Clipmarks | zasel's 'war' clips

War Hero or War Criminal?

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:11:32 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: This article is written by Robert Richter, who was the CBS political director during the 1960's. He writes compellingly about a controversial issue that is rarely spoken about. Whether or not fighter bombers in the Viet Nam war should be charged as war criminals, due to their flagrant disregard of the Geneva Conventions that prohibit bombing of civilian areas. As it turns out, a documentary on the subject was done by a general back in the day, and CBS refused to show it, because they felt it was too hot.

Now that Mr. McCain is running for president, he is holding up his position as a bombing pilot as heroic duty for which he should be honoured. But the facts have shown, that he and his colleagues, have killed many millions of Vietnamese civilians by their incessant bombing of civilian enclaves. If the tables were turned, and Vietnamese pilots were bombing civilian enclaves in the United States, when they were captured, as McCain was, they would have been tried as war criminals.

Clip Source: www.informationclearinghouse.info

As character assassination attacks on Sen. Barack Obama have now taken over Sen. John McCain's campaign, and because McCain cites his military experience as of prime importance, now is the time to focus closer attention on a facet of the Arizona Senator's own character. This is related to his 23 combat missions for Operation Rolling Thunder - the Pentagon's name for U.S. bombing of North Vietnam.

I will never forget how stunned I was when Gen. Telford Taylor, a chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials after World War Two, told me that he strongly supported the idea of trying the U.S. pilots captured in North Vietnam as war criminals - and that he would be proud to lead in their prosecution.

Why would anyone have wanted to prosecute McCain and the other captured pilots? Taylor's argument was that their actions were in violation of the Geneva conventions that specifically forbid indiscriminate bombing that could cause incidental loss of civilian life or damage to civilian objects.

Tags: war, vietnam, mccain, bomber pilots, geneva conventions

Chutzpah, With a Capital "CH"

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:54:18 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: Can you believe the audacity of McCain? First he manipulates Obama into taking his trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, which also resulted in a successful European tour. When that worked out too well for Obama, McCain declared that his opponent was being presumptuous, and acting as if was already president of the United States. Now that Russia has stormed into Georgia, McCain decides to send Lieberman and Graham to Tblisi to try to work something out. On what authority will the traitor Lieberman, and Howdy Doody Graham discuss anything of substance, with any officials in Georgia? On top of which, Condie Rice, Madam Secretary herself, is on her way to Georgia to assess the situation. She, at the very least, speaks for the president. For whom do these two McCain puppets speak?

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Russia has decided not to withdraw from Georgia after all

NATO powers are scrambling to figure out how to end the war.

But don't worry, because John McCain has a plan: Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham are on their way.

What, exactly, McCain hopes to accomplish by packing his two closest Senate pals off to a war zone isn't entirely clear. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also on her way to Tbilisi, with the ability to negotiate on behalf of the U.S. government (instead of just the McCain campaign).

But considering that one of the main lines of attack Republicans are pushing against Obama these days is that he's presumptuously declared himself president before Election Day, it's a little curious that the GOP nominee thinks sending campaign surrogates to visit the war is a good idea.

Bush & McCain Support the Troops by Saying...F**k 'em!

Mon, 26 May 2008 23:32:15 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: President Bush and Presidential wannabe Senator McCain are always bragging about how they support the troops and honour their service. Oh yeah! This sounds great, but when it comes to actually doing something good and fair for them when they return from the firing line, they say fuck 'em. No money for their education or other benefits. After all, if we make it too good, they will wanna leave the service rather than remain canon fodder indefinitely.

Neither of these political pieces of fecal matter stop to think about how increased and improved GI benefits will bring additional people into the service that will more than make up for those who might leave after three years. All they care about is having enough bodies willing to be shot up in Iraq so they can maintain their illegal and tragic war.

These war criminals should hang their heads in shame as should anyone who would consider voting for McCain after seeing what a hypocrite he really and truly is.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

President Bush opposes a new G.I. Bill of Rights. He worries that if the traditional path to college for service members since World War II is improved and expanded for the post-9/11 generation, too many people will take it.

He is wrong, but at least he is consistent. Having saddled the military with a botched, unwinnable war, having squandered soldiers’ lives and failed them in so many ways, the commander in chief now resists giving the troops a chance at better futures out of uniform. He does this on the ground that the bill is too generous and may discourage re-enlistment, further weakening the military he has done so much to break.

