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POPSWeapons failed US troops during Afghan firefight
A week ago, eight U.S. troops were killed at a base near Kamdesh, a town near Wanat. There's no immediate evidence of weapons failures at Kamdesh, but the circumstances were eerily similar to the Wanat battle: insurgents stormed an isolated stronghold manned by American forces stretched thin by the demands of war. Army Col. Wayne Shanks, a military spokesman in Afghanistan, said a review of the battle at Kamdesh is under way. "It is too early to make any assumptions regarding what did or didn't work correctly," he said. Complaints about the weapons the troops carry, especially the M4, aren't new. Army officials say that when properly cleaned and maintained, the M4 is a quality weapon that can pump out more than 3,000 rounds before any failures occur. The M4 is a shorter, lighter version of the M16, which made its debut during the Vietnam war. Roughly 500,000 M4s are in service, making it the rifle troops on the front lines trust with their lives.
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POPSWhy A Powell Endorsement Would Matter continued; Powell has been open about some of his own culpability, for presenting bad information to the UN, and accepts the fact that it will be a stain on his record, telling a reporter, "Of course it will. It's a blot. I'm the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and (it) will always be part of my record. It was painful. It's painful now." I'm not excusing Colin Powell for doing what he did. But, at the same time, him being one of the few who was in the White House during that time puts him in a unique position - to say he's been there and seen what happens when intelligence is no good and twisted, when we go into a war for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way, and that he's confident that Barack Obama is the guy to not only fix those mistakes, but to not repeat them.
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POPSNew CBS/NYT Polls Asks about Iraq More comments from troops; What I can't believe (0.00 / 0) is that ONLY 53 percent now realize that Iraq has nothing to do with the "GWOT." That's pretty depressing actually. After everything we know now, you would expect that percentage to be closer to 80, at least--well, I would...
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POPSDoes Your Service Matter? There are 4155 families that lost a loved one in Iraq, 584 that have lost a loved one in Afghanistan. There are tens of thousands of injured soldiers like myself, who not only deal with their injuries but have families that deal with the injuries too. Does Meghan McCain think that those 4,739 families that are grieving the loss of their loved ones don't know about war. Does she think that the tens of thousands of us wounded soldiers don't know about war. Yes, she does. This is not a simple mistake or a gaffe, this is a freudian slip and it gives us an insight into how Sen. McCain feels about the service of those of are not him. Sen. McCain has shown us by his voting record that we don't matter. Sen. McCain was publicly against the bi-patisan Webb/Hagel GI Bill. He tried to introduce his own watered down version because the Webb/Hagel bill was "too generous". If you did 3 tours in Iraq and want to get out and go to school...Sen. McCain thinks you don't matter.
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POPSJohn McCain Needs to Lay Off the POW Talk The fact is, John McCain's service during Vietnam was honorable and he sacrificed a great deal. But his service to the country carries no more weight than that of any other POW. Likewise, while McCain has given so much to his country, thousands of veterans--past and present--have given as much or more. In this war alone, thousands of troops have lost limbs, been paralyzed, and been burned beyond recognition. So to see McCain resort to playing the POW card when answering legitimate questions, in my mind, cheapens that experience. And by cheapening his own experience in war, he degrades all of our experiences in war. He turns the horrific incidents we've all seen, touched, smelled, and felt into a lame excuse to earn political points. And it dishonors us all. And while Spencer Ackerman is not a veteran himself, I think he sums up what many combat vets are feeling today after hearing the campaign's statement:
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POPS10 Weeks of Hell: Afghanistan Death Rate Exceeding Highest of Iraq War in an ambush, with four of them being captured and subsequently executed. Around the same time, Afghan insurgents launched a coordinated attack on a major U.S. base. The fatality rate in Afghanistan during the past 10 weeks would be equivalent to 353 deaths in Iraq at the same time--a rate not even seen during the bloody crescendo of 2007. This is a crisis.
