GI SPECIAL 7D3:
Obama:
Up To His Neck In Blood
Number Of Soldiers At War In Iraq And Afghanistan To Hit Record Later This Year:
“It’s A Long War And We’re Not Done Making Sacrifices” Says “Senior Army Planner” Who Will Be Sacrificing Nothing At All:
“There’s A Lot Of Stress Out There Right Now,” He Said
4.6.09 By Michelle Tan, Army Times [Excerpts]
The number of deployed soldiers will spike to its highest level since the surge, at least temporarily, as commanders pour additional troops into Afghanistan more quickly than they reduce them in Iraq, a senior Army planner predicted.
An additional 4,000 troops will be sent to Afghanistan to train Afghan security forces, President Barack Obama announced March 27. That number is in addition to the 17,000 additional troops he approved early this year.
The 4,000 troops likely will be soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division of Fort Bragg, N.C., a defense official told Army Times on March 27.
“I think in the near term, the Army is going to have more troops deployed than we had at the height of the (Iraq) surge,” the senior planner, who asked to remain anonymous, told Army Times March 26.
The defense official told Army Times the 82nd brigade was scheduled to deploy to Iraq later this year but will now be diverted to Afghanistan.
A spokesman for the 82nd said he could not confirm that.
“We have nothing official from (the Defense Department or Army),” said Lt. Col. Clarence Counts, spokesman for the 82nd Airborne.
“We would like to know something official, too. That helps us and the families get some normalcy, but we’re in a position where we don’t know and we can’t confirm any of that.”
The demand on soldiers will depend on conditions in both theaters, the senior Army planner said.
“There’s a lot of stress out there right now,” he said.
“There’s a lot of angst associated with the budget, there’s a lot of angst associated with the size of the Army, all of which pale in comparison to the (stress felt by) soldiers who are actually deploying. It’s a long war and we’re not done making sacrifices. We have indications that demand is going to be reduced, but until indications turn into reality, it’s going to be a long wait.”
POLITICIANS CAN’T BE COUNTED ON TO HALT THE BLOODSHED
THE TROOPS HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THE WARS
IRAQ WAR REPORTS
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO COMPREHENSIBLE REASON TO BE IN THIS EXTREMELY HIGH RISK LOCATION AT THIS TIME, EXCEPT THAT THE PACK OF TRAITORS THAT RUN THE GOVERNMENT IN D.C. WANT YOU THERE TO DEFEND THEIR IMPERIAL DREAMS:
That is not a good enough reason.
A U.S. soldier inspects the wreckage of a vehicle used in a car bomb attack in Kirkuk March 11, 2009. The car bomb exploded near a police patrol. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed
[Formerly] U.S.-Allied [And Now Betrayed] Militia Members Killed Planting IED Near U.S. Air Base;
“Dozens Of Iraq’s Sahwa Militia, Which Helped Tame A Deadly Insurgency, Have Been Arrested”
April 3, 2009 By ROBERT H. REID, The Associated Press & April 4, 2009 By Salam Faraj, AFP & Deborah Haynes in Baghdad, The Times
BAGHDAD -- A U.S. aircraft fired on suspected government-allied paramilitaries planting a bomb, killing one and wounding two, the U.S. said Friday _ the latest sign of trouble in a program that has been a pillar of the American strategy to stabilize Iraq.
A U.S. statement said the airstrike was launched Thursday night after four alleged members of the Sons of Iraq, were seen planting a roadside bomb near Taji, site of a large U.S. air base about 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of Baghdad.
U.S. commanders credit the more than 90,000 Sons of Iraq with playing a major role in turning the tide against insurgents following the U.S. troop surge of 2007.
Last weekend, U.S.-backed Iraqi forces put down an uprising in central Baghdad by members of the local Awakening Council angry over the arrest of their commander on terrorism and criminal charges.
Taji residents reached by telephone said the Thursday incident followed a growing rift between the local paramilitaries and security forces.
Dozens of Iraq’s Sahwa militia, which helped tame a deadly insurgency, have been arrested amid warnings from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that they have no immunity from the law, sources said on Friday.
“The Iraqi security forces, during the last few days, arrested 10 members of the Sahwa in Dora, including a number under the accusation of terrorism,” said Mohammad al-Gartani, one of the southwest Baghdad district’s Sahwa leaders.
He said the Sahwa, also known as the Awakening and Sons of Iraq, were being persecuted.
The arrests in Dora, where the Awakening forces number about 2,450, included five Sahwa leaders.
In the western Baghdad district of Ghazaliyah, ex-Iraqi army Lieutenant Colonel Raad Ali was one of two Sahwa arrested eight days ago.
“I was arrested last week under the accusation of terrorism, including killing, kidnapping and planting bombs,” Ali told AFP by telephone, after being freed.
“During the investigation it was discovered that the information was not true and was given by someone who is wanted. The judge understood the matter and released me immediately,” he said.
“My colleague remains under investigation on the same accusation.”
Scores of guards, many of whom fought as insurgents before switching sides, have been arrested in the past fortnight.