So lavish with other people’s sacrifices, so reckless in pouring the national treasure into the sandy pit of Iraq, Mr. Bush remains as cheap as ever when it comes to helping people at home.

Mr. Bush — and, to his great discredit, Senator John McCain — have argued against a better G.I. Bill, for the worst reasons.

An Israeli Rabbi Thanks Bush for Invading Iraq.

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:57:40 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: I become very angry when I hear Orthodox rabbis thanking President Bush for attacking Iraq and thus supporting Israel. I have no problem whatsoever with America's support of Israel, which is an ally of ours. But I become very annoyed when we are expected to go to war with a country that did not attack us, simply because an ally finds it advantageous for us to do so. I find it very interesting that the vast majority of American Jews (70%) are against the Iraq war, while we are told that the majority of Israeli Jews are happy for it. I understand differences in opinions and perceptions, but to have someone thank a leader for going to war with a country that did not pose a direct threat to that leader's country, and had not attacked the ally either, just seems particularly cold blooded. I wonder how the families of our dead and wounded soldiers feel, as well as the families of the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians who were killed and maimed. For what are we being thanked?

Clip Source: www.jpost.com

Chief rabbi thanks Bush for 'war against Iraq'

During a short verbal exchange Wednesday at the Ben-Gurion Airport Terminal, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger thanked President George W. Bush for the US's military intervention in Iraq.

"I want to thank you for your support of Israel and in particular for waging a war against Iraq," Metzger told Bush, according to the chief rabbi's spokesman.

Bush reportedly answered that the chief rabbi's words "warmed his heart."

Metzger's stand on the Iraqi war, while reflecting the Israeli majority and Orthodox Jewry, is not shared with most US Jews. The American Jewish Committee's annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion, published last year, found that 70 percent of US Jews disapprove of the Iraq war, with 28% backing it.

Brattleboro Vt, Wants to Indict Bush and Cheney for War Crimes

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:46:47 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: Of course, such an indictment would not really have any significance, but it certainly would demonstrate the level of disgust some people in our country have for these murdering war mongers. My greatest wet dream is to see these two guys, along with Rumsfeld dragged to the Hague, tried, convicted and thrown into the cell formerly occupied by Hess.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

President Bush may soon have a new reason to avoid left-leaning Vermont: In one town, activists want him subject to arrest for war crimes.

A group in Brattleboro is petitioning to put an item on a town meeting agenda in March that would make Bush and Vice President Cheney subject to arrest and indictment if they visit the southeastern Vermont community.

"This petition is as radical as the Declaration of Independence, and it draws on that tradition in claiming a universal jurisdiction when governments fail to do what they're supposed to do," said Kurt Daims, 54, a retired machinist leading the drive.

The town meeting, an annual exercise in which residents gather to vote on everything from fire department budgets to municipal policy, requires about 1,000 signatures to place a binding item on the agenda.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. The press office did not immediately respond to an e-mail.

Joe Lieberman Officially Endorses John McCain For President

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:03:17 GMT

clipped by: cptenaud
clipper's remarks: # Iran: Kyl-Lieberman...ring a bell? He and his pals are trying their darndest to start another war, because, hell, the first one has worked out so peachy for the American people.
# Torture: He'd actually work the Iron Maiden himself if given the chance. Again, he has sided with the GOP 100% on this.
# Wiretapping: Constitution, what's that?
# GOP Appointees: Whether it's Swift Boat funders as Ambassadors (Sam Fox), miscreant judges or torture-loving AGs, you can count on Joe!
# Supporting Republicans: John McCain is not his first foray into this territory. He has endorsed Susan Collins of Maine, who like Joe will do anything to hold power. She has broken a term limits pledge, lied about her record on Iraq (98.9% pro Bush, to round off a bit), supported that energy bill that was a wet kiss to Big Oil and loved, loved, loved Alito!

Clip Source: bravenewfilms.org

[Video]

And the world trembled in shock and awe as Joe Lieberman once again displayed he is a liar willing to do whatever it takes to get himself in front of a camera. Watch the attached video clip, btw, as Lieberman gives his heartfelt assurance that "I want to elect a Democratic President in 2008."

Furthermore, let me remind Democratic Senators complicit in getting this atavistic ignoramus reelected, all you have done to hurt the Democratic Party.

Iraq: Lieberman claimed to want to end the war in Iraq during his faux-Democratic campaign in 2006. Reality: He has filibustered with the GOP to make sure there are no timetables for withdrawal, argued in favor of more war, lied about progress on the ground, and lent his Chickenhawk voice to every dishonest justification to get more men and women killed in Iraq who just don't happen to be his son or daughter.