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POPSMcCain: 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq not International Crises Perhaps this is why McCain's ideas on national security are so terrible. Forget about Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden and REAL Al-Qaeda. That isn't a major conflict. Let's not dwell too much on figuring out this Iraq problem. It isn't an international crisis. And maybe he was just having a "senior moment" and completely forgot about the Gulf War, apartheid, and genocide in Darfur, Rwanda and the Balkans. If you are reading this and are currently deployed or about to deploy, which at the current OPTEMPO should include anyone who is active duty, keep that chin up. Its not like this is a crisis or anything. And if you're a loved one of someone who made the ultimate sacrifice, remember that Senator McCain seems to think that your loved one died for something so trivial that it doesn't even break the "crisis" threshold.
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POPSThe Ironic Destruction Of Our National Guard Under President "Do Not Volunteer For Overseas Of all the statistics and stories I have read on this issue, many from the work I do with Veterans For America, one sticks out. This fall, half of New Jersey's National Guard will be in Iraq, half. What happens if there is another attack this fall at the end of the election cycle and half of New Jersey's National Guard is gone? What happens if a hurricane strikes the Jersey Shore? What happens if the National Guard is needed and they simply aren't there? Other issues with Iraq get more attention, but the silent destruction of our National Guard and the impact of this administration's policies on the future of the guard are often over-looked. As this administration breaks with long-standing Guard policy, like the fact that the Guard used to give five times as much time at home as deployed, morale and enrollment in the Guard will surely decline.
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POPSWar Photographer "Disembedded The Marine commanders who saw the photograph were not happy, saying it violated a "trust" between the military and journalists. The reason the Marines gave--that Zoriah had "provided the enemy with specific information on the effectiveness of the attack and the response of U.S. and Iraqi forces to the attack"--was nonsense. Now, I don't like seeing dead Americans at all. But if the country is going to fight a war, then the population needs to see the cost. What's next? Should we also ban combat-wounded paraplegics, amputees, and burn victims from going out in public after they return home? Is it just too shocking? Would not banning them from public allow the terrorists to achieve a victory on our own soil by inflicting dangerously low morale on the American public? Would it help al Qaeda with their battle damage assessments? And we certainly don't want the kids to see that kind of stuff--like Purple Heart awardees walking around without body parts.
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POPSMcCain's Surge in Iraq Crippling Efforts in Afghanistan The death rate for American troops in Afghanistan last month was four times that of Iraq. The last two months have been the deadliest of the war for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan since 2001. And today, Afghanistan sustained the deadliest single terrorist attack since 9/11 when suspected Taliban militants blew up the Indian embassy in Kabul. This is directly attributable to negligent policies set forth by the Bush administration--an administration dangerously obsessed with Iraq at the expense of the Real Global War on Terror. When many were urging the U.S. to focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan in early 2007, the Bush administration--with the support of Senator John McCain--launched the "surge" of troops into Baghdad. Unfortunately, Iraq is not, as John McCain says, the "central front" in the War on Terror--and it never has been. If there is such a thing, it is in Afghanistan and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
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POPSChickenhawk Smears Clark;Tries to Speak for Military But the fact that CNN had this kid on to talk about things for which he has no understanding wasn't the only thing that was disturbing. I love how it's totally unacceptable to give anything other than glowing reviews of John McCain's military experience in Media World, while it's okay to slander General Clark's military service. After Ferguson said that Clark had "ticked off everyone in the military," he went on to say that John McCain had "been in actual war zones while Wesley Clark was sitting in an air-conditioned room, telling people what to do with NATO." Ben needs to brush up on his talking points, because Clark was actually shot four times in Vietnam, and left the country on a stretcher. Most people would consider that having been in an "actual war zone." And to be honest, the next person to debate this kid on TV should ask for an apology--or just ask him what he has against wounded Vietnam veterans.
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POPSMcCain Talking Himself into Knots over WWIII and the Draft NEWT GINGRICH: I believe, if you take all the countries I just listed that you've been covering, put them on a map, look at all the different connectivity; you'd have to say to yourself this is in fact World War III. LARRY KING: Senator McCain, do you agree? JOHN MCCAIN: I do to some extent. I think it's important to recognize that we have terrorist organizations which -- who are dangerous by themselves, are now being supported by radical Islamic governments, i.e., the Iranians, which makes them incredibly more dangerous because they are trained, equipped, motivated and assisted in every way by the Iranians. So that it's the Iranians that gave them the rockets that they are reigning down on Haifa as we speak. So what's the deal, Senator McCain? You going to call for a draft, or what? Or is this war in Iraq not the big deal you've made it out to be?
