TODAY, NOTED WAR HAWK HILLARY CLINTON STOPPED DROOLING OVER THE PROSPECT OF U.S. SOLDIERS IN UKRAINE LONG ENOUGH TO GO TO ARIZONA IN AN ATTEMPT TO SEEK THE YOUTH VOTE.
THE POLITICIAN WHO TURNS 67 THIS YEAR INSISTED SHE COULD WIN THE YOUTH VOTE EVEN THOUGH SHE DIDN'T IN 2008 WHEN SHE WAS 6 YEARS YOUNGER.
STUDENTS PRESENT OFFERED DIFFERING VIEWS.
BERNDINA JONES DECLARED SHE WAS IMPRESSED, "SHE CERTAINLY HAS A LOT OF ENERGY FOR HER AGE. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW MRS. ROOSEVELT WAS STILL ALIVE. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HER HUSBAND FRANK?"
LAWRENCE HAYES WAS LESS PLEASANT AND OFFERED, "I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO SEE THE CRYPT KEEPER AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES."
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
This week was the anniversary of the start of the illegal war. But, in the United States, there was very little notice of that. Why? Thursday night, Kat posted, "The US media forgets Iraq to sell war on Ukraine and Syria."
While the American media was silent, US Labor Against the War was not:
With heavy heart and renewed determination, the officers, staff, and affiliates of U.S. Labor Against the War mark the eleventh anniversary of the outbreak of the illegal U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. For many Americans, the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq at the end of 2011 marked the end of U.S. involvement with, and responsibility towards, the Iraqi people. We disagree.
Even though our combat forces are out, the war continues to have catastrophic effects in Iraq, and for the families of tens of thousands of U.S. veterans. Millions of Iraqis grieve the loss of loved ones killed by the U.S. military, while Americans mourn the deaths of thousands of our soldiers.
The sectarian violence wracking Iraq has its immediate origins in the ignorant and hubristic policies imposed by U.S. occupation forces. The sectarian factionalism encouraged by the U.S. occupation has paralyzed the Iraqi political process, presided over by a dysfunctional government. Depleted uranium from U.S. munitions is a continuing, widespread, and profound threat to the Iraqi environment and people, and to returning U.S. troops. Iraqi workers, 80% of whom work in the public sector – the oil industry, transportation, heavy manufacturing, hospitals, schools, ports, social services - are forbidden from organizing unions and engaging in collective bargaining because the U.S. kept in force the 1987 Saddam Hussein decree that prohibits public sector workers from organizing unions. All this and more is the legacy of a war that has not ended for Iraqis, for which the American people and our government must take responsibility.
The war, now officially over for more than two years, continues to have catastrophic effects in the U.S. as well. Our Iraq war veterans suffer loss of limbs and eyes, long-term traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They suffer from homelessness, unemployment, and suicide disproportionate to their numbers in society. The economic wellbeing of the country is threatened by the overhang of debt created by the reckless funding of the war and the distorted federal budget priorities that fund U.S. militarized foreign policy, instead of devoting those resources to urgent domestic human needs.
As we reflect on the terrible continuing effects of the Iraq war, we in U.S. Labor Against the War commit ourselves to continuing and deepening our partnerships within the labor movement and with peace, veterans, and community organizations. We will continue to work with our partners in the Iraqi labor movement and Iraqi civil society. We will not turn away from our longstanding commitments to peace and justice in Iraq, and for our veterans and the American people. We are determined to end our country’s militarized foreign policy, no matter where our government seeks to apply it, and to promote true security for our people through universal education, health care, and modern infrastructure.
These are our commitments as we mark the eleventh anniversary of the U.S. war in Iraq.
Another who wasn't silent? Abby Martin. She did cover the illegal war's anniversary. She spoke with Iraq War veteran Ryan Endicott about the war on her show Breaking The Set (RT -- here for the episode at Hulu). Excerpt.
Abby Martin: In a speech you gave in 2009 called "Just Another Tuesday," you recount your experience as an infantryman in Iraq and that you were once punished for arresting a man instead of killing him. Can you expand on this?
Ryan Endicott: Well, you know, I was on post when this Iraqi came through my door in the post, I was at the Government Center in Ramadi which is the capital of the Anbar Province where Falluja is. And when this man came into my post, at that point, I had been standing my post and somehow he had gotten through all the other security measures and gotten to my post. And so, you know, when I arrested him and put him -- detained him, my command told me at that point that it was my fault that I should have killed him. He was in an area that is completely restricted for civilians. No questions asked, it doesn't matter if he had a gun, that's out the door, the fact is, I should have killed him. And you know, for me during that time period, that was really tough for me to deal with it. I had to go through all the repercussions and treated as though what I did was wrong and, you know, how I was called a "girl" and all sorts of pejorative terms around this situation. And so after that situation, what I think is really important is that this is just one instance of that. And like how many soldiers across this country are coming down with orders from command telling them to commit these crimes, telling them to kill people -- who don't have weapons -- specifically because of where they are specifically because of how they've impacted this sort of post. And so what is shows is there's a whole policy around the idea that-that soldiers can kill or can murder someone that doesn't have a weapon and that's totally explainable by the command.
