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Friday, October 24, 2008

Was John McCain an "Unlawful Combatant" in Vietnam?

Senator John McCain voted for the Military Commisson Act of 2006 from which we take the following:
The term 'unlawful enemy combatant' means – (i) a person who has engaged in hostilities or who has purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States or its co-belligerents who is not a lawful enemy combatant...

In reviewing footage recently I found an interesting piece in which an American pilot that had been shot down over Vietnam was claiming Prisoner of War status. He was threatened by a North Vietnamese Army officer who responded "War? What war? You are a criminal!"

Now, it is to their credit that the Vietnamese Communists respected the 1949 Geneva Convention and never seriously questioned the P.O.W. status of the captured American combatants. It is also their credit that the NVA paid a cash reward only for POWs that were brought to them alive. That's not the American way! And if the cells at the Hanoi Hilton weren't fit for human habitation, we must remember that they were originally built by the French for the Vietnamese.

There is no question that the Vietnamese considered John McCain a Prisoner of War, but as we are not in the habit of relying on our enemy's definitions, the question is: Was John McCain a "Prisoner Of War" or was he rather an "Unlawful Combatant" in the Bush-McCain legal terminology? Taking the definition above, and naturally substituting "Vietnam" for the "United States", there is no question that John McCain was "a person who has engaged in hostilities." Dropping bombs on a civilian area, which is what he was doing when he was shot down, definitely qualifies. So in the black/white world of Bush McCain he was either a "lawful enemy combatant" and entitled to POW status and the protections of the the Geneva Convention or he was an "Unlawful enemy combatant" and entitled to diddly.

Since WWII the United States has gotten into the, frankly, sloppy habit of going to war without a Declaration of War. In the Vietnam War there was no Declaration of War! Now that may be very convenient for a President and his War Mongers, but it definitely could cause problems when the question of the legality of the hostilities is considered my the other side.

Now I admit that I don't really know beans about International Law, but I do know something about how Law is commonly practiced in American, so I just know that if I go down to the World Courthouse in Anytown, U.S.A. and apply for P.O.W. status, the first thing the Clerk is going to ask me for is my Declaration of War, and it had better be current, and it had better be duly authorized, and it had better be dated before my hostilities, before he will even accept my application for POW status. After all, we live in a country of laws. A small business can't even sue in Small Claims Court if it has allowed its Fictitious Name Statement to expire. A citizen can't even vote if he's moved since the last time he registered. So how can any American expect Prisoner of War status when his country hasn't even Declared War?

So I call upon John McCain to reject the label that the Vietnamese Communist, U.S. Government and Media put on him, and apply his own standards to his own history and boldly proclaim, "I was not a POW, I was an Unlawful Combatant."


See Vietnam: American Holocaust

Vote November 4th: Put a maverick out to pasture!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Even the Birds on Venice Beach are Starting to Feel the Economic Crisis!

"Mad as Hell" Protest at L.A. City Hall


Abraham Butler is an artist and something of an icon on Venice Beach. He has been selling his art every day on the Westside of the Boardwalk between Rose and Dudley for more years than I can remember. He is important because he doesn't just sell his art there. He performs numerous public and humanitarian services such as looking after people and fighting for their rights. For example, after he saw my documentary production Vietnam: American Holocaust, he got me to set up a little stand on the beach that gives away the movie posters. He watches over it all day. I set it up in the morning and fill it with posters and I take it down at night, which makes for two excuses to walk up to the beach each day.

Another more important and general service he performs is food distribution. A variety of food stores or distributors know they can drop off boxes and bags of food at his location and a lot of people know they can likely do some cost free shopping a Abraham’s. I got lucky with strawberries and mushrooms this morning when I set up my stand. But fruits and vegetables are somewhat unusual. What you can find virtually every day is bread. He gets a regular deliver most every morning of lots of bread. French Bread, Rolls, Bagels, Pastry, sometimes cakes and cookies. I love walking up to the beach in the morning with my coffee for a free donut and coming back with some fancy bread that was marked $5.95 yesterday. A lot of people see him just for the bread. What is left, he feeds to the pigeons and seagulls on the beach.