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POPSDrop Weapons Video would not clip. It will take some time to load. But is well worth looking at. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1463341016/bctid1584805268
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POPSLogjam of War Contractor Fraud Suits The exact number of qui tam cases stuck in legal limbo is unknown because the cases are kept under strict seal. But sources who have been following the issue closely estimate that there are between 50 and 70 Iraq contracting fraud cases under seal. Under normal circumstances, when the DOJ receives a qui tam case, it conducts an investigation into the whistleblower's claims. If there is sufficient evidence of significant fraud, the DOJ joins with the whistleblower to sue the company in question and recover the government's money. The whistleblower can receive up to 30 percent of money recovered as a reward for their service to the taxpayer. Not a single qui tam case against war contractors has been joined by the Bush administration DOJ despite the possibility of recovering billions of dollars for the US taxpayer and reining in war profiteers, who continue to cheat and defraud the government and the US troops mired in battle. Go to source for full story.
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POPSFrom Across the Pond - Step forward George Bush From Blog: And who will be joining in the call: leading voices in the worlds of the arts and politics, including the novelist Iain Banks, the artist David Gentleman and the human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger, have now joined forces to call for Mr Bush to face a war crimes trial in the Hague. Wonder how the Brits will handle the security and where they will force their citizens to assemble. Labour Against the War Anti-war protest planned for Bush visit to London Stop the War Coalition (STWC) described Bush as a "war criminal" and said the protest will be held outside the British parliament on June 15. And a Happy Fathers Day jr. bush, by the way, why isn't your new son-in-law in a military uniform!
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POPSJoe Lieberman Officially Endorses John McCain For President # 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!
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POPSThe Nature of War Need to go to the source to get the full story. A little philosophy can stimulate the mind.
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POPSFormer commander in Iraq backs withdrawal bill “The improvements in security produced by the courage and blood of our troops have not been matched by a willingness on the part of Iraqi leaders to make the hard choices necessary to bring peace to their country,” Sanchez said in remarks to be aired Saturday for the weekly Democratic radio address. “There is no evidence that the Iraqis will choose to do so in the near future or that we have an ability to force that result,” he said. Sanchez added that the House bill “makes the proper preparation of our deploying troops a priority and requires the type of shift in their mission that will allow their numbers to be reduced substantially.” Critical assessments on the war from former Pentagon brass are nothing new. But Sanchez’s newfound alliance with Democrats is particularly noteworthy because he was directly in charge of combat operations in Iraq, from 2003 to 2004.
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POPSOctober 27th Mobilization To End The War With each passing day the human and financial cost of this unnecessary war grows more and more painful. It’s time for the American people to speak out; to collectively let our government know that it’s time for this war to end. October 27th provides just that opportunity and the world will be watching. Working together with our partners at United For Peace And Justice, Brave New Films has demonstrated again just how effective an advocacy tool video can be. As this video spreads throughout cyberspace, help it on its essential journey by spreading the word to friends and family. The power is in your hands, please use it and help the cause of peace now. The video is presented by Robert Greenwald and the entire team at Brave New Foundation. It was produced by John Ehrenfeld and Chris Gordon, who also edited the piece.
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POPSFrank Rich Nails The War Profiteers In His Sunday Column War profiteering happens even in "good" wars. Arthur Miller made his name in 1947 with "All My Sons," which ends with the suicide of a corrupt World War II contractor whose defective airplane parts cost 21 pilots their lives. But in the case of Iraq, this corruption has been at the center of the entire mission, from war-waging to nation-building. As the investigative reporters Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele observed in the October Vanity Fair, America has to date "spent twice as much in inflation-adjusted dollars to rebuild Iraq as it did to rebuild Japan - an industrialized country three times Iraq's size, two of whose cities had been incinerated by atomic bombs." (And still Iraq lacks reliable electric power.)