One leader in the restive province of Diyala said that the Government did not trust the Awakening movement because it was made up of Sunni Arabs. “I do not trust my Government.”
AFGHANISTAN WAR REPORTS
Foreign Occupation Soldier Killed Somewhere Or Other In Afghanistan;
Nationality Not Announced
Apr 3 by Sharif Khoram (AFP) & April 4, 2009 (UPI)
A NATO soldier was killed in a roadside bombing, the International Security Assistance Force said in a statement released Friday. The statement didn’t specify where the incident took place or the victim’s nationality, the U.S. broadcaster said.
Another was wounded.
Romanian Officer “Killed In Crossfire”
4/3/2009 The Associated Press
The defense ministry says a Romanian officer has been killed in crossfire during fighting with insurgents in Afghanistan.
A ministry statement says Capt. Petre Tiberius was leading a rapid intervention mission on Friday to assist allies who had come under attack when he was struck by a bullet.
The statement says he was transported by helicopter to a hospital but died en route.
The incident occurred about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Kabul.
Occupation Supplies Attacked And Destroyed, As Usual
A view of destruction of Afghan occupation forces supplies near Peshawar, Pakistan on April 3, 2009. Militants using guns and petrol bombs attacked the terminal in northwest Pakistan on Friday holding supplies bound for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, damaging five shipping containers. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)
IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE RESISTANCE
END THE OCCUPATION
OCCUPATION ISN’T LIBERATION
ALL TROOPS HOME NOW!
Welcome To Liberated Afghanistan:
New Law Allows Sex With Children, Says It’s OK For Husbands To Rape Their Wives & Women Are Banned From Leaving The Home Without Permission:
Occupation Stooge “President” Says Criticism Of His Law “Inappropriate”
Western leaders, including the former US President George Bush, have boasted frequently about the advances in women’s rights since the Taleban were overthrown in 2001.
April 3, 2009 Tom Coghlan in Kabul, Catherine Philp and Suzy Jagger; The Times & April 4, 2009 By Golnar Motevalli, Reuters
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Saturday concerns expressed by the United States and the United Nations toward a new law for Afghanistan’s Shi’ite minority and its impact on women’s rights were inappropriate.
President Karzai of Afghanistan provoked international outrage yesterday with draconian Taleban-era restrictions on women and laws that explicitly sanction marital rape.
Women are banned from leaving the home without permission.
A wife has the absolute duty to provide sexual services to her husband, and child marriage is legalised.
Mr Obama is pushing for an increase in NATO troop numbers in Afghanistan, but many allies have already rebuffed his calls.
The new laws may provide an excuse for remaining waverers to join them.
Canada, which is the third largest contributor of forces to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, has already warned that it may rethink its troop contribution if the law was not repealed.
One of the most controversial articles stipulates that the wife “is bound to preen for her husband as and when he desires”.
Later it explicitly sanctions marital rape.
Article 132 says. “Unless the wife is ill or has any kind of illness that intercourse could aggravate, the wife is bound to give a positive response to the sexual desires of her husband.”
Article 133 reintroduces the Taleban restrictions on women’s movements outside their homes, stating: “A wife cannot leave the house without the permission of the husband” unless in a medical or other emergency.
Article 27 endorses child marriage with girls legally able to marry once they begin to menstruate.
Women MPs said that they had been powerless to challenge the passage of the Bill. “The majority of the men agreed to support the laws without any discussion,” said Azita Raffat, an MP from Badghis province.
“The law says it is the right of men to have sex — even by force. You can’t complain because they are husband and wife and this is the duty of a wife.
Western leaders, including the former US President George Bush, have boasted frequently about the advances in women’s rights since the Taleban were overthrown in 2001.
TROOP NEWS
4,000 From North Carolina National Guard Off To Obama’s Imperial Slaughterhouse
4.6.09 Army Times
After more than three months of training, the 4,000 soldiers from the National Guard’s 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team is getting more training at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., in preparation for deployment to Iraq. The soldiers belong to the North Carolina Guard’s largest unit.
This will be the brigade’s second deployment to Iraq. Its first was in 2004, and the unit was then based in Diyala province near the Iranian border.
During the yearlong deployment, the soldiers expect to provide military and police training to the Iraqi army and police and conduct joint operations with the Iraqis. In addition, civil affairs teams from the brigade will work with provincial reconstruction teams to increase infrastructure development and grow economic activity in Iraq.
After their training at the National Training Center, the soldiers will return to North Carolina for a break before leaving for Iraq.
600 More From Tennessee National Guard Off To Obama’s Imperial Slaughterhouse;
Total Number Of MobilizationsMore Than 14,000
4.6.09 Army Times
TENNESSEE:
More than 600 soldiers from the National Guard’s 1/230th Air Cavalry Squadron will leave in late March for Fort Sill, Okla., to train before deploying to Iraq. The soldiers fly OH58D Kiowa and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
Military officials said the mobilization of the 1/230th, brings the total number of mobilizations of Tennessee National Guard soldiers and airmen to more than 14,000.