This evening when I put up my stand, Abraham pointed to the bread blanket and said, "Look no bread left. It's been that way for the last couple of weeks. You know, people are hurting. They are now taking everything, and at the end of the day I don't have anything to give the birds.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Does Sarah Palin want to use Nukes for Population Control? Hotlist

What was she thinking? Watch this 1 minute video clip and decide for yourself.

In the Veep Debate Sarah Palin said
"Nuclear weaponry, of course, would be the be-all, end-all of just too many people in too many parts of our planet..."

What was she thinking?
Gwen Ifill asks "Uses for nuclear weapons?"
Sarah Palin's mind jumps to " too many people in too many parts of our planet."
What do nuclear weapons have to do with over-population?
What did she just let slip?
Just then her talking points catch up to her month and she finishes her statement in a way that just makes no sense.
Vietnam: American Holocaust

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Black Teenager Electrocuted for Stealing Hot Pockets!

I don't think my provocative headline is too out of line given the facts of this story:


Charlotte Teen Dies After Taser Shock At Work
Posted by: Cami Marshall, Web Producer 10 hrs ago (3/21/2008 8:08:47 AM)

A 17-year-old was killed by a police taser after a confrontation with his manager at the grocery store where he works.

Charlotte, NC -- A Charlotte teenager has died after being shocked with a Taser during a confrontation with police at the grocery store where he worked.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said 17-year-old Darryl Wayne died Thursday. An autopsy is pending.

The Charlotte Observer reported Friday that officers responded to a call at a Food Lion and saw Turner throwing something at a store manager.

Police said Turner appeared agitated, refused their commands and advanced toward an officer before the Taser was used.

Turner's mother, Tammy Fontenot, said her son told her earlier in the day that he had stolen Hot Pockets from the store and feared disciplinary action. Fontenot said she told him to go back to the store to face what happened.

Source: Associated Press


Article Above

Turner graduated first in his class at Crossroads Charter High School. He wished to be a personal trainer.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Just Another Day In Iraq

The truth is that I only get around to checking this Iraqi Resistance website every once in a while. I when I do I end up posting something because we get so little real news from Iraq and we are so inundated with politicians and Media saying the "Surge is Working" because "Violence is Down" in Iraq. It has become so much the accepted wisdom that now certain politicians are publicly berated for not admitting that the "Surge is Working". So I post this here to remind us all that those are all lies!

Now here are the headlines for Monday in Iraq:




*_ Monday, 28 July 2008._*

· Tribal police battle Iraqi regime troops in al-Hadithah Monday.

· Sunni-sectarian al-Qa‘idah belt bombers kill 32 Iraqi civilians in sectarian suicide attacks in Baghdad, Monday morning.

· Woman bomber kills 25 civilians in suicide attack on demonstration in Kirkuk Monday morning.

· US, Iraqi forces capture 57 Sunni-sectarian al-Qa‘idah gunmen in operation in northern Iraq Sunday night.

· In continued preparations for US attack on Iran, Iraqi police arrest five pro-Iranian Shi‘i-sectarian militiamen in raids, searches in al-Basrah.



Vietnam: American Holocaut will be shown this Saturday, August 2, 2008 1:00PM in Santa Monica at the Unurban, 3301 Pico. Blvd. This screening is being hosted by 911TruthLA. The filmmake will be present for Q&A.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Why I like Google: Reason #38

I like their "Come Back With A Warrant" attitude towards those seeking to get videos removed based on claims of copyright infringement. Most corporations would like to deny that a 'fair use' exception to the copyright law even exists. Google lets you know right away that here it will be vigorously defended. The 'don't tread on me' statement below is from the Google website instructions for filing a copyright complaint:
Infringement Notification - copyright in the US

To file a notice of infringement with us, you must provide a written communication (by fax or regular mail -- not by email, except by prior agreement) that sets forth the items specified below. Please note that you may be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you materially misrepresent that a product or activity is infringing your copyrights.