Are These Neocons crazy or what? This story removes all doubt

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 05:43:10 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: It is absolutely amazing how myopic these neocons actually are. I sat at my TV watching as Bolton, the president, Dana Perrino, etc, etc, etc, kept spinning the meaning of the NIE with all kinds of reasons as to why it is wrong. Some of them have the temerity to declare that the Intelligence agencies are twisting their findings in order to make Bush look bad. I have come to the conclusion that the neocons and far right Republicans have finally lost it completely. I sincerely believe that the public is fed up with the lies, and manipulations as well as the overt fear-mongering. Bush and his henchmen are bald face liars, and they should be thrown out of office and tried as the war criminals they are.

Clip Source: rawstory.com

Neocons believe US intelligence community too timid after Iraq

Newly declassified portions of a new National Intelligence Estimate -- which indicates that Iran is no longer actively developing a nuclear weapon -- are part of an effort by the US intelligence community to avoid a repeat of its mistakes in the run-up to war with Iraq, former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Fox News.

"They're so concerned about overstating the threat in Iraq, that they're overcompensating in the wrong direction," Bolton said. "You know they've changed their estimate on Iran from just two years ago. One has to ask why we should be more inclined to believe this one today than the one two years ago." A 2005 NIE reported Iran was "determined" develop nuclear capability.

Bolton characterized the White House as having been taken aback by the new NIE report's conclusions.

He also contends that there is that there is a whiff of politics to the NIE summary.

Tags: neocon, war, iran, iraq, intelligence, politics

Our Brave Democrats Are As Fearful As Ever

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:48:27 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: Once again, the Democrats, who so many of us put into power in order to change the direction of the Iraq policy and to bring our troops out of the hell hole, are going to give Bush his blank cheque to continue his war. Even though better than 72% of the country want this war to end, the Dems continue to be chicken to do anything tangible about it for fear the nasty Republicans, whom the U.S. electorate have all but totally abandoned, might call them soft of terror. Oh come on! This is getting to be not only ridiculous, but criminal. We the people have had our say, and our representatives are ignoring us for their own cowardly political reasons.

Clip Source: rawstory.com

Blank check' seen headed Bush's way, despite Democratic promises to change course in Iraq

Democratic leaders in Congress are quietly preparing to give President Bush essentially everything he wants to keep the Iraq war going for at least another six months without forcing any change in course.

"Democratic leaders continue to fear GOP attacks that cutting off or slowing funds would hurt the troops, despite anger among the Democratic base over the party’s failure to use Congress’ power of the purse to end the war," reports the Capitol Hill newspaper's Steven T. Dennis.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) have said they won't consider a supplemental funding bill that doesn't include timelines for troop withdrawals. But, Dennis reports, "Democrats are quietly preparing to give the president enough spending flexibility to keep the war going anyway," for as long as six more months.

Tags: democrats, bush, iraq, cowardly

Petraeus/Betray Us Ad Results in A Deluge of Support for Moveon.org

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:43:03 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: Moveon.org really started something with its Petraeus/Betray-Us ad. It actually was able to move the congress into introducing and voting on legislation condemning the organization for running the ad, which is the first bit of activity we have seen there in a while. While war rages and blood flows the most important thing on the minds of our legislators was to codify censorship. We must never speak poorly, especially of a military man in uniform. The Republicans were especially outraged. Yes, the same Republicans who swift-boated John Kerry and Max Cleland who were both Viet Nam vets and heroes. I guess it depends on who is wearing the uniform at the time when we condemn an attack. Anyway, Moveon.org has received a tremendous increase in donations since congress condemned them, so as far as they are concerned, keep the complaints coming Congresspersons.

Clip Source: www.motherjones.com

MoveOn.org Rakes in the Cash After "Betray Us" Ad

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, an amazing thing happened. After the Senate's shameful vote, and after President Bush called MoveOn "disgusting," our email started to fill up with messages like this one:

I'm currently in Iraq. I do not agree with this war, and if I did support this war, it would not matter. You have the RIGHT to speak the truth. We KNOW that you support us. Thank you for speaking out for being our voice. We do not have a voice. We are overshooted by those who say that we soldiers do not support organizations like MoveOn. WE DO.

YOU ARE OUR voice.

And then came the donations. By midnight, over 12,000 people had donated $500,000—more than we've raised any day this year—for our new ad calling out the Republicans who blocked adequate rest for troops headed back to Iraq.