One could argue Nouri al-Maliki learned to attack the Iraqi people by watching the US actions in Iraq. That would explain his ongoing attack on Anbar Province and his lack of remorse over the deaths of so many innocent civilians. As Betty noted, 15 civilians died and forty more were injured on Thursday in Falluja due to Nouri's mortar attacks and bombings of residential neighborhoods. NINA reports that Nouri's bombing of residential neighborhoods in Falluja today left 3 civilians dead and eleven more injured.
Earlier this month in Genevea, a number of people and organizations addressed the issue of Iraq before the United Nations Human Rights Council. BRussells Tribunal has a page with the remarks on Iraq in text as well as videos of the remarks being delivered. We'll note this statement which the Geneva International Centre for Justice offered:
Thank you Mr. President.
We thank the Special Adviser for his ongoing efforts in raising
awareness on genocide and in preventing this crime. It has been said
that significant progress has been made in the prevention and punishment
of genocide - but recent events have shown that we still have a long
road ahead of us. The current situation in Iraq is a clear example. It
was described as rapidly plummeting towards genocide.
Since the US-invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the De-Ba’athification
process, attacks based on discrimination and sectarianism have become
major elements in the country’s politics. This tensed situation
escalated at the turn of the year 2013/2014 with a military operation
undertaken by the Iraqi government in the province of Al-Anbar, under
the pretext of combating terrorists.
Mr. Special Adviser, an important element of the prevention of genocide
is the identification of the early warning signs of this crime.
Signs have shown for long enough now that the Iraqi forces are
targeting a certain religious group. The authority promotes domination
over the government by those affiliated to its own religious beliefs,
while treating the opposition with utmost hostility and brutality. It
has become obvious that the onslaught against supposed terrorists is a
cover for the annihilation of the group opposed to the increasingly
discriminating policies of the current authorities in Iraq.
The acts of the government find their roots in official speeches which
are filled with sectarian rhetoric. Such rhetoric clearly shows the
intent to eradicate a certain group.
This raises serious concerns as the situation clearly fulfils the elements of the crime of genocide.
This raises serious concerns as the situation clearly fulfils the elements of the crime of genocide.
We would like you, Mr. Special Advisor, to consider this alarming issue in your work.
We also wonder why, inspite of these distressing events, the UN has not yet taken firm action to relieve the plight of the victims of the Iraqi government’s attacks. The UN must not wait the occurrence of a situation similar to what happened in Rwanda.
We therefore plead that the situation in Iraq be addressed immediately by the Council. In particular, we call on the Special Adviser to urgently take all adequate measures.
I thank you for your attention.
We also wonder why, inspite of these distressing events, the UN has not yet taken firm action to relieve the plight of the victims of the Iraqi government’s attacks. The UN must not wait the occurrence of a situation similar to what happened in Rwanda.
We therefore plead that the situation in Iraq be addressed immediately by the Council. In particular, we call on the Special Adviser to urgently take all adequate measures.
I thank you for your attention.
The issue does need to be addressed immediately, the people of Anbar are being terrorized. This was supposed to be a 'brief' campaign but it started December 30th and still isn't over -- despite the fact that national elections are supposed to take place next month.
These are War Crimes that Nouri's committing but noted anti-Sunni Patrick Cockburn can't call him out on that. He can smear Sunnis as killed -- he can does in his most recent article -- but the most he can offer to criticize his would-be lover Nouri al-Maliki is that "the government" (not Nouri, some other head of the Iraqi government that the world missed) released a fake video showing they were in control of Falluja when the footage was actually of Afghanistan.
Patrick Cockburn's desire to have his ass joined to Nouri's cock is mind blowing. But he needs to stop pretending he's reporting. He slams the protest movement as a front for terrorists forgetting to note that his love master Nouri killed children last April.
That would be the April 23rd massacre of a sit-in in Hawija which resulted from Nouri's federal forces storming in. Alsumaria noted Kirkuk's Department of Health (Hawija is in Kirkuk) announced 50 activists have died and 110 were injured in the assault. AFP reported the death toll eventually (as some wounded died) rose to 53 dead. UNICEF noted that the dead included 8 children (twelve more were injured).
Even when his biased mouth managed to leave Nouri's crotch long enough to report on Hawija (long after the massacre), Lie Face Cock Burn couldn't tell his readers that the dead included 8 children.
Apparently, when you're Paddy Cock Burn, you know better than UNICEF.
Or else you just don't care when children are killed.
Paddy Cock Burn has been allowed by the British newspaper the Independent (ha!) to conduct a war against the Sunnis in print. He's gone after them repeatedly and lied repeatedly. When he hasn't lied, he's left out major points that would demonstrate Nouri was a criminal thug.
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