Indeed, in a recent case (please see http://www.onlinepolicy.org/action/l... for more information), a company that sent an infringement notification seeking removal of online materials that were protected by the fair use doctrine was ordered to pay such costs and attorneys fees. The company agreed to pay over $100,000. Accordingly, if you are not sure whether material available online infringes your copyright, we suggest that you first contact an attorney.

To expedite our ability to process your request, please use the following format (including section numbers):


Google is a product of the Free Software and Open Source movement. Millions of people that think they've never used Linux, use it every day when they access Google. That is one of the reasons I am proud to host my documentary Vietnam: American Holocaust at it's full resolution of 720x480 and it's full length, 87 minutes on Google Video.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Karl Marx on TV!

I am struck by the notice at the bottom of the C SPAN3 screen that there will be a program about Karl Marx on TV.
Today at 8pm (ET) on C-SPAN3
C-SPAN3 History: Karl Marx & Communism

It seems odd even to see or the name "Karl Marx" on TV. I literally can't remember the last time. Then I think how odd is that? And what does it say about the limitations placed on the world view presented to us on TV? All TV, even C SPAN?

After all, any way you slice it, Karl Marx was a pretty important person. He was at least as important as Hitler or Lincoln or Edison or Queen Elizabeth. After all he is unchallenged as the father of modern Communism. There is no question about that! The extreme Left and the extreme Right agree on very little but they all agree on that! Even his loyal sidekick Engels would give Karl the node.

When you consider that so many 'secondary' historical figures of the last century including Lenin, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi Minh, and Fidel have tried to implement his teachings and follow in his footsteps, is it a wonder that we are present so little about the man himself?

I am not here arguing the correctness of his theories, although I may do that on another occasion. I am arguing his historical significant. In many ways this thinker from the 19th century can be said to have dominated the 20th century. Consider this brief reprise. WWI led directly to the Russian Revolution and the opting out of several hundred people. WWII led to Communist victories in China, Korea, Eastern Europe, almost Western Europe and eventually Vietnam. All this was done under the banner of Karl Marx! On every continent and in virtually every sphere of human activity, in wars both Hot and Cold, a titanic struggle has proceeded around the gauntlet that was thrown down by Marx and Engels when they published the Communist Manifesto in 1848, but to the American TV viewing audience he is unknown. Even on the "History Channel". For example, a search of "Marx" on History.com turns up only these four hits:

The History Of St. Patrick's Day - Literary Ireland - George Bernard Shaw By the mid-1880s Shaw discovered the writings of Marx and turned to socialist polemics and critical journalism.
World War II - Key Figures - The Axis - Josef Stalin The Revolutionary While studying for the priesthood, Stalin read forbidden literature, including Karl Marx's Das Kapital, and . . .
History Channel Classroom: Karl Marx wrote that religion was "the opiate of the people."
History Channel Classroom: Compare the philosophy of Pythagoras and Karl Marx.


So according to the History Channel all we really need to know about Karl Marx is that some people, bad and maybe not so bad were influenced by him and he said that religion was "the opiate of the people." How strange.

Friday, May 2, 2008

On the Liberation of Viet Nam from a Veteran For Peace

I celerbrated Liberation Day for Vietnam by posting the finished version of Vietnam: American Holocaust to the Internet. Scott, you will be receiving a DVD in the mail before postage rates go up again. I end the preview of part 2 Vietnam: People's Victory with a clip that I absolutely love. It describes the formal surrender:

NARRATOR: Inside the palace, Duong Van Minh, president for 44 hours, was waiting. Colonel Bui Tin took the surrender.

COL. BUI TIN: When I saw fear on the faces of Minh and the others present, I said: "The war has ended today, and all Vietnamese are victors. Only the American imperialists are the vanquished. If you still have any feelings for the nation and the people, consider today a happy day."

