idea, and I think you had three suggestions, but I want to take it to a little broader and maybe, Dr. Schoenhard, if you could respond to this and that is, maybe be a little bold here, the effort and the idea is good. I don't think anybody disagrees with that. The implementation is the struggle. And it sounds like, based on the testimony, there might have been some linkages in the front end that might not have been put together as well and now we're trying to kind of patch it as we go along. I'm wondering if it's better to kind of freeze frame for a second on it and say, "Okay, let's sit down with our rural health care providers who've been in the business for years and have figured out how to deliver to the most remote areas of the world, in a lot of ways, health care and how to restart it"; rather than I think what's happening, the sense I get, I may be wrong about this but I hear from so many different people, it's almost like we are trying to patch a little issue here and patch a little issue when really maybe what we really need is to freeze frame it, stop it, step back, what's the right approach? Bring some of the people who've been in the field say what's the should we do differently? Just the fact that you have to go get -- opt in through another type of system before you're really in?  You know, I can only tell you from my experience and Dan [Winkelman] has much more experience around this for rural individuals who live in rural areas for most of their life, that's just another piece of paper they're not going to  read. They're just -- I don't want to say they give up, but they do less. Is there -- Is that too bold of an opportunity? I'm just trying to -- It seems like every time I talk about this issue it's like almost starting a knot and moving the knot .  Give me your thoughts on that.
 
William Schoenhard: Yes, Senator. I think the numbers on that speak for themselves. We obviously are struggling with getting veterans to sign up for this program. At this point, only 21% in the pilot have signed up and, of that, very few have asked for primary care authorization or mental health consulations. So I think the numbers speak for themselves. We need to improve. We have hired a
company to do a focus group to understand better why we haven't had more success in enrolling veterans but we welcome what Mr. Winkelman, Mr. Bowman have shared today. I think we need to sit down and understand together because IHS has assets on the ground, they are in the communities.  They understand well what is needed there much better than anyone else that would be in a distant location with VA or anywhere else. And we should collaborate. And I think your suggestion that we freeze frame, we were talking a lit bit during the break, during the recess --
 
[Laughing] That was strategically done, you know that.
 
Yes, sir. We had good conversation and I welcome undertaking the discussion of the three recomendations that were shared and see how to better serve and better get veterans engaged with IHS in these locations.
 
Turning from veterans to service members, from Wednesday's snapshot: "For the month of April, the US Army announced yesterday, they can confirm 4 suicides among active-duty service memberrs with six still being investigated and there are nine ongoing investigations into May deaths. For the reserves, the US Army said there 7 suicides in April and 2 in May with ten more still being investigated."   Jaime Tarabay reported yesterday on army suicides for Morning Edition (NPR -- link has text and audio):

Mr. EDWARD COLLEY: I'm Ed Colley. I'm the father of Stephen Colley, Private First Class, United States Army. Stephen committed suicide three years ago in May of 2007.


TARABAY: The last time Colley saw his son was at a family gathering in April 2007. Stephen, a helicopter mechanic, had been back in the country for about five months since a tour in Iraq. Colley says Stephen was detached. He spent the days watching cartoons. He fought with his wife.
TARABAY: From there it was a downhill stumble, struggling in a work environment an Army investigation later called hostile. On May 16, 2007, home alone, Stephen Colley argued with his wife through text messages. Edward Colley says at one point his son asked her if there was rope in the storage shed.

Mr. COLLEY: He had texted his wife that suicide was an option. She immediately called the appropriate folks at the base, but Stephen - unfortunately in this case, Stephen was a very, very smart boy. And he had figured out how to make sure that nobody else would interfere with his plan.

TARABAY: The plan was to overdose on medication and then hang himself from a tree. He was 22 years old. The military ruled his death a suicide. But for Edward Colley the hardest thing about his son's death is he believes it could've been prevented. The day before he killed himself, Stephen Colley took an Army mental health assessment - multiple choice questions, including some about intent to harm yourself. There were four possible answers.

Mr. COLLEY: And he picked the most severe, that he was thinking about committing suicide more than half the time.

TARABAY: And instead of acting on that information, the social worker who did Stephen Colley's assessment put him down for a sleep study in three weeks' time. The Army's own investigation said the established procedures failed to address his mental condition.
 
