Iraq snapshot

congress in support of the multi-trillion dollar no-strings-attached

Wall Street bailout.

The first appointments of the new regime are truly disturbing. Illinois

congressman Rahm Emanuel, the new White House chief of staff is a

certifiable Democratic neocon who helped strongarm NAFTA, welfare reform

and the Telecom Act of 1996 though congress for Bill Clinton. He served on the board of Freddie Mac while it was busy inflating the housing bubble, and was

an early and unrepentant advocate of invading Iraq and bombing Iran. As head

of the DCCC, responsible for recruiting and funding 2006 Democratic c

ongressional candidates, Emanuel used corporate contributions to try to

knock more than a twenty antiwar Democrats out of primary races in favor of

pro-war Democrats. Confronted with choices between pro-war Democrats and

pro-war Republicans, voters rejected most of Emanuel's picks, costing

Democrats as many as ten Congressional seats.

Larry Summers, early front-runner to succeed Bush Treasury secretary Henry Paulson, was happy to be Enron's eyes and ears at Treasury, according to a handwritten note to his pal Ken Lay you can find at OpenLeft.com. Summers famously remarked that third world countries were "underpolluted". His

solution to this "problem" is encouraging them to sell their share of "rights" to poison the planet's oceans and air to wealthy western corporations through a system like the present futures and commodities exchanges. Both the outgoing Bush and the incoming Obama administrations are enthusiastic advocates of

this "market-based" approach. So much for a Change We Can Breathe In.

A rare poll conducted by Ipsos last January of 754 Iraqi refugees in Syria found that "every single person interviewed by Ipsos reported experiencing at least one traumatic event in Iraq prior to their arrival in Syria."  

UNHCR estimated that one in five of those registered with the agency in Syria

over the previous year were classified as "victims of torture and/or violence."

The survey showed that fully 89 per cent of those interviewed suffered depression and 82 per cent anxiety. This was linked to terrors endured before they fled

Iraq – 77 per cent of those interviewed reported being affected by air bombardments, shelling or rocket attacks. Eighty per cent had witnessed a shooting... and so on.

John Pilger was a lonely voice in 1997 warning that Blair was a dangerous fraud, a neocon in sheep's clothing. As Pilger later pointed out, the media could hardly plead ignorance:  

Blair's Vichy-like devotion to Washington was known: read his speeches about a new order led by America. His devotion to Rupert Murdoch, who flew him and Cherie Booth around the world first class, was known. His devotion to an extreme neoliberal Thatcherite economics was known…³   

Over the past two weeks -- one decade and three wars later -- the same media have been insisting, as one, that US president-elect Barrack Obama is another "new dawn". A Guardian leader observed:   

They did it. They really did it. So often crudely caricatured by others, the American people yesterday stood in the eye of history and made an emphatic choice for change for themselves and the world…

Today is for celebration, for happiness and for reflected human glory. Savour those words: President Barack Obama, America's hope and, in no small way, ours too.  

In the Guardian's news section, Oliver Burkeman described the victory as "historic, epochal, path breaking". But there was more:  

"Just being alive at a time when it's so evident that history is being made was elating and exhausting."  

In 2003, the Guardian's foreign editor, Ed Pilkington, told us: 

"We are not in the business of editorialising our news reports."⁴ 

Someone forgot to tell Burkeman, indeed the entire Guardian news team. At times like these, the media's claims to balanced coverage seem to belong to a different universe. Over the last two weeks, the public has been subjected to a one-way delusional deluge by the media. The propaganda is such that comments made by independent US presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, appear simply shocking: 

What we're seeing is the highest level of resignation and apathy and powerlessness I've ever seen. We're not talking about hoopla. We're not talking about 'hope'. We're not talking about rhetoric. We're not talking about 'rock star Obama'. We're talking about the question that is asked everywhere I go: 'What is left for the American people to decide other than their own personal lives under more restrictive circumstances year after year?' And the answer is: almost nothing.⁵  

Nader says of Obama: "This is show business what you're seeing." The crucial point: "Obama doesn't like to take on power."⁵  

iraq
the washington post
ernesto londono
dana priest
mcclatchy newspapers
warren p. strobel

leila fadel
media lens
john pilger

deborah haynes

dan balz
janet hook
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david dozer
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60 minutes
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2 US service members announced dead

China's Xinhau notes, "Two American soldiers died in separate non-combat related incidents in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Friday." Both are noted here: The US military announces, "A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier died as the result of a non-combat related cause at approximately 3:50 a.m. Nov. 13 in Baghdad." And the US miliary announces: "A Coalition force Soldier died as a result of a non-combat related cause at approximately 11:52 a.m Nov. 13 in western Iraq." But we'll note them again because the announcement were made late. The two deaths bring the total number of US service members killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war to 4197.