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POPSWar Profiteers, from cheney/bush On Down! Doesn't that last sentence just warm your heart also, War Profiteering from former U.S. military procurement officials as well. As Soldiers and Iraqi's are being Maimed and Killed!! Where have I seen this picture before, Oh Ya 'Nam! Public Warehousing Co. disclosed the federal investigation in two lawsuits filed in federal courts in Washington earlier this year. • In this complaint the company contended that the Pentagon was blocking its pursuit of further contracts because of the investigation. A PWC executive states his position here. After a Federal Claims Court judge indicated he would side with the company, the Justice Department and Pentagon reached a settlement with the company granting most of its demands.
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POPSLittle Evidence Of Jihadists in U.S. Accordingly this report will hopefully be yet another nail pounded into this administration's coffin of lies and distortions. The only war on terror is the one being waged against the American people by the neocon reactionaries in the White House seeking to rule by fear, intimidation and the destruction of the constitution. Curious isn't it, after a flurry of color-coded alerts designed to instill fear immediately preceeding the 2006 elections, lo and behold there were suddenly no more. Miraculously all fell quiet on the Western Front; the manipulation, was we are winning the war and keeping the people safe. Don't bet that you won't see them again soon though, there's an election on the horizon and the sheep will need a reminder. The study, "Suggests the presence of few, if any, prevalent terrorist threats currently within the U.S. The vast majority of cases turn out to include no link to terrorism once they go to court."
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POPSThe Dream Now Has Growing Roots Veterans Village.org Veterans are the light at the tip of the candle, illuminating the way for the whole nation. If veterans can achieve awareness, transformation, understanding, and peace, they can share with the rest of society the realities of war. And they can teach us how to make peace with ourselves and each other, so we never have to use violence to resolve conflicts again Please visit the Veterans Village.org for further information. Mission The mission of Patrick McCaffrey’s Foundation is to promote mental and holistic wellness and palliative care among veterans returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by providing a live-in retreat village, wherein with the help of trained professional staff and volunteers, veterans will find inner healing and an eventual re-entry into society.
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POPSThe ‘Good Germans’ Among Us Instead of taxing us for Iraq, the White House bought us off with tax cuts. Instead of mobilizing the needed troops, it kept a draft off the table by quietly purchasing its auxiliary army of contractors to finesse the overstretched military’s holes. With the war’s entire weight falling on a small voluntary force, amounting to less than 1 percent of the population, the rest of us were free to look the other way at whatever went down in Iraq. “We got more information out of a German general with a game of chess or Ping-Pong than they do today, with their torture,” said Henry Kolm, 90, an M.I.T. physicist whose interrogation of Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy, took place over a chessboard. George Frenkel, 87, recalled that he “never laid hands on anyone” in his many interrogations, adding, “I’m proud to say I never compromised my humanity.”
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POPSGeneral Sanchez Blasts Bush's Iraq Nightmare Sanchez continues, There is nothing going on today in Washington that would give us hope. Our commanders on the ground will continue to make progress and provide time for the development of a grand strategy. That will be wasted effort as we have seen repeatedly since 2003. In the meantime, our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines will continue to die. Military leaders, one after another are condemning this adminstration and war. Yet the ego-maniacal war criminal in the White House continues to send Americans to their death for no other reason than to enrich his war profiteer buddies.
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POPSUS Policy Making Terrorism Worse Looks like progressives were right all along. November 7th, 2008 will be our chance to speak loudly and make sure that those that would continue these policies that make us all less safe are told, go home.
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POPSTAKE BACK AMERICA As WE all know, last week was a horrendous week for what WE got in return for OUR VOTES in the Senate from Democrats. They couldn't pass the Senator Chris Dodd bill to restore Habeas Corpus, the Senator Chuck Webb Amendment to give OUR TROOPS much needed rest from never ending deployments that the NEOCONs "promise" relief on, but how many broken promises have come from this administration, and those who STILL REALLY RUN CONGRESS? When 23 WAR MONGER Democrats joined all the Republicans to outrageously attack Moveon for a completely factual newspaper ad using THE EXCUSE of DEFENDING ONE GENERALS HONOR ignoring THE FACT that thousands of troops and Iraqi civilians have died, INSTEAD OF staying FOCUSED on ENDING THE WAR IN IRAQ (THAT IS THE NATION'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY = BRINGING OUR TROOPS HOME TO NO SHIT AVOID THE DRAFT NECESSARY TO CONTINUE THE NEOCON CRUSADE INTO IRAN - DAH)
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