The Common Ills: 2022-05-22

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Iraq

It's Memorial Day weekend. US President Joe Biden decided to celebrate by lying yet again:

President Biden Friday again made an exaggeration about the number of times he's been to the Middle East, as he gave a commencement speech to U.S. Naval Academy graduates in Maryland.

"I've been in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan of over 40 I think 38 times," the president said.

That number was incorrect, however. A spokesperson for Biden's National Security Council (NSC) said Friday the correct number of times Biden visited Iraq and Afghanistan is 21.

Joe's not the only liar in the news, there's also Amber Heard. Jamie Burton (NEWSWEEK) reports:

A "disabled combat veteran" says that Amber Heard's PTSD score from her marriage to Johnny Depp is allegedly higher than his own.

The tweet, sent out by the account @KurtMyers1982, whose bio describes him as a "retired Army, homeschool dad" from Nebraska, went viral and caught the attention of thousands of people invested in the court case between Depp and Heard.

Depp and Heard are currently embroiled in a $50 million defamation suit which comes after Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in 2018, stating that she was the survivor of domestic violence. Heard has countersued her ex-husband for $100 million.

"I am a disabled combat veteran that lost a close friend in Iraq in 2005," he tweeted on Thursday. "Amber Heard scored much higher than me on her PTSD test, according to Dr. Hughes. Evidently, being married to Johnny Depp is far more traumatic than the Iraq War." The popular hashtag #JusticeForJohnnyDepp was included in the tweet.

Remember, boys and girls, Amber has never been in combat -- it's age and drugs that make her face look that way.

Meanwhile the government of Turkey continues its assault on Iraq. MEHR NEWS notes:

According to "almaalomah" news website, the Secretary-General of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) Qais al-Khazali made the comments in a meeting with tribal leaders in the holy city of Najaf.

"The Turks have long dreamed of 'Mosul province', which includes parts of Iraqi Kurdistan and Kirkuk. Turkey is trying to occupy part of Iraq in 2023, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the so-called Lausanne Treaty."

"Today, Turkish forces have about 66 military bases in Iraq, and Ankara uses PKK as a cover to conduct military action in Iraq. Turkish forces are advancing and establishing military positions in Iraq as the 100th anniversary of the end of the Lausanne Treaty, signed in 1923, approaches and it is preparing to occupy parts of Iraq in 2023," the Shia Iraq politician added.

ANHA adds:

Member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee in Iraq, Ahmed Al-Moussawi, said in a press statement, on Saturday, that "the committee held urgent and intensive meetings during the past days in order to stop the Turkish incursion into the Iraqi depth," according to what Roj news reported.

He added, "The Turkish presence is rejected, and an urgent meeting will be held with the Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and security leaders in order to find a common formula to deal with the Turkish occupation."

Al-Moussawi explained that "the Turkish army penetrated more than 50 kilometers into the Iraqi depth and established several military bases under various pretexts, which is a clear occupation and a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty."

Though Jeremy Corbyn has found his voice on this issue and called out the government of Turkey, most in the west just look the other way. This as Turkey apparently intends to intensify their attacks. NEWS AM reports:

Turkey has almost completed preparations for two military offensives into Syria and Iraq, the HaberTürk network reported, a day after the country's Security Council issued a statement stating the need for an invasion.

Preparations for the invasion of both countries are 90% complete, HaberTürk said, citing military officials, noting that offensive operations will be limited to the west of the Euphrates River.

Turkey continues terrorizing citizens, wounding them and murdering them while violating Iraq's sovereignty. RUDAW noted Thursday:

Two children were killed in Duhok province’s Zewa village on Thursday during clashes between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Turkish army, according to sources.

Birqi Omar, mukhtar (chieftain) of Zewa village in Amedi town, told Rudaw’s Hunar Rashid that people from nearby areas picnicked in the village but were targeted with bombs.

“As far as we know, the PKK on Metina mountain targeted Turkish military base with three bombs. Then, Turkey bombed our families, killing two people, aged 10, and injuring another,” said the official.

That's the government of Turkey, making the world 'safer' from children who picnic.