On the front page of this morning's New York Times, Katherine Zoepf and Mudhafer al-Husaini cover sticky bombs in "Militants Turn to Small Bombs in Iraq Attacks"

According to figures from Iraq's Interior Ministry, sticky bombs killed 3 people and wounded 18 in Baghdad alone during the month of July. In October, 9 people were killed and 46 more were injured by sticky bombs. Casualty rates caused by sticky bombs are still relatively low. But recent raids on insurgent groups have uncovered caches of the bombs, even "sticky bomb factories," Colonel Stover said. And magnetic I.E.D.'s have recently been made an explicit part of the training that American soldiers in Baghdad receive.
"We make our soldiers aware of the latest threat, and the latest I.E.D. threat is these magnetic I.E.D.'s," he said. "We put them in their hands and say, 'Hey, soldier, this is what this thing looks like.' They're sometimes used against us -- our vehicles are metallic, too."
Iraqi and United States officials acknowledge that "sticky bombs" have been an effective means of spreading terror among Iraqi urban populations but note that, paradoxically, the bombs are also a sign that terrorists are finding it harder to move freely.
"The safety barriers, the walls themselves, have largely taken away these catastrophic attacks that you saw in the past," Colonel Stover said. "The smaller bombs are not capable of causing that catastrophic attack. But they’re causing a lot of panic."

Stover might want to reconsider his assasine remarks because they are offensive. While the US may take the 'long range' view that sticky bombs do less damage, they still do damage and people still die. The people are not being 'silly' or 'paranoid' to be bothered (or in a "panic") over them. For more on sticky bombs, you can drop back to October for Ernesto Londono's "Use of 'Sticky IEDs' Rising in Iraq" (Washington Post) which noted:


Iraqi insurgents are increasingly using magnetically attached bombs known as "sticky IEDs" to assassinate mid- and low-level Iraqi officials, Iraqi and U.S. officials said.
Rigged with magnets so they will adhere to the undersides of automobiles and detonated by remote control or with timers, the bombs have been used in Iraq sporadically since 2004. This year, U.S. military officials said, they have investigated roughly 200 cases involving magnetic bombs, and Iraqi officials said they have noted an increase in assassination attempts in which attackers use guns equipped with silencers.

Staying with bombs in Iraq, an Iraqi correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers offers "The Explosive Detecting Device of the Iraqi Forces" (Inside Iraq) addressing the ineffective devices used to 'detect' bombs:

The first time I found out this fact was few days ago. I was with my friend in his car coming to work. When our car passed through the checkpoint, the Iraqi soldier walked beside the car carrying the detecting device. The antenna of the device moved towards our car which means that we have explosives. The soldier ordered us to park aside. My friend did exactly what the soldier wanted. Another soldier came towards us and told my friend to open the trunk and he searched it. he didn't find anything. while searching our car, a soldier came riding his motorbike and carrying his AK 47 gun. he passed through the checkpoint. I was looking at him when I saw that the device didn't detect anything although the gun was loaded. I thought it is only the device was broken.
The second incident was in Abo Nowas street in downtown Baghdad. Another kind of the detecting devices is used in one of the check point. Again, the devices detected something in our car. We stopped and the policeman checked it but he found nothing. he came towards us and asked "anyone of wear perfume?" I said quickly "yes I do" then the man said "ok you can go." I was like OMG. What kind of detecting devices our forces have".

The Congressional races still ongoing include the December 6th vote for a House seat the Green Party's Malik Rahim is running for.





Kimberly Wilder (On The Wilder Side) is supporting Malik's run and covering it and you can click here for the YouTube video of him speaking at the Green Party convention last July.

Public broadcasting notes. NOW on PBS explores green collar jobs:


Can something as common as building materials represent an opportunity to create jobs, help the needy, and save the planet? This week, NOW looks at two "green" projects keeping furniture, paint, cabinets, and other building supplies out of landfills and getting them into the hands of those who need them most. Will they be devastated by the economic meltdown, or do they signal a possible way out?
Based in the Bronx, New York, Greenworker Co-operatives aims to set up worker-owned green businesses. The first of these is Rebuilders Source, a store that sells recycled and donated building materials at affordable prices--items that would otherwise have ended up in a landfill.
"My vision now is a completely green South Bronx," says Bronx-born entrepreneur Omar Freilla, the founder of Greenworker Co-operatives, "with businesses throughout the area that are owned and run by people living in the area together."
On the other side of the country, in Southern California, Materials Matter matches donations of furniture and high quality building materials with individuals, organizations, and homeless shelters that use the materials to literally rebuild lives. But the faltering economy has had an impact.
"We have to decide whether the value of that donation will be worth the cost of transportation," says Materials Matter co-founder Alison Riback on her blog. "[The economic downturn] put a huge dent in our 'always say yes to a donation' philosophy."
This show is part of Enterprising Ideas, NOW's continuing spotlight on social entrepreneurs working to improve the world through self-sustaining innovation.