 


Monday April 5th, WikiLeaks released US military video of a July 12, 2007 assault in Iraq. 12 people were killed in the assault including two Reuters journalists Namie Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh. Monday June 7th, the US military announced that they had arrested Bradley Manning and he stood accused of being the leaker of the video. Philip Shenon (Daily Beast) reported Friday that the US government is attempting to track down WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. Mike Gogulski has started a website entitled Help Bradley Manning. Simon Lauder (Australia's ABC News) provides this update:       


It has since been reported that American officials are searching for Mr Assange to pressure him not to publish the cables.        
But an unnamed source in the Obama administration has told Newsweek that the US government is not trying to convince Mr Assange not to release the cables, but it is trying to contact him.            
The World Today has also received an email from Mr Assange which says: "Due to present circumstances, I am not able to easily conduct interviews".
In an email to supporters this week, Mr Assange denies Wikileaks has 260,000 classified US department cables.               
But he confirms the website has a video of a US air strike on a village in western Afghanistan in May last year.                        
The Afghan government said at the time of the attack that 140 civilians died.  
 

TV notes. On PBS' Washington Week, Charles Babington (AP), Joan Biskupic (USA Today), Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) and Doyle McManus (Los Angeles Times) join Gwen around the table. Gwen's column is "Covering the oil disaster." This week, Bonnie Erbe will sit down with Jehan Harney, Melinda Henneberger, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Tara Setmayer and Genevieve Wood on the latest broadcast of PBS' To The Contrary to discuss the week's events. And at the website each week, there's an extra just for the web from the previous week's show and this week's online bonus is a discussion on the press' latest attempt to start Mommy Wars. And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers:                  
 

Assault on Pelindaba
Scott Pelley investigates the boldest assault ever on a facility containing weapons-grade uranium, a still-unsolved crime that could have had calamitous consequences had it been successful. | Watch Video


The Liquidator
The man in charge of recovering assets from Ponzi scheme king Bernard Madoff says there is about 18 billion still out there that he hopes to recover for victims of the scam. But it won't be easy. Morley Safer reports. | Watch Video


A Living For The Dead
Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis are dead and now, so is Michael Jackson. But as Steve Kroft reports, they are very much alive when it comes to earning money for their estates. | Watch Video


60 Minutes, Sunday, June 20, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

 
 
 

Is it mental illness or a sane reaction?

Leila Fadel (Washington Post) introduces readers to Asmaa Shaker, an Iraqi woman. Asmaa can't sleep without medication. The real surprise is that she can even manage to sleep with it. If your home was damaged in one bombing, you'd be on edge. For Asmaa, it's three times and, in one of the bombings, her husband lost a leg. In addition to all of that, like many Iraqis, Asmaa struggles with mounting debt. Excuse me, like many Iraqis not serving in Parliament. She tells Fadel, "I found my neighbors on the ground, children dead on the ground. I'm scared. I'm very scared." Again, it's amazing she can sleep even when medicated.

Fadel's examining what she and the paper call mental illness but is it really that? If your home is damaged in three bombings, if your neighbors are dying, if this has been going on for seven years, is it really mental illness?

I guess mental illness is better than the paper attempting to blame Asmaa's problems on PMS -- though not by much. And most people would see Asmaa's issues a natural reaction to what she's lived through and continues living through. In Iraq, Fadel notes, there are few psychiatrists. Not at all surprising since the bulk of Iraq's educated class got out long ago -- that's what was dubbed the "brain drain" and it predates what is known as the "civil war" of 2006 and 2007.

AFP reports a car bombing in Baquba today has resulted in at least thirty-two people injured while Reuters notes a US interpreter, Hameed al-Daraji, was shot dead last night in his home by his son and his nephew due to being seen as a collaborator and traitor to Iraq. In addition, Reuters notes a Falluja rocket attack which claimed 4 lives and left seven more people injured and a Baghdad home invasion in which a Water Resources Ministry worker, his wife and their two sons were all shot dead. Of the Baghdad home invasion, DPA notes that the wife was pregnant while adding that Hossam al-Majmaai ("chief of the Awakening Councils tribal security force in Diayala province") survived an assassination attempt.

Let's switch over to the US. Senator Daniel Akaka is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. His office notes:

AKAKA AND BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS URGE INCREASED VA/DOD COORDINATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Senators call for specific actions from Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to the secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs sent yesterday, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and a bipartisan group of Veterans’ Affairs and Armed Services committee members urged stronger coordination and better follow up on traumatic brain injury (TBI).

“For the past nine years we have been a nation at war, and traumatic brain injury has become the signature wound. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have taken commendable steps to understand and treat TBI, but they must improve collaboration and share what they have learned. Veterans and their families should not have to wait nearly a decade for the government to adapt to the needs of the wounded,” said Akaka.