RUDAW also noted:

A village on the border of Duhok province’s Akre was bombarded by suspected Turkish warplanes on Tuesday without resulting in any casualties, local officials told Rudaw, presumably targeting positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the mountainous regions of the area as Turkey continues its operations against the Kurdish opposition group in the Kurdistan Region.

We'll wind down with this from Kevin Reed (WSWS):

The baby formula crisis that is threatening the lives of infants across the US deepened this week as the out-of-stock rate for baby formula on store shelves surged to 70 percent for the week ending May 22. The shortage rate during the previous week was 45 percent, according to the retail tracking firm Datasembly.

The supply shortage is so severe that there are now reports in some areas of the country of mothers attempting to purchase breast milk online from anonymous and independent sources such as Facebook and Craigslist. Pediatric nutritionists are warning that such measures are potentially very harmful to children.

The crisis of powdered formula supplies, 90 percent of which are produced by four monopolies that dominate the US pediatric nutrition industry, is not a mistake or a product of unforeseen circumstances. It is the outcome of a society run by a ruling elite that, in its singular preoccupation with increasing its wealth, is totally indifferent to the lives and well-being of children.

There has been a combination of criminal negligence, corporate profiteering, stock market manipulation and government complicity that have resulted in the shortage of the essential food needed by infants and toddlers, especially those from poor and working-class families.

The supply shortage began almost immediately following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in February 2020 when supply chains and transportation were disrupted internationally. During the initial days of the pandemic, families stockpiled the formula and emptied shelves. This was followed by a sharp fall in sales, and manufacturers cut back on production.

Now, with an uptick in births and a dramatic decline in breastfeeding rates among new mothers, demand has shot up again. The inability of the producers to adapt to fluctuations in demand is itself an expression of the anarchistic and unplanned nature of capitalist economics.

The following sites updated:

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Cassidy, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Help Disabled Veterans Access Education

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For Immediate Release

Contact:

May 27, 2022

View Online

Ty Bofferding, Sally Fox

202-224-5824

Cassidy, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Help Disabled Veterans Access Education

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today introduced the Informing Veterans on Education for Transitioning Servicemembers (VETS) Act to better inform veterans with disabilities about the education benefits available to them.

“We need to do a better job communicating the opportunities and support available to our veterans after they leave active service,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bill makes sure our disabled veterans can access the education benefits they earned.”

“This legislation directs the VA to proactively engage with disabled veterans so they know what important educational opportunities they might be eligible for,” said Senator Blumenthal. “After bravely serving our country, these heroes deserve these tools and resources to advance their personal and professional lives. I’m proud to join Senator Cassidy in this bipartisan effort to ensure our veterans are fully informed about their hard-earned and essential educational benefits.”

The Informing VETS Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to directly contact and inform qualified service-disabled veterans about the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Program via letter. The bill also requires the VA to publish a side-by-side comparison of the VR&E program and GI Bill online.

A recent GAO report highlighted that the majority of veterans did not know about the VR&E program, despite knowing about the benefits available to them through the GI Bill. The Informing VETS Act directly implements GAO’s recommendations by requiring the VA to raise awareness of the VR&E program by regularly sending letters to eligible veterans discussing the educational benefits and requires the VA to provide a side-by-side comparison of benefits between the GI Bill and the VR&E programs online.

The American Veterans has endorsed the Informing VETS Act.

U.S. Representatives Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16) and Colin Allred (D-TX-32) introduced an identical version of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives last fall.

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Three U.S. Women Human Rights Defenders Deported from Western Sahara Will Protest in DC on Memorial Day

Three U.S. Women Human Rights Defenders Deported from Western Sahara Will Protest in DC on Memorial Day

By Just Visit Western Sahara, May 26, 2022
https://worldbeyondwar.org/three-u-s-women-human-rights-defenders-deported-from-western-sahara-will-protest-in-dc-on-memorial-day/

Three US women heading to visit their friends in Boujdour, Western Sahara, were forcibly turned back on May 23rd, when they landed at Laayoune Airport. Twelve men and six women Moroccan agents physically overpowered them and placed them against their will on a plane back to Casablanca. During the scuffle, one of the women’s shirt and bra were pulled up to expose her breasts. In the cultural context of the passengers on the plane, this was a serious form of harassment and violence against women.