In the Sixties we had a saying "The Power of the People will defeat the Man's Technology". The victory of the Vietnamese people in their 30 year struggle for liberation and independence is such a strong affirmation of those words that April 30th should be celerabated by people all over the world.

Scott Camil, of Winter Soldier '71 forwarded me this article by Vietnam Vet Bill Kelly. If was translated and ran in Vietnam's national newspaper:

Liberation Day for Viet Nam


Translation from article in Tuoi Tre, Viet Nam's national newspaper.

Written by Billy Kelly

30 April 1975

On this date, thirty-three years ago today, the long nightmare of the Vietnamese people finally ended. With the onset of WW II, theVietnamese people, led by Ho Chi Minh, began the fight to overthrow all foreign intruders, aggressors and colonialists.

It was not to be an easy task as the Viet people were forced to do battle with some of the world's great powers. One must still regard the accomplishment with wonder and awe. The imperial forces of the Japanese and their collaborators, the Asian version of Vichy France; then the newly liberated French intent on winning back its colonies with the approval and assistance of the US; then, after the defeat of the French at the historic battle of Dien Bien Phu, a new obstacle presented itself with the creation of an artificial entity called `The Republic of Viet Nam' again sponsored and supported by American might; and, finally, the US took the commanding role and launched a full-scale assault on the Vietnamese people with all its technological military might and the pretense of merely assisting this government was discarded.

At its height in 1969, the American forces totaled more than 550,000 armed men with foreign allies bringing the total near to 650,000. There was also the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) which would grow under the `Vietnamization' plan to reach nearly 1 million.

Today, the Vietnamese should celebrate and be proud of the giant steps forward that have been made since 1975. Viet Nam is a youthful country with a great portion of its population having been born after Liberation Day. I think it is vitally important for the Vietnamese not to forget the sacrifices and suffering that was borne by so many for so many years. I believe historians in years to come will look back upon the war years in Viet Nam as a turning point in the growth of civilization. The people of Viet Nam led by Ho Chi Minh exhibited to the world and set an example that all other nations could follow. They proved that the peoples' power of a united nation that will no longer accept an occupation by foreigners will win if great courage and perseverance are shown. I visited Sadr City in Baghdad in 2004 and was astonished to see a book written by Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap. I asked why it was in Iraq. The answer: "This is how we will learn to defeat the occupation."

As a young man in 1968, I was sent by my government to this small nation in SE Asia and was told that I was going to fight for the people of that nation to give them a life of liberty, freedom and democracy. I truly had no concept of what the Vietnamese people desired but quickly discovered the harsh reality that my presence was not appreciated nor wanted on their land. I was based in Quang Ngai Province in the village of Duc Pho. I was an alien creature to the Vietnamese. I spoke, ate, dressed, appeared and, probably, smelled strange. But the fact that I carried a weapon and was an instrument of my nation's wish to impose by force its will upon another was the deciding factor. With this early realization I made a promise to avoid the Vietnamese who opposed me and to do as little damage as possible. For the most part I was successful and, after a year, returned to my hometown of NYC.

I tried to forget the war but was not able to forget Viet Nam and its people. For this reason I followed the news reports as best I could when the final offensive began in 1975. For the most part the American people paid little attention to the reports of the People's Army rapidly liberating one city after another. After the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973, the war was no longer considered an `American' war. A `decent interval' had passed. Le Duc Tho and Henry Kissinger were even awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Le Duc Tho showed honor in declining the prize stating that "peace had not been achieved". Kissinger, of course, accepted.

I found an interesting article about the fall of Sai Gon and it revealed that the very same Le Duc Tho, the diplomat who spent years negotiating with Kissinger, was in Loc Ninh and Ben Cat for the final assault on Sai Gon. I find it very difficult to imagine `Doc' Kissinger anywhere near the front lines.