The Senators called for specific improvements from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, including:

  • Prompt action to finalize and implement DOD’s draft policy mandating evaluation and rest periods for individuals with TBI, and to ensure that existing policies are being adhered to by each military service branch;
  • Action to ensure documentation of TBI and follow-up during Post-Deployment Health Assessments and Reassessments;
  • Expedited establishment of DOD centers of excellence for military eye injuries, and for hearing loss and amputations;
  • Quicker progress to make VA/DOD collaboration and data transfers more robust, comprehensive, and seamless; and
  • Making full use of authority granted by Congress for VA to partner with state, local, and community providers to improve access to care and reduce the burden on veterans receiving treatment for TBI, and their family members.

Last month, the Veterans' Affairs Committee held an oversight hearing on the state of care for troops and veterans suffering from TBI. In January 2008, Congress passed provisions authored by Chairman Akaka and approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee to reform VA/DOD collaboration and care related to TBI as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Akaka continues to work with committee members and others to ensure effective implementation.

To view the letter, click here: LINK

-END-

Kawika Riley

Communications Director and Legislative Assistant

U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), Chairman

http://veterans.senate.gov

In addition, Wednesday the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing which Chair Akaka brought to order noting, "Today we will discuss VA health care in rural areas. Rural settings are some of the most difficult for VA and other government agencies to deliver care. I beieve, and I know many of my colleagues on this Committee share the view, that we must utilize all the tools at our disposal in order to provice access to care and services for veterans in rural and remote locations." We covered the first panel in Wednesday's snapshot and we'll attempt to cover the second panel (it was very brief, a little over 20 minutes minus opening statements) in today's snapshot.

Monday April 5th, WikiLeaks released US military video of a July 12, 2007 assault in Iraq. 12 people were killed in the assault including two Reuters journalists Namie Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh. Monday June 7th, the US military announced that they had arrested Bradley Manning and he stood accused of being the leaker of the video. Philip Shenon (Daily Beast) reported Friday that the US government is attempting to track down WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. Mike Gogulski has started a website entitled Help Bradley Manning. Simon Lauder (Australia's ABC News) provides this update:


It has since been reported that American officials are searching for Mr Assange to pressure him not to publish the cables.
But an unnamed source in the Obama administration has told Newsweek that the US government is not trying to convince Mr Assange not to release the cables, but it is trying to contact him.
The World Today has also received an email from Mr Assange which says: "Due to present circumstances, I am not able to easily conduct interviews".
In an email to supporters this week, Mr Assange denies Wikileaks has 260,000 classified US department cables.
But he confirms the website has a video of a US air strike on a village in western Afghanistan in May last year.
The Afghan government said at the time of the attack that 140 civilians died.



TV notes. On PBS' Washington Week, Charles Babington (AP), Joan Biskupic (USA Today), Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) and Doyle McManus (Los Angeles Times) join Gwen around the table. Gwen's column is "Covering the oil disaster." This week, Bonnie Erbe will sit down with Jehan Harney, Melinda Henneberger, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Tara Setmayer and Genevieve Wood on the latest broadcast of PBS' To The Contrary to discuss the week's events. And at the website each week, there's an extra just for the web from the previous week's show and this week's online bonus is a discussion on the press' latest attempt to start Mommy Wars. And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers:

Assault on Pelindaba
Scott Pelley investigates the boldest assault ever on a facility containing weapons-grade uranium, a still-unsolved crime that could have had calamitous consequences had it been successful. | Watch Video


The Liquidator
The man in charge of recovering assets from Ponzi scheme king Bernard Madoff says there is about 18 billion still out there that he hopes to recover for victims of the scam. But it won't be easy. Morley Safer reports. | Watch Video


A Living For The Dead
Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis are dead and now, so is Michael Jackson. But as Steve Kroft reports, they are very much alive when it comes to earning money for their estates. | Watch Video


60 Minutes, Sunday, June 20, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.


Radio. Today on The Diane Rehm Show (airs on most NPR stations and streams live online beginning at 10:00 am EST), Diane is joined the first hour (domestic news roundup) by Naftali Bendavid (Wall St. Journal), Doyle McManus (Los Angeles Times) and Karen Tumulty (Washington Post). For the second hour (international), she's joined by Tom Gjelten (NPR), David Ignatius (Washington Post) and Nancy Youssef (McClatchy Newspaper).