Wynd Kaufmyn said of her treatment by the Moroccan forces, “We refused to cooperate with their illegal actions. I repeatedly shouted out on the departing airplane that I wanted to go to Boujdour to visit Sultana Khaya, who has endured torture and rape at the hands of Moroccan agents.

Adrienne Kinne said, “We were not told the legal basis for our detention or deportation though we asked repeatedly. I believe this was due to our detention and deportation being a violation of international human rights law.”

Kinne further expressed dismay, “I am sorry that the female officers were put in a position by their male superiors to restrain us. This is another example of pitting women against women to serve the egos of men in power.

Lacksana Peters said, “I have never been to Morocco or Western Sahara before. This kind of treatment leads me to think that we should boycott Morocco and double-down on efforts to visit Western Sahara. The Moroccans must be hiding something.”

Meanwhile the siege of the Khaya Sisters by the Moroccan forces continues despite the presence of additional Americans visiting the home. Although forced entry and attacks in the house have stopped, many visitors to the Khaya home have been tortured and beaten in the last few weeks.

The delegation is heading home and will go immediately to the White House and State Department to demand that the US stop enabling the Moroccan government in these human rights abuses. They invite all who care about human rights to join their voices and speaking up for Saharawi rights and against violence against women. Wynd Kaufmyn said, “I hope all who can will join us to stop the siege of the Khaya family home, the rapes and beatings of Saharawi women, and call for an independent investigation into the human rights situation in Western Sahara.”

BACKGROUND: WESTERN SAHARA

Western Sahara is bordered to the north by Morocco, to the south by Mauritania, to the east by Algeria, and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, with a total area of about 266,000 square kilometers.

The people of the Western Sahara, known as the Saharawis, are considered to be the indigenous inhabitants of the region, which is known as EL-Sakia El-Hamra Y Rio de Oro. They speak a unique language, Hassaniya, a dialect rooted in classic Arabic. Another noteworthy distinction is their development of one of the world’s oldest and longest surviving democratic systems. The Council of Forty-Hands (Aid Arbaeen) is a congress of tribal elders delegated to represent each of the nomadic peoples historically present in the region. As the highest authority in the realm, its decisions are binding, and the council reserves the right to unite all of Sahara’s peoples in defense of the motherland.

Morocco has occupied Western Sahara since 1975, however, the United Nations considers it to be one of the world’s last non-self-governing territories. From 1884-1975 it was under Spanish colonization. Spain withdrew after persistent resistance movements for independence, however, Morocco and Mauritania immediately sought to take control of the resource-rich region. While Mauritania rescinded its claim, Morocco invaded with tens of thousands of troops, flanked by thousands of would-be settlers, and began its formal occupation in October 1975. Spain retains administrative control and is the top recipient of the Western Sahara’s natural resources.

In 1991, the United Nations called for a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara would have the right to decide their own future. (UN resolution 621)

The Polisario Front, the political representative of the Saharawi people, fought Morocco intermittently from 1975 until 1991 when the United Nations brokered a cease-fire and established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO.) The long-promised referendum on self-determination was never realized. In the fall of 2020, after decades of broken promises, continued occupation, and a series of Moroccan violations of the cease fire, the Polisario resumed the war.

Human Rights watch reports that Moroccan authorities have long kept a strong lid on any public protests against Moroccan rule in Western Sahara and in favor of self-determination for the territory. They have beaten activists in their custody and on the streets, imprisoned and sentenced them in trials marred by due process violations, including torture, impeded their freedom of movement, and followed them openly. Moroccan authorities also refused entry to Western Sahara to scores of foreign visitors over the last few years, including journalists and human rights activists.

The 2021 U.S. State Dept. report on Western Sahara states that the “lack of reports of investigations or prosecutions of human rights abuses by Moroccan officials in Western Sahara, whether in the security services or elsewhere in the government, contributed to a widespread perception of impunity.”

SULTANA KHAYA’S STORY

Sultana Khaya is a human rights defender promoting independence for the Saharawi people and advocating for the end of violence against Saharawi women. She is president of the Saharawi League for the Defense of Human Rights and the Protection of Western Sahara’s Natural Resources in occupied Boujdour and a member of the Saharawi Commission against the Moroccan occupation (ISACOM). Khaya was nominated for the Sakharov Prize and winner of the Esther Garcia Award. As an outspoken activist, she has been targeted by the occupying Moroccan forces while engaged in peaceful protests.