NOW on PBS begins airing tonight in most PBS markets, check local listings. Washington Week also begins airing on some PBS stations tonight (and later throughout the weekend on others). Gwen's joined by Greg Ip (The Economist), Dan Balz (Washington Post), Janet Hook (Los Angeles Times) and Karen Tumulty (Time magazine) and topics will include the proposed auto bailout, Barack, Bully Boy transitioning to civilian war time (okay, Karen won't really discuss that, but she should) and Congressional races. On Barack, CBS' 60 Minutes gets the first extended television interview with him since the election (Steve Kroft interviews him) and that airs this Sunday.

That's public broadcasting TV, public broadcasting radio includes WBAI and we'll note these programs airing Sunday and Monday on WBAI:

Sunday, November 16, 11am-noon

THE NEXT HOUR

Former WBAI News Director and Dan Rather writer, Paul Fischer's latest newsical in the series "What's the Freqency, Kenneth?" This time, Paul goes one joke over the line...to confess his lifelong addiction to drug songs.

Monday, November 17, 2-3pm

Cat Radio Cafe

Feminist author Vivian Gornick on her latest book of literary criticism, "The Men In My Life," downtown icon Edgar Oliver on "East 10th Street Self-Portrait," a play by and about him; and playwright Stephen Belber on his newest work, "Geometry of Fire,"about an investment-banker-turned Marine sniper returned from Iraq and a Saudi-American who just wants to get laid. Hosted by Janet Coleman and David Dozer."


Broadcasting at WBAI/NY 99.5 FM
Streaming live at WBAI
Archived at Cat Radio Cafe

Zach asks that we note this from A.N.S.W.E.R.:

Mass Actions on the 6th Anniversary of the Iraq War -- March 21, 2009
Bring All the Troops Home Now -- End All Colonial Occupations!
Fund People's Needs, Not Militarism & Bank Bailouts!

Marking the sixth anniversary of the criminal invasion of Iraq, thousands will take to the streets of Washington D.C. and other cities across the U.S. and around the world in March 2009 to say, “Bring the Troops Home NOW!” We will also demand “End Colonial Occupation in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Everywhere,” and “Fund Peoples’ Needs Not Militarism and Bank Bailouts.” We also insist on an end to the war threats and economic sanctions against Iran.

The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) is organizing for unified mass marches and rallies in Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and other cities on Saturday, March 21, 2009. Months ago we obtained permits for sixth anniversary demonstrations. ANSWER has been actively involved with other coalitions, organizations, and networks to organize unified anti-war demonstrations in the spring of 2009. ANSWER participated in the National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations that was held in Cleveland, Ohio on June 28th-29th and attended by 450 people, including many national and local anti-war coalitions. The National Assembly gathering agreed to promote national, unified anti-war demonstrations in the Spring of 2009.

The war in Iraq has killed, wounded or displaced nearly a third of Iraq’s 26 million people. Thousands of U.S. soldiers have been killed and hundreds of thousands more have suffered severe physical and psychological wounds. The cost of the war is now running at $700 million dollars per day, over $7,000 per second. The U.S. leaders who have initiated and conducted this criminal war should be tried and jailed for war crimes.

The war in Afghanistan is expanding, and both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates and Congressional leaders have promised to send in more troops. Both have promised to increase the size of the U. S. military. Both have promised to increase military aid to Israel to continue its oppression of the Palestinian people, including the denial of the right of return.

While millions of families are losing their homes, jobs and healthcare, the real military budget next year will top one trillion dollars, $1,000,000,000,000. If used to meet people’s needs, that amount could create 10 million new jobs at $60,000 per year, provide healthcare for everyone who does not have it now, rebuild New Orleans and repair much of the damage done in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Federal bailouts of the biggest banks and investors many of whom have also made billions in profits from militarism, are already up to an astounding $2.5 trillion this year. None of that money is earmarked for keeping millions of foreclosed and evicted families in their homes.

Coming just two months after the inauguration of the next president, March 21, 2009 will be a critical opportunity to let the new administration in Washington hear the voice of the people demanding justice.

Click this link to endorse the March 21 Actions
If you're planning a local March 21 anti-war action, let us know by clicking this link.