Class 3 Dental Work
“Guardsmen And Reservists Have To Pay Their Own Way And Fuck That”
March 30, 2009
By Joe; Fobbits Need Ice Cream Too; Kbrsecurity.blogspot.com/
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Industry: Military
Occupation: Ice Cream Man
Location: An Nasiriyah, Scania, BIAP, TQ, Taji, Balad, Mosul, Baqubah: Iraq
Well I finally got in to see a dentist after 3 years of being in the military. It only took a deployment to Iraq to make it happen.
Up until this point, every military dentist looked in my mouth for about 5 seconds, wrote all my issues down as class 2 (go to your own dentist) and sent me on my way. Easy enough when you have your own dentist, I suppose.
Active duty is easy; everyone has Tricare.
Guardsmen and Reservists have to pay their own way and fuck that. To say that I am disappointed with VA care is an understatement, especially after reading that they probably gave people AIDs with the endoscopy machine because they didn’t sterilize it properly. Your tax dollars at work.
DANGER: POLITICIANS AT WORK
Troops Invited:
Comments, arguments, articles, and letters from service men and women, and veterans, are especially welcome. Write to Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657 or send email : Name, I.D., withheld unless you request publication. Same address to unsubscribe. Phone: 917.677.8057
CLASS WAR REPORTS
Kill And Be Killed:
Police Murders In Oakland;
“Police Are Virtually An Occupying Military Force In Black Urban Centers”
“Police Represent The Propertied And Monied Power Structure In This Country Which Both Exploits And Excludes The Overwhelming Majority Of Our Population, Particularly Minorities”
Banners at the “Defend African People’s Right to Resist” march and rally on MacArthur Boulevard Wednesday recalled the long history of Oakland police murders of young Black men. – Photo: Dave Id, Indybay
March 26, 2009by Carl Finamore, San Francisco Bay View
National news wires lit up with shocking news that four Oakland, California, police officers were shot dead on March 21 in two separate gunfire exchanges with 26-year-old parolee Lovelle Mixon.
It began with an apparently routine traffic stop by two motorcycle cops when suddenly Mixon opened fire, killing one on the spot and mortally wounding another.
In a final shootout at his sister’s home several hours later, two SWAT officers were killed with an assault rifle before Mixon himself was fatally gunned down.
Another violent police confrontation in the Black community; not the first, not the last. Basic conflicting social, economic and political interests remain between the protagonists and are sure to explode again.
Predictably, the bloody aftermath produced cries of outrage from self-righteous establishment politicians fanning stoked emotions to justify renewed calls for increased police patrols, stricter probation standards and harsher punishment of offenders.
This completely misses the point.
Haven’t we heard enough of these domestic versions of “Shock and Awe?”
What more can be done to repress a Black community that already comprises 40 percent of the national prison population of nearly 2 and a half million and suffers an unemployment rate double that of the white population?
Oakland is not unlike Black communities elsewhere with huge deficits in education, income and jobs. Squeezed into dilapidated corridors of economic neglect, big-city minorities endure horrible sub-standard living conditions.
Crime And Punishment
One of the worst consequences is crime in the Black community.
It is no joke. It is real, it is violent and it is extensive. It is rare for a family not to have been touched by senseless predatory acts among and between Black youth.
But police are not the solution.
Cops are not equipped to either understand, appreciate or address the despair that spawns violence so prevalent in the Black community.
Instead, it better suits their “law enforcement” approach to virtually treat whole sections of youth as criminals.
My Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco is overwhelming Black. The community suffers unemployment and crime that rivals the worst sections of Oakland. Several murders have occurred on my street the last few years and only last week I witnessed from my front window a random drive-by shooting.
As I hit the floor in my living room, automatic gunfire sprayed my beat-up parked pick-up, smashing the windshield and headlight and bursting a tire. More ominously, one bullet penetrated the front house window of my neighbor, thankfully missing the occupants.
Both our reactions were similar. Neither of us called the police.
If called, the police would have either done nothing or, worse, used the terrible incident as an excuse to harass and intimidate neighborhood youth.
Of course, there is not a universal agreement in the neighborhood on when or if to call the cops though everyone certainly agrees that if someone is breaking into your home or threatening your life, you’ve got to call for help quickly.
But aside from these extreme circumstances, are police a reliable counter to the criminal element in the community?
I think not.
Police And/As Criminals
It’s time to recognize the harsh reality.
Police are virtually an occupying military force in Black urban centers.
Their presence will neither eliminate the plague of rampant crime nor address the underlying disease of extreme impoverishment.
The historical record amply demonstrates this fact though there remains wide disagreement on the reasons.
My view is that police represent the propertied and monied power structure in this country which both exploits and excludes the overwhelming majority of our population, particularly minorities.
The police role, therefore, is consciously limited to containing and minimizing inevitable explosions of violence that periodically burst from the enormous pressures of ghetto existence.
Police neither have the resources nor job description to resolve the enormous social problems endemic to these communities.
In that way, police actions are remarkably similar to U.S. failed military strategies abroad.
Police units are dispatched from their headquarters’ bunkers on “search and destroy” missions soon to return to the comfort and safety of the “Green Zone.”
Enormous resources are wasted on these failed military strategies, both abroad and at home.