Tag Archives: military

“Strategy for Success”: Hatch’s reason for supporting Surge

Orrin Hatch is now claiming that more troops are needed in Iraq because of the “failed” preparation for war in the first place.

Huh?

“I am supporting a strategy for success,” Hatch, R-Utah, said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

Of course he means the strategy for success to gain control all the oil in Iraq.

“So far, President Bush — who has a lot to answer for the mistakes that have been made”

What he is referring to is the mistake of not gaining control of the oil in the first place.

— is offering the only way to try to leave Iraq in better shape than it is now.”

He means that it will be better to have more control of the oil fields.

Strategy for “success”? “Success” will be achieved through the immediate withdrawl of U.S. troops so that Iraq can deal with its own issues and no more troops are killed in this illegal occupation of a country we had no business bombing in the first place.

Empty Shoes of War

Yesterday I was part of the organizing team for an exhibit called
Empty Shoes of War. The event was permitted by the city of Salt Lake.

The display was of empty children’s shoes (donated to Crossroads Urban Center afterwards)accompanied by collages of photos of orphaned, injured and dead children to show the effects of war in Iraq. While some of the photos were graphic, the public communicated to us all day that it was a great display and one that people should be seeing. We had great dialogue with parents, military personnel, teachers, teenagers and vets.



Throughout the day we were confronted about moving our display by library personnel (we didnt’ move) which I will post about at a later date. It was definitely an exercise in standing up for freedom of expression.

Coverage of Local Anti-War Events Yesterday

Below are the articles I found on yesterday’s coverage of events in Salt Lake. BYU Television also covered the event, but I can’t find a link to it on their website.

Utahns pack Salt Lake library to condemn war, buildup
The people decide, activists say to Bush: War protesters denounce the president’s plan for more troops in Iraq, call for protests

News of Today’s Anti-War Events

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson in Washington D.C. during the March on Washington
Rocky cries ‘no more’ to the Iraq war:
SLC mayor joins big-name speakers to stir up crowd

Rocky attacks ‘immoral war’:S.L. mayor, others speak out at huge D.C. protest
One Utah’s sound file of Rocky’s speech
Rocky Rallies In D.C., Reveals Plans For Future
Rocky joins celebs in rallying D.C. anti-war crowd
Mayor Anderson Delivers Anti-War Speech in Nation’s Capitol
Actors, Soldiers, SLC Mayor Demand End To Iraq War

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan

While the Bush Regime continues force more troops into Iraq, it also continues its bullying of the rest of the world by beefing up troops in Afghanistan, much to the surprise of soldiers and their families:

U.S. Troop Buildup Planned For Afghanistan: Heavy Spring Fighting Expected As Taliban Stages A Comeback

Lt. Watada update

This is an update on Lt. Watada, the soldier who refused to go to Iraq.

Anti-War Camp Gears up for Watada’s Trial Activities, vigils will support soldier who refused Iraq duty

A Mother Fights for a Soldier Who Said No to War

There is a Thank you Lt. Watada site that has the latest news about Lt. Watada, including a call for action on Feb. 5.

Support Lt. Watada

“My fellow soldiers are fighting and dying in Iraq and their families are suffering
because of the lies and deceptions crafted by the Bush Administration. The Iraq war is not only a crime against domestic and international law but [it] is a terrible moral injustice against the Iraqi people.”
– Lt. Ehren Watada

As the first Army officer to publicly speak out against the war and refuse deployment to Iraq, Lt Watada will be punished by the U.S. Army with a maximum six years in prison. The military’s intention IS to SILENCE VOICES OF RESISTANCE and make an example out of Lt. Watada.

“The war in Iraq is in fact illegal. It is my obligation and my duty to refuse any orders to participate in this war. An order to take part in an illegal war is unlawful in itself. So my obligation is not to follow the order to go to Iraq.” – Lt. Ehren Watada

Today is the day that Lt. Watada has a Pre-trial Hearing in Washington State for his court martial for refusing to “serve” in Iraq. There is also a rally at the gates of Fort Lewis, 8-11 am.

These other actions are coming up in relation to Lt. Watada’s court martial:
Continue reading

Creating Jobs Excuse for Dems to Increase Military Spending

We have to keep doing stupid stuff because we are too stupid to figure out how to create real, meaningful jobs in the U.S. Not surprisingly, the Dems want to spend MORE money on war “to create jobs”:

Democrats Expected to Increase U.S. Military Spending

The House of Representatives passed the annual defense authorization bill 396-31, with only 30 Democrats voting against it. The same bill passed 96-0 in the Senate.

“The issue is jobs, pure and simple,” Hellman said. “The F-22, as its builders will proudly tell you, represents 1,000 corporations in 42 states around the country. That represents a huge number of jobs.”

Pearl Harbor: The Truth

Today is the day that many people worldwide remember “Pearl Harbor Day”, 1947. Here is some reading for the occasion:

The Truth Behind Pearl Harbor
Revealed after 63 years: the truth behind Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor: The Facts Behind the Fiction
Pearl Harbor Historiography: A Lesson in Academic Housecleaning

School District Gets Rid of Jr. ROTC – Elected Official Upset

I received this from fellow green Pat Elder, of the Center on Conscience & War in Washington. I met Pat this summer at the National Green Party Convention and then again at Camp Democracy.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman, Duncan Hunter (R-CA) is apparently upset by the San Francisco Board of Education’s decision last week to toss out JROTC. Will Ike Skelton’s leadership be any different? We’ll soon find out.

If you get a chance, call Pelosi’s office and urge her to stand strong! 2371 Rayburn HOB – Washington, DC 20515 – (202) 225-4965.

U.S. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today sent the attached letter to Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) urging her to renounce the San Francisco Board of Education’s recent decision to severe ties with the Junior Reserve Officers Training Program.

According to an Associated Press news article, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom called the decision a “bad idea” since it penalized students without having a practical effect on Pentagon policies.

The San Francisco program, one of more than 3,500 units nationwide, provides leadership and civic education to more than 1,600 students.

For more information, please contact the House Armed Services Committee Communications Office at (202) 225-2539 or e-mail Josh Holly at josh.holly@mail.house.gov.