The offensive surprized many because of its speed and complete domination. Sai Gon's Army simply disappeared and fell apart. The highlands were taken quickly as Phuoc Long (Binh Phuoc) Province and Ban Me Thuot were abandoned and the defenders fled towards the coast. Soon after, the cities on the coast from Da Nang to Vung Tau would fall in rapid succession. All contact with the Cuu Long Delta was cut with the control of Highway 4. Sai Gon was ready for the `coup de grace'.

As I watched these events unfold I was struck with how happy I felt for the Vietnamese. All Vietnamese. The horror and sorrow of war was soon to end as Sai Gon surrendered almost willingly. The image of the tank crashing through the gates of the Presidential Palace on Le Duan Boulevard was displayed around the world and the joy of the inhabitants of Sai Gon greeting the People's Army as it entered the streets of the still beautiful city was apparent.

I also was greatly saddened by the role my country played in creating and prolonging an unnecessary war. Some termed it a civil war but, in my mind, that is an incorrect view. The overwhelming majority ofVietnamese supported independence and, of these, the vast majority supported Ho Chi Minh.

When Ho declared Independence for Viet Nam on 2 September 1945 in Ha Noi at Ba Dinh Square, the United States missed the first of many opportunities to recognize Viet Nam as an independent and sovereign nation. Bac Ho had reason to believe this might happen for President Roosevelt had declared that unless France pledged to grant independence to her colonies then the US would be justified in not returning them to French control. Sadly, Roosevelt died before his wishes could be accomplished. If the US had supported the right of the Vietnamese people to determine their own destiny then I have no doubt that any conflict that might have arisen would have come to a quick conclusion with the people choosing to support a government led by Ho Chi Minh instead of the small group of Vietnamese who wished to take the place of the French colonialists who had departed.

Many call 30 April, Re-Unification Day. I again disagree for Viet Nam was always unified. The disunity was imposed from without by the many foreigners who felt it necessary to ecome involved in Viet Nam's destiny. The imaginary artificial state, `The Republic of Vietnam', was merely a creation imposed upon the Vietnamese people. As shown when it was left to stand on its own, it could not exist.

There are many telling statements from America's leaders which illustrate this reality. Lyndon Johnson once asked his military advisors "Why do their Vietnamese fight better than ours?" The possessive pronoun `ours' indicates a great deal. It was not America in a supporting role for Sai Gon but the RVN Army acting in a relatively small role for the Americans. There was much rhetoric from both sides during the cold war but the oft used term `puppet' certainly was a fitting description of the government in Sai Gon.

That same statement leads to another question as to why one group of Vietnamese was so much better as `fighters'. I think the answer to that is obvious. Warfare of any sort is horrible. I do not believe that one ethnicity, race, nationality, etc. creates better soldiers. It all depends on why you fight. I feel there is only one justification for wielding weapons against another and that is in self-defence. A `just' fight on an individual level or a `just' war on a national level must be determined by the same criteria. Self- defence! All other wars are thus unjust and must be condemned by all.

`Our' Vietnamese, most of them forced into the military, who fought for the Americans were fighting against their own people and against their own interest. I think they knew this, so of course they would not be `good' soldiers. I, too, was a fighter on the wrong side of morality, legality, honor and history. I was the aggressor, invader and occupier of another's land. I tried to perform my duties as a soldier in an honorable manner but it really didn't matter because the end was wrong. Thus I might have considered myself a `good' soldier but that made no difference because the cause was unjust.

The `better' soldiers were those who took up arms to resist and to protect their `que huong/homeland' from the invaders and aggressors. That is not only a person's right but his duty and obligation. It might seem strange to say this but I feel the Vietnamese who were my opponents had an advantage over me. Even with all the technological power of the US Army on my side, the Vietnamese had a reason to fight. I did not! I never even used the word enemy to describe my opponents. That is a very difficult way to fight a battle.