Khaya is one of the most influential human rights activists of Western Sahara. Waving Saharawi flags, she peacefully demonstrates for human rights, especially women’s rights. She dares to protest in front of the occupying Moroccan authorities and chant slogans of the Saharawi self-determination to their face. She has been abducted, beaten, and tortured by Moroccan police. In a particularly violent assault in 2007, her right eye was gouged out by a Moroccan agent. She has become a symbol of courage and a source of inspiration for Saharawi independence.

On November 19, 2020, the Moroccan security forces raided Khaya’s house and hit her 84-year-old mother on the head. Since then, Khaya has been under a de facto house arrest. Security personnel in civilian clothes and uniformed police keep the house under siege, limiting her movements and preventing visitors, despite no court order or legal basis for it.

On May 10, 2021, several Moroccan civilian-clothed security agents raided Khaya’s home and physically assaulted her. Two days later they returned, not just to beat her again, but to sodomize her and her sister with a stick, and to beat their brother to the point of losing consciousness. Khaya said, “in a brutal message, they forcibly penetrated my sister using the broomstick that we use to wave the Western Sahara flag.” Saharawi society is conservative and has taboos about speaking of sexual crimes publicly.

On December 05, 2021, Moroccan occupation forces stormed Khaya’s house and injected Sultana with an unknown substance.

Khaya is appealing to the Biden administration as Biden himself has championed human and women’s rights. He is the author of the domestic law Violence Against Women Act (VAWA.) Yet, by continuing Trump’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, which is in violation of the United States constitution and international law, he is condoning ongoing human rights violations and sexual abuse of women by the Moroccan forces.

“The U.S. position on Western Sahara is legitimizing the illegal occupation and further attacks on Saharawis,” Khaya says.

VIDEO OF TIM PLUTA.

VIDEO OF RUTH MCDONOUGH.

END THE KHAYA FAMILY SIEGE! STOP THE BRUTALITY!

The Saharawi civil society, on behalf of the Khaya family, appeals to the international community and human rights advocates everywhere around the world to stand for and defend the right of everyone to live in peace and dignity. Since November 2020, the Khaya sisters, and their mother, have been under siege by Moroccan armed forces. Today, we are asking you to add your voice to that of the Khaya family and help us END the siege.

We call on the Moroccan government to:

Immediately remove all military, uniformed security, police, and other agents who surround the house of the Khaya family.
Remove all barricades that isolate Sultana Khaya’s neighborhood from the rest of the community.
Allow family members and the Saharawi supporters to freely visit the Khaya family without retaliation.
Restore water NOW and maintain electricity to the Khaya family home.
Allow an independent cleaning company to remove all chemicals from the house and the family’s water reservoir.
Restore and replace the destroyed furniture in the home.
Allow non-Moroccan medical teams to examine and treat the Khaya Sisters and their mother.
Allow international organizations such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) to freely investigate all allegations made by the Khaya family of human rights abuses, including rape, sexual torture, sleep deprivation, poison with chemicals, and unknown injections.
Bring the perpetrators and all responsible parties to justice by the ICC.
Reassure the public in a written statement of the safety and freedom of movement of the Khaya family.

MORE VIDEOS HERE.

David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Swanson's books include War Is A Lie. He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He hosts Talk World Radio. He is a Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and U.S. Peace Prize Recipient.

Follow him on Twitter: @davidcnswanson and FaceBook.

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The Black Commentator May 26, 2022 - Issue 912: Cover Story: Make America Dead Again

The Black Commentator Issue #912 is now Online

May 26, 2022

On the Web at https://www.blackcommentator.com

Our postal address is:

BlackCommentator.com
P.O. Box 2635
Tarpon Springs FL 34688-2635

THE FIRST LONG WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER!

We're on the cusp of a long weekend, the first of Summer 2022, and it's a great time to add some new music to your Summer Soundtrack!

Need something to play at your cookout, beach hang, pool party, family game tournament, or solo retreat?

Record stores around the country have it "in hand" and are ready to "hand it over".