Tags: moveon.org, petraeus

Congress Has Betrayed-Us All

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:41:00 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: To my way of thinking, whether one approves or disapproves of the MoveOn.Org ad is immaterial. What is at stake here is our democratic right to freedom of speech, which is a part of our Constitution. And yet, congress decided it was necessary for them to vote on a newspaper ad in order to condemn a groups very freedom to express itself.

Remember the statement "I might not agree with what you say, but I will defend with my life your right to say it?" What happened to that belief in our country? Can anyone now deny that our country is taking a turn away from what it was founded to be? How dare we send our youngest and finest off to war in order to protect democratic liberties around the world, while we vote down those same liberties and rights in our own country.

This was a cheap political trick instigated by the Republican right who has fallen out of favour with the American public for supporting Bush's illegal war, by trying to play on a faux patriotism.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

MoveOn Ad Exposes the True Betrayers

Betrayal is everywhere in the news. We learned from the Washington Post that Alan Greenspan said in his new book, "I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil." Not keeping our country safe, as the troops were told. Not democracy. Not Weapons of Mass Destruction. Not al Qaeda. Oil! All those lives and maimings about oil! Are you shocked, shocked? It is Betrayal of Trust of the highest order: "Politically inconvenient ... everyone knows ..." Oil was not discussed at the Petraeus hearings. The silence in Washington has been polite.

MoveOn's "General Betray Us?" ad has raised vital questions that need a thorough and open discussion. The ad worked brilliantly to reveal, via its framing, an essential but previously hidden truth: the Bush Administration and its active supporters have betrayed the trust of the troops and the American people.

Tags: congress, democracy, freedom of speech

Guard Troops in Puerto Rico Wants the War to End

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:24:48 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: The Governor of Puerto Rico gets a standing O from military service people at the mention of ending the Iraq war. 7 soldiers publish an OPED in the New York Times last week explaining why staying in Iraq is a mistake. Petitions are signed by soldiers serving in Iraq asking for troop withdrawals etc etc etc. And yet, when you listen to the Republicans they tell you that ALL the troops wanna stay in Iraq until their job is done and they have procured victory. I have no doubt whatsoever that there are many troops in Iraq that do feel that way, but from all the polls being taken, the majority of them wanna come home.......yesterday. I am sick to my stomach over the way this administration continually uses our brave soldiers as propaganda tools. Just like Ari Fleischer is doing when he didn't even bother learning the name of the soldier who lost both his legs in Iraq, who is appearing in one of their pro-war commercials. They are all shameful to the core.

Clip Source: www.informationclearinghouse.info

Troops Cheer Call For Iraq Withdrawal

A call by Puerto Rico's governor for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq earned a standing ovation from a conference of more than 4,000 National Guardsmen.

Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila said Saturday that the U.S. administration has "no new strategy and no signs of success" and that prolonging the war would needlessly put guardsmen in harm's way.

"The war in Iraq has fractured the political will of the United States and the world," he said at the opening of the 129th National Guard Association general conference. "Clearly, a new war strategy is required and urgently."

Acevedo said sending more troops to Iraq would be a costly blunder.

"By increasing the number of National Guard and reserve troops, we put our soldiers in danger for the umpteenth time since the beginning of the global war on terrorism," said the governor, adding U.S. territories and states need Guard reserves in the event of natural disasters and domestic disturbances.

Tags: iraq, war, puerto rico, reserves, military

Ari Fleischer and his crew are dripping with panic

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:16:13 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: Fleischer and his group Freedom's Watch are not only using the overworked and phony connection between the Iraq war and the 9/11 attacks, but they are aiming at their own Republicans who are fleeing the president's Iraq strategy. They are so panicked that Bush is going to be forced into a corner in September, that they are actually trying to intimidate members of their own party with the same bullshit rhetoric and advertising they used to manipulate and scare voters in the past two elections. Ari and his group should be totally ashamed to exploit our wounded and killed vets in such a crass political game.

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Ari Fleischer's misleading message

By Joe Conason

If you happen to reside in the district of a Republican member of Congress whose support of the Iraq war is wavering, or in a state where a Republican senator is facing reelection next year, you may soon see a moving commercial. Featuring the voice and image of a veteran who lost both legs in Iraq, it delivers a familiar message: "They attacked us before" -- on 9/11 -- "and they will attack us again" if we don't fight on until "victory."