For a short period after 30 April 1975, the Vietnamese were in a jubilant and celebratory mood. But soon the reality had to be faced. The long years of occupation with all the destruction and death created great challenges to the Vietnamese people. Many cities and villages were completely destroyed. "They made a wasteland and they called it peace" (the Roman historian Tacitus). Another quote from an anonymous American officer during Tet Mau Tang (1968); "It became necessary to destroy the town in order to save it!" We soon learned that the defoliation program which used Agent Orange was not as innocent as we were told. It might prove to be the final legacy of the war. A legacy that will never end.

A few years later, the Vietnamese were attacked by a true madman, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge who were being supported by the US and other powers. I recall photos of Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan being wined and dined on 5th Avenue in NYC during the 1980's. As the evidence came forth, this crazed regime was systematically committing genocide. And a genocide of its own people. Sui-Genocide? Fortunately for the Cambodians, Viet Nam chose to defend itself and put an end to the horror. For this accomplishment, the US again chose to punish Viet Nam by enforcing a cruel embargo on Viet Nam which lasted until 1994.

There are many examples that could be shown that illustrate the bitterness that continues in some way to this day. The Vietnamese are fond of telling me that the past is over and we must look to the future. Also, that "we will not forget but we will forgive." I wish my countrymen could follow this same philosophy. I think the hard feelings arise from the way Americans are raised from childhood. We are constantly reminded by all forms of media and through our educational system that we are somehow better than others. That we are a basically good people who will never choose to use our power to do wrong. Thus, it is very difficult to admit to the historical reality of our involvement in Viet Nam. And, instead of trying to aid Viet Nam in its development, we continually find ways to humiliate the Vietnamese people.

The POW/MIA controversy is an example. There are about 1,500 US servicemen missing in action in SE Asia. Millions of dollars are spent each year searching in the jungles and mountains of VN for remains of the lost soldiers and airmen. A few years ago, my hometown newspaper, The New York Times, had an editorial on this matter. I wrote a letter in response which the paper printed.

An excerpt: "We should also not forget the countless thousands of Vietnamese (300,000) who are also missing in action and unaccounted for. Within Vietnamese culture and belief, those lost souls are destined never to find rest until their remains are found and returned to their villages and families. We Americans suffered greatly from the war, but it is important for our own humanity to remember the much greater loss suffered by all Vietnamese."

Another example might be the periodic attempt by some US Congressmen to chastise the Vietnamese for what is described as "Human Rights Violations".

My reply to the proposal usually offered by Congressman Christopher Smith: "Viet Nam will survive and prosper as a free, proud and independent people. It would be easier for them if they had a friend in the American government. But rest assured, if need be, they will do it on their own. If the sovereignty of the Viet people and nation mean little to you, I would beseech you to honor the US soldiers who died in that sad war. I feel it is my duty and obligation to help the Vietnamese. Not solely to make amends but to insure that my fellow soldiers, Americans, did not die in vain. Sir, do you remember the ostensible reason we fought in Viet Nam? We were told we were bringing the Vietnamese a chance for a better life. Why not work with Viet Nam and in that way you and I can honor all Viets and Americans who died during the war years."

These actions and feelings are not to be attributed to all Americans. But they do indicate a syndrome, The Vietnam Syndrome, which still exists after all these years.

I did not intend to dwell on so many sad aspects of what is a day of glory and happiness for Vietnamese and Viet Nam. I realize the great suffering and punishment that Viet Nam had endured for so long; possibly 3 million dead out of a population in 1975 of 35 million; a land nearly annihilated with bombs, napalm, fire and defoliants; and, a continuing loss of life due to the scourge of Agent Orange. Even after so much of this, my country, America, might be said to have suffered a greater wound. A wound to its soul. The only way this stain on our honor can be removed is to offer the Vietnamese an apology and extend a helping hand wherever needed.

I try to honor Viet Nam in my own way as an individual and I will continue to `fight' for my new family. That is how I feel. I will be eternally grateful that the Vietnamese people have allowed me to return and have welcomed me as a friend. `Cam on nhieu lam.'