The Senate Democratic Policy Committee continues addressing a number of issues, check out the DPC's video page, and one issue they've especially led on this year is the Gulf Disaster (another issue they've led on is the economy). This is Senator Jeanne Shaheen addressing why subpoena power is needed to get to the bottom of the Gulf Diaster.



The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.






npr
the diane rehm show













Funding Iraq? Why?

Today the Washington Post offers an editorial entitled "The Senate picks a bad time to slash funds for Iraq" and it's a notion that we disagree with. But we'll pan for gold and ignore the alleged calamity that may result/is resulting from the Senate halfing Barack's request for $2 billion for the Iraq War to $1 billion. The board thinks it's a good thing that Iraq's spending so much on their security forces that that they have "needed bailouts from both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to fund its budget" and even more so that US Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill and Gen Ray Odierno have written a letter about how Iraq (quoting letter) "will have to issue new debt to cover its budget deficit in 2010." These are good things?

The people don't have potable water. Forget electricity for a moment, they still don't have potable water. That's why, in a few short months, Iraq will gear up for their annual cholera outbreak.

Potable water is not some recent or novel concept. Potable water has been issues for all civilizations -- it's noted in the Bible and it predates those references (in the Bible, I believe it first comes up with Moses and then the issue arises again with Jericho). By the 17th century, people are attempting complex filtration devices.

So the Iraqi government's refusal, in the 21st century, to offer potable water (despite setting aside money -- which has now disappeared -- to provide it) is not a minor thing. And when they can't provide potable water, they're not meeting the basic needs of their people. The editorial board is also obviously unaware or ignoring the Inspector General reports on the Iraqi forces (as well as the reporting done by Ned Parker at the Los Angeles Times for many years on this topic).

It is not a good thing for Iraq to go into debt paying their 'security' forces (who really haven't secured anything, now have they?). (The mass bombings have not gone away. They've been delayed by Nouri ordering the blast walls back up and the efforts to make Baghdad a walled-in city.)

On the issue of the US tax payer dollas, CNN's Mike Mount noted Wednesday, "Military operations will need to be reduced for the rest of the year unless Congress approves additional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned senators Wednesday." Good. And is anyone else bothered -- forget your position on the Iraq War -- that Gates is still giving testimony to Congress? Shouldn't accountability efforts have long ago demanded a new Secretary of Defense? As the leader of the military effort in Iraq (as well as in Afghanistan), what has Gates demonstrated that advocates for keeping him on? And speaking of accountability, what happened to those benchmarks Iraq was supposed to achieve in order for US support (money and military) to continue to flow?


March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. Three months and two days later, still no government. 163 seats are needed to form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance. Together, the two still lack four seats necessary (or so it is thought) to form the government.

CNN interviewed Ayad Allawi and they report:

Allawi said that Iraq "needs a lot of support to get out of this bottleneck and to secure its borders, to secure its stability, and to form a government."
Allawi led the interim Iraqi government set up in 2004, after the U.S. invasion that forced longtime strongman Saddam Hussein from power. Allawi is a member of Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority, but leads a secular bloc that includes Sunni Arab politicians.
Iraq's new parliament was officially sworn in this week, meeting for just 20 minutes before suspending their session to continue haggling over who should form the government. Al-Maliki's State of Law coalition recently merged with another bloc of Shiite Muslim parties to form a 159-seat coalition, but that's still less than a majority of the 325-seat parliament. That means a 43-seat alliance of Kurdish parties could play a role as kingmaker.

Salah Hemeid (Al-Ahram Weekly) also notes the poltical stalemate:

The indefinite recess until a broader agreement on a coalition is reached means that the country's three-month deadlock could now aggravate further as it enters a period that many view as critical only two months before US combat troops are slated to leave.
What lies behind the stalemate seems to be the struggle between Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and former prime minister Iyad Allawi for the post of prime minister in the new government. Allawi's slim election victory of 91 seats to Al-Maliki's 89 scrambled Iraq's political landscape and further exposed the country's deep-rooted sectarian divide.
Neither man has budged since in insisting that he should be the next leader, polarising a nation that many hoped would finally find its way to ending sectarian tensions and forging a democratic and cross-sectarian government.

Actually, if the focus is who will be prime minister, there's the battle between Nouri and Allawi and also the battle between State Of Law and the Iraqi National Alliance -- the latter of which does not want Nouri to continue as prime minister. Meanwhile Jeffrey Feltman, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, is in Iraq in an attempt to minimize the damage Chris Hill's doing. Liz Sly (Los Angeles Times) interviews him:

Q: Do you feel there's a risk of another sectarian war, or has that danger passed?