Nobody would want to argue with John Kriesel, the veteran who appears in this ad and whose sacrifices are all too obvious. When he gazes out from the screen to admonish us that "it's no time for politics," he is surely sincere.

and they insist that anyone who disagrees is motivated by "politics." But the same degree of misguided sincerity should not necessarily be attributed to Freedom's Watch, the new right-wing organization financing those ads.

Tags: iraq, war, fleischer, congress, manipulation, politics, veterans, wounded

Military Suicides

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:45:48 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: I wish I could have clipped the article in a more comprehensive fashion. Some pieces just cannot be done justice within the 1000 limit. However, I have tried to give a taste of what the article conveys, and I urge readers to check out the entire piece.

The suicide rate is deplorable, and most of it is due to the extra stress of these overly long and repeatable deployments. Our soldiers are not machines, and even if they were, machines do wear out in time. We are draining our fighting men and women of their own internal resources and exhausting their means to cope. This is a horrible situation for which there is only one answer, in my opinion. Bring these troops home from Iraq. Fight the war on terror where and how it should be fought. But asking our brave men and women to referee a religious and ethnic civil war, where the people you are training turn around and become your enemy is too much for anyone's nervous system to tolerate.

Clip Source: www.truthout.org

Suicides in Iraq; It's Worse Than You Thought

Let's look at some of the issues that have driven these soldiers to the ultimate action of taking their own lives while serving in the military:

Many of you have seen the headlines regarding the military suicides that have reached the highest level in 26 years. There were 99 confirmed Army suicides in 2006 (2 additional deaths are pending investigations), up from 88 in 2005 and the highest since 1991 during the Persian Gulf War.

In past wars, the normal tour for being in a war zone was 6 months and then a month off before moving on to another assignment. In Iraq and Afghanistan, that was first increased to 12 months and is now at 15 months.

Today, being in the middle of a local religious civil war, with the enemy not wearing a uniform and not fighting at a "front" or able to tell the "friends" from the "foes", the stress level never ceases.

Being away from their families for these longer tours

Legal and financial troubles

Tags: military, iraq, afghanistan, suicide, stress, war

Cheney Appears to Want War With Iran

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 21:34:49 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman have been working their neo-con agenda very hard with Bush. Many believe this is why Bush has named the Iranian Guard and terrorist organization. Thankfully, Condi Rice is against such action, as is Secretary Gates. But Cheney has a way of getting what he wants out of Bush, and from all indications, he is being quite relentless in his pursuit of war with Iran.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Cheney, Lieberman and the Iran War Conspiracy

We have known for a long time that Cheney wants a major air attack on Iranian nuclear sites and other military and economic targets.

The McClatchy story says Cheney proposed such a strike within the administration "several weeks ago," citing "two U.S. officials who are involved in Iran policy."

The story also indicates that the same officials say Condoleezza Rice "opposes this idea" and suggest that Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates agrees with her position.

The Cheney proposal for an airstrike against three bases in Iran can have only one purpose -- to provoke an Iranian retaliation that would then make it possible to unleash a full-fledged strategic air attack against Iran.

The first event that takes on new meaning is Joe Lieberman's public call on June 11 for exactly the same kind of attack on the alleged training bases in Iran as Cheney was advocating inside the administration.

Was that just a coincidence? Not a chance

Tags: iran, busb, cheney, lieberman, war on terror

War Drums Beating Towards Iran

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:51:14 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: Some people think that Bush having named the IRGC as a terrorist organization is just a way of assuaging the hawks in the administration, but does not indicate any particular action is being planned against Iran. Others believe that this is an ill-conceived, reactionary action by Bush that now enables his reasoning for attacking Iran. I happen to personally believe the latter is true, but I hope I am wrong.

Clip Source: www.atimes.com

US steps closer to war with Iran

The Bush administration has leaped toward war with Iran by, in essence, declaring war with the main branch of Iran's military, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which it plans to brand as a terrorist organization.

A logical evolution of US President George W Bush's ill-defined, boundless "war on terror", the White House's move is dangerous to the core, opening the way for open confrontation with Iran.

A New York Times editorial has dismissed this move as "amateurish" and a mere "theatric" on the part of the lame-duck president, while at the same time admitting that it represents a concession to "conflict-obsessed administration hawks who are lobbying for military strikes".

The political analysts who argue that the main impact of this initiative is "political" are plain wrong. It is a giant step toward war with Iran, irrespective of how well, or poorly, it is thought of, particularly in terms of its immediate and long-term implications

Tags: iran, bush, war on terror, misguided