I try to visit Son My, Quang Ngai on 16 March every year and I bring 504 roses to honor the victims. A Vietnamese friend has taught me a phrase that I like to say at these times: "Toi den chia buon vui ban va gia dinh." It is a simple Vietnamese expression, used at times of overwhelming sadness. The literal translation is "I have come to share with you and your family your grief and your sorrow." Once said, the pain is divided and you carry away a piece of it. It remains with you always.

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Winston Churchill

The present day events in Iraq indicate we have not learned much.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Bush Iraq Speech Illustrated


Bush on Iraq - The Illustrated Speech April 10,2008


Today President Bush made a major speech on the Iraq War. It was lies as usual. So I decided to illustrated his words with pictures and sound from the real war. The media doesn't report what's really going on in Iraq. When over a thousand people held Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan at the National Labor College in Silver Springs, MD March 13-16 and heard dozens of veterans of of those conflicts testify as to what is really going on, the world's press was there, but in the US there was virtual Media Blackout.

It's like there's the real world and then there's an alternate reality of the "Surge" and "sectarian violence" that we get fed by Bush and the Media.


Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Sadr City Today: No Country For Old Men

The Truth is the US, is killing big time this Spring in Iraq.
Today there was a curfew all day and we shoot curfew violators

We are attacking parts of Baghdad and Basra with our aircrafts, bombs, missiles and helicopter gun ships. For weeks now we have cut off food to Sadr City, a Shiite ghetto of 2.5 million people. We have it surrounded by our Armour while we pound it from the air.

And it is no the legendary Al Qiada that we are killing in Sadr City and Basra. It is the Shiites, the same people that Saddam Hussein came down on. As Hussein killed the Father, we are trying to kill the Son. We are killing the Shiites so badly they long for the days of Saddam Hussein.

There is a Media Blackout, and Bush has given Petraeus a free hand to do whatever it takes to put down the rebellion...
If you don’t know what that means, then you need to see
Vietnam: American Holocaust.

This Week in Iraq the War Rages On!

News Not Reported Here – News From the Otherside

Iraqi Resistance Reports for the week of 5 April 2008. Translated and/or compiled by Muhammad Abu Nasr, member, editorial board, the Free Arab Voice.

Saturday, 5 April 2008.

· Iraqi regime Brigadier General shot dead in eastern Baghdad Saturday.

· US forces hold town under lockdown for more than one week, searching, burning, blowing up local residents’ homes.

· Katyusha rockets pound US base near ad-Diwaniyah midday Saturday.

Friday, 4 April 2008.

· US announces death of pilot in attack in Baghdad Thursday.

· US pours troops into Madinat as-Sadr district of Baghdad starting Thursday afternoon in preparation for offensive of raids and arrests targeting anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militiamen.

· Bomb explodes by US patrol in western Baghdad Thursday.

· Belt bomber attack kills 20 at funeral in as-Sa‘diyah, Diyala Province, Friday morning.

· Casualties reported in US helicopter assault on district in al-Basrah Friday.

Thursday, 3 April 2008.

· US troops in civilian dress spark “friendlyfire” battle with Iraqi regime police in al-Hillah, leaving six dead, 15 wounded, many of them civilians.

· Three people killed, one of them a woman, when US helicopter blasts family home of member of Sadr Movement in al-Basrah.

Wednesday, 2 April 2008.

· US-recruited tribal “Awakening” police murder five men released from prison by by Americans in al-Hadithah area Wednesday.

· US attacks on locked-down Madinat as-Sadr district continue amid media blackout.

· Gunmen ambush peasants aboard bus near ad-Dulu‘iyah early Wednesday, four peasants killed, four people abducted.

· Top Iraqi regime military officials survive assassination attempt in al-Basrah Wednesday.

Tuesday, 1 April 2008.

· Mortar shells target “Green Zone” Tuesday evening.

· US admits death of American soldier from wounds received in Iraq.

· Faced with defeat at the hands of as-Sadr, Nuri al-Maliki begged Tehran for face-saving deal to end fighting.