I don't think anyone should be complacent. There is a history here. But in general Iraqis have turned to politics rather than violence as reflected in the political spectrum, as reflected in the elections and these are encouraging signs.

Q: What is the worst-case scenario for the road ahead, and what is the best?

I think that right now a worst-case scenario is that the government formation process be deadlocked to the point where institutions stop functioning. I don't see that happening, but one has to keep that in mind that that could happen. There are just a number of scenarios that are positive scenarios.… I would say an Iraq that is sovereign and self-reliant, that integrates into the region, where Iraq's communities feel their interests are represented.

Tuesday, Spc Christopher W. Opat died while serving in Iraq. His death is under investigation and classified as "non-combat related." In Iowa, the governor's office issued the following on Tuesday:

DES MOINES -- Governor Chet Culver issued the following statement upon learning of the loss of U.S. Army Specialist Christopher W. Opat, 29. Spc. Opat, of Lime Springs, Iowa, died June 15 in Baquah, Iraq of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, out of Joint Base Lewis, McChord, Wash.
"I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of another brave young person serving our country overseas," Governor Culver said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Christopher's family and loved ones. Spc. Opat was courageous in his service, and I join all Iowans in mourning his loss."
Per Governor Culver's Executive Order Number One, the Governor will order flags lowered to half staff on the date of Spc. Opat's funeral. Funeral arrangements are currently pending.


William Petroski (Des Moines Register) reports:

Opat, who was single, was the son of Leslie Opat Sr. of Lime Springs and Mary Katherine Opat of Cresco. He is survived by three brothers and two sisters.
Opat grew up on a farm in rural Howard County near the Minnesota border and graduated from Crestwood High School in Cresco in 1999.
"He was always a really, really hard worker. He would pick rock and bale hay when he was a kid," recalled his brother, Jason Opat, 22.

Meanwhile Jaime Tarabay reported yesterday on army suicides for Morning Edition (NPR -- link has text and audio):

Mr. EDWARD COLLEY: I'm Ed Colley. I'm the father of Stephen Colley, Private First Class, United States Army. Stephen committed suicide three years ago in May of 2007.

TARABAY: The last time Colley saw his son was at a family gathering in April 2007. Stephen, a helicopter mechanic, had been back in the country for about five months since a tour in Iraq. Colley says Stephen was detached. He spent the days watching cartoons. He fought with his wife.

Mr. COLLEY: When they went back to Texas, she never went home with him. She went to her parent's house and he went back to work.

TARABAY: From there it was a downhill stumble, struggling in a work environment an Army investigation later called hostile. On May 16, 2007, home alone, Stephen Colley argued with his wife through text messages. Edward Colley says at one point his son asked her if there was rope in the storage shed.

Mr. COLLEY: He had texted his wife that suicide was an option. She immediately called the appropriate folks at the base, but Stephen - unfortunately in this case, Stephen was a very, very smart boy. And he had figured out how to make sure that nobody else would interfere with his plan.

TARABAY: The plan was to overdose on medication and then hang himself from a tree. He was 22 years old. The military ruled his death a suicide. But for Edward Colley the hardest thing about his son's death is he believes it could've been prevented. The day before he killed himself, Stephen Colley took an Army mental health assessment - multiple choice questions, including some about intent to harm yourself. There were four possible answers.

Mr. COLLEY: And he picked the most severe, that he was thinking about committing suicide more than half the time.

TARABAY: And instead of acting on that information, the social worker who did Stephen Colley's assessment put him down for a sleep study in three weeks' time. The Army's own investigation said the established procedures failed to address his mental condition.

The following community sites -- and we'll include wowOwow, On The Wilder Side and Antiwar.com in the copy and paste as well -- updated last night:



The Senate Democratic Policy Committee continues addressing a number of issues, check out the DPC's video page, and this is Senator Sherrod Brown addressing unemployment insurance.




We'll close with this from "World Can't Wait at The US Social Forum in Detroit next week" (World Can't Wait):

June 22-26 World Can't Wait will be at the United States Social Forum where thousands of activists from all over the country will be converging to discuss how to make a better world. Help at the World Can't Wait table, tent, one of the workshops below, or at the People's Movement Assembly against the war, where Elaine Brower will be joining the panel discussion. We're building a movement to STOP the crimes of our government and the fascist direction of US society, and we want to reach thousands. Call or email right away if you can help.


The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.



















thomas friedman is a great man






oh boy it never ends