Sit down, McCain

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- HANOI, VIETNAM.

JOHN MCCAIN, REPUBLICAN SENATOR FROM ARIZONA, FAILED CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT IN 2000, WANTS MORE AMERICAN TROOPS IN IRAQ. NOW.

SO YOU'D BE FORGIVEN IF WONDERING THE 70-YEAR-OLD'S MENTAL CAPACITIES WERE FAILING.

WHILE ADVOCATING FOR MORE US TROOPS, MCCAIN ALSO SEES IT AS A NEVER ENDING WAR IN IRAQ NOTING "IT'S NOT THE END WHEN AMERICAN TROOPS LEAVE. THE BATTLEGROUND SHIFTS, AND WE'LL BE FIGHTING THEM AGAIN."

AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND APPARANTLY AGAIN, AND AGAIN . . . ACCORDING TO MCCAIN.

HE'S CAUGHT IN A WAR LOOP!

IN 2008, JOHN MCCAIN WILL BE 72. IT MAY BE TIME FOR THE OLD WAR HAWK TO STEP ASIDE AND HAVE HIMSELF A SEAT.


FROM THE TCI WIRE:


Starting with US war resister Ehren Watada. In June, Lt. Watada went public with his decision to refuse to deploy to Iraq thereby becoming the first commissioned officer to publicly say no to the illegal war. In August, an Article 32 hearing was held. The US military announced August 24th that the recommandation by the hearing's presiding officer, Lt. Colonel Mark Keith, was to court-martial Watada. Thursday, November 9th, as noted on that day's broadcast of The KPFA Evening News, the Army announced it would court-martial Watada. As Gregg Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) reported then, no date had been set but Eric Seitz, the civilian attorney representing Watada, expected the court-martial would be held in 2007. Today, Robert Shikina (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) reports "that Watada's pretrial hering is set for Jan. 4, with the court-martial beginning Feb. 5."
Sunday, the Japanese American Citizens League, Honolulu Chapter, held an symposium
at the University of Hawaii on Watada's decision to refuse to fight in an illegal war. Bob Watada, father of Ehrne, Jon Van Dyke (of the University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law) and attorney Eric Seitz. Robert Shikina reports that letter from Carolyn Ho, Ehren's mother, was read to those attending: "For some elected officials to claim that this is beyond their purview and Lt. Watada is courageous but should take the consequences for his decision is an outright evasion of responsibility and lack of moral courage." On the same event, Derrick DePledge (Honolulu Advertiser) reports: "Van Dyke and Seitz say the war is illegal under United Nations charter and that Watada was right not to deploy on moral grounds. The U.S., in its justification for war, alleged that Iraq had failed to comply with U. N. disarmament resolutions. The U.S. and its allies discussed a new resolution on the war with the other nations on the U.N. Security Council, but when diplomacy stalled, determined that a new resolution was not required before the 2003 invasion. 'This war cannot be justified -- logically or factually or legally,' Seitz said." Shikina notes 83-year-old John Masunaga's impressions: "'Ehren's standing up for something we all should have stood up for,' he said, noting the internment of Japanese Americans. 'The Time World War II started, we were trying to prove ourselves good loyal citizens. Sometimes you have to speak up and try to right some of the wrongs."
At the gathering, Seitz spoke of the efforts to silence Watada. Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9 a.m., Ehren Watada will be participating in a "Tele-news Call" along with Seitz and Bob Watada. More information can be found here. As The Honolulu Advertiser notes, Ehren Watada could be sentenced to up to six years if convicted in the court martial -- six years in a military prison.
Watada is part of a growing resistance to the war within the military. Along with Watada, others standing up publicly include Joshua Key, Kyle Snyder, Ivan Brobeck, Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Joshua Casteel, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. And those are only some of the names of those resisting who have gone public. In addition, over thirty US war resisters are currently in Canada attempting to be legally recognized. It is a movement regardless of how it is covered (or, more often, not covered) and regardless of what the likes of Mommy's Pantyhose may think.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, Soldier Say No! and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress in January (on MLK day). One of those organizing Appeal to Redress, Jonathan Hutto, was interviewed by John Catalinotto (Workers World) and explained, noting the MLK memorial, "I am moved by this, by King taking a place where there are memorials to Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson. Theirs were dedicated to presidents. King's is dedicated to justice and peace. That's the vein in which we want to present this appeal."


Recommended: "Iraq snapshot"
"Ehren Watada's court-martial set for February 5th (Robert Shikina)"
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"Through the Times Quickly"
"NYT: 'Allies Wage Raid In Iraq, Seeking Abducted Guards' (Edward Wong)"
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"Ty, Jess and Ava filling in for Elaine"
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"Playlist this edition"
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"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY -- AN IDIOT IN ANY CULTURE OR CLIMATE!"