Monday, 31 March 2008.

· One US soldier killed in northeastern Baghdad Monday afternoon.

· US military announces death of two soldiers in Iraq on Sunday.

· Mortar shells blast into “Green Zone” in Baghdad Monday morning.

· Mortar barrage targets US consulate in al-Hillah.

Sunday, 30 March 2008.

· Sadr representative denounces US for preventing humanitarian supplies from getting to civilians in districts of Baghdad, calls for UN to intervene to save civilian lives.

· Ten mortar shells blast into “Green Zone” before dawn Sunday, following two bombardments Saturday.

· Rockets, mortar shells rain down of al-Maliki’s headquarters in al-Basrah, forcing US aircraft to evacuate Iraqi PM to safety.

· Sadr Movement in al-Basrah refuses to hand weapons over to Iraqi government troops so long as occupation of Iraq continues.

· Arab tribes in southern Iraq appeal for Arab intervention to stop “genocidal campaign” being waged by Iraqi regime “in accordance with US agenda.”

· US air craft kill three, wound seven in strikes just north of al-Basrah before dawn Sunday.

McCain says he doesn't want to keep U.S. troops in Iraq a century longer than necessary!

Monday, April 7, 2008

General Odom Debunks "The Surge"


On Wednesday, April 2, 2008 Senator Biden held hearings in the Foreign Relations Committee about the Security Situation in Iraq. Lt. Gen. William E. Odom (Ret.) - Former Director (1985-1988), National Security Agency, General Barry R. McCaffrey,(Ret.) - U.S. Army, Major General Robert H. Scales, Jr.(Ret.)- U.S. Army and Michele A. Flournoy- Co-Founder and President, Center for a New American Security testified. General Odom didn't go along with the alternate "reality" that everyone off was feeding on. When asked his strategy for getting out of Iraq he said "Plane and boats. You get on trucks and drive the trucks to the boats." I have put his excellent statement on the current situtation in Irag up on YouTube.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Obama's speech like Lincoln's

Obama's speech today reminded me of no speech more than what was probably the second most famous speech of the person most historians agree was America's greatest president. That speech was also given before he was president. I am referring to the "House Divided" speech given by senate candidate Abraham Lincoln in 1858. He said:

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half /slave/ and half free.

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided.

It will become all one thing or all the other.


When Lincoln said those words at a Republican state convention, he wasn't just making another campaign speech. He was using the political forum to provide guidance to the nation by outlining it's main task in the next decade. I think Obama's Tuesday speech on race in America will one day be seen in a similar light.

And like Lincoln's speech, Obama wrote it himself. The last time an American politician wrote a major speech himself, other than Obama, was Nixon in 1969. That's how rare it is! He just took two days from the campaign and wrote it himself.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Happy New Years Iraq!

Since 2008 began the U.S. has dropped some 90,000 pounds of bombs on six provinces in central Iraq, or an average of 9,000 pounds a day, according to today's L.A. Times. This is already at twice the rate of December. So the 'surge' is working, we hear it from all sides. Violence is down, especially since we don't count B-1 and F-16 strikes as 'violence.'

The nearly 50,000 pounds dropped on Diyala province on Thursday are of particular note. I submit that there is a back story here that can only be obtained by reading between the lines.

You see on Wednesday 6 American occupation soldiers were blown up after they invaded a booby-trapped house. So I have no doubt that the air strikes by strategic bombers on the same area the next day, strikes that almost certainly involved the wanton slaughter of civilians, was the usual revenge/terror response that I spoke of when Blackwater mercenaries murdered seventeen civilians in response to one resistance fighters sniper fire. Again, the chances of finding the people who actually booby-trapped the house are slim and none. So what's an occupation army to do? Make them pay! Show them what real terror is! Call in the B-1s.

Sunday, we will put out flag draped coffins for the six U.S. soldiers that found what they were looking for. And of those murdered in revenge? We don't even know how many, let alone their names.