That was mentioned in Monday's snapshot and will be noted in the snapshots as it draws nearer. But, as Zack points out, the so-called 'movement' is "pretty damn pathetic right now and noting what A.N.S.W.E.R. has planned might clue people in that some are still working to end the illegal war." Good point. In Monday's snapshot, we also linked to Debra Sweet's "Going Forward in Stopping the Crimes of Your Government" (World Can't Wait) and we'll note a section of it here:


Some hard facts & questions:

What is there to celebrate in an Obama presidency? Making us feel good about the country again when Obama is trying to unite us to behind what he calls "the good war" in Afghanistan? While people in the US were lining up to vote, a US air strike on an Afghan wedding party killed 34 civilians. Another strike killed 7 more yesterday.

Obama, the "anti-war" candidate, wants to leave 50 to 80,000 troops in Iraq, and move more combat brigades to Afghanistan. He promises to increase the US military by 92,000, ready to project American empire further on the lives of kids in high school now. Obama proposed sending drones and special forces into Pakistan - a sovereign country - and the Bush regime secretly began attacks on Pakistan in July, which have killed scores of civilians, as part of the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive war.

How could we celebrate "national unity" when Obama's vote for the FISA law opens the way for unprecedented political repression and spying on the people? People expected Obama, who taught Constitutional law, to protect their rights, but Obama went out of his way to make an unpopular vote to bolster the "war on terror" and set the basis for expanded political repression. He voted for an amended USA PATRIOT Act that had more draconian curbs on political protest than the 2001 version.

How can we feel Obama is "for the people" when he put all his backing behind the bailout of Wall Street banks, but tells the people only to have faith in their leaders? When he supports the notoriously racist death penalty, and blames Black people themselves for the huge prison population? When he finds "common ground" with the most rabid Christian fundamentalist plans to do away with abortion and gay marriage? The ban on gay marriage passed in California, benefiting from Obama's expressed opposition to gay marriage.

In the face of huge crimes perpetrated by the Bush regime,.Obama said, "I think you reserve impeachment for grave, grave breaches, and intentional breaches of the president's authority."

There is a responsibility and a way for us to act:

This is not the time to "wait and see" what Obama will do after January 20, or after 6 months or a year...or never, because if he does what's in the peoples' interests he won't be re-elected? He's telling us what he will do, and the worst thing would be to get passive in the face of more crimes being done in our name.

There is a force to join with that will firmly oppose this program. World Can't Wait will be here, organizing a movement of resistance with a realistic aim -- to bring these crimes and this whole direction to a stop. If you don't want to join us now, remember what we're saying, and when it does become clear to you that the crimes of your government - not matter who is president -- have to be stopped, join with the kind of movement that CAN make that happen.

We'll note an action this weekend:

The San Francisco rally against Prop 8 this weekend is part of a nationwide mobilization -- a peaceful demonstration in support of marriage equality in California. For a full list of rallies throughout the state and country, check out the Join the Impact website.

San Francisco rally details:

• Where: San Francisco City Hall
• When: November 15, 2008 - 10:30a to 1:30p

And from Join The Impact, the following will be holding actions as well:

This Saturday, November 15, 2008, Join the Impact in EVERY single state in America. Click your state below to learn more.

Alabama	Indiana	Nebraska	South Carolina
Alaska	Iowa	Nevada	South Dakota
Arizona	Kansas	New Hampshire	Tennessee
Arkansas	Kentucky	New Jersey	Texas
California	Louisiana	New Mexico	Utah
Colorado	Maine	New York	Vermont
Connecticut	Maryland	North Carolina	Virginia
Delaware	Massachusetts	North Dakota	Washington
Florida	Michigan	Ohio	Washington DC
Georgia	Minnesota	Oklahoma	West Virginia
Hawaii	Mississippi	Oregon	Wisconsin
Idaho	Missouri	Pennsylvania	Wyoming
Illinois	Montana	Rhode Island	*International*

Stan continues covering the topic at his site and posted "Homophobia" last night. And swiping from his site to grab the latest community posts:

• 
  Mikey Likes It!

  Jeff Cohen the Damned Liar

  11 hours ago
• 
  Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude

  john pilger, heroes, more

  11 hours ago
• 
  SICKOFITRADLZ

  Homophobia

  11 hours ago
• 
  Ruth's Report

  Oink, oink cry the pigs of the press

  11 hours ago
• 
  Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)

  No auto bailout

  11 hours ago
• 
  Cedric's Big Mix

  America dodged a close one!

  11 hours ago
• 
  The Daily Jot

  THIS JUST IN! DISAPPOINTMENTS SET IN!

  11 hours ago

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.

iraq
the new york times
katherine zoepf
mudhafer al-husaini
mcclatchy newspapers
the washington post
ernesto londono
dan balz
janet hook
wbai
cat radio cafe
janet coleman
david dozer
vivian gornick
60 minutes
cbs news
karen tumulty
washington week
now on pbs
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a.n.s.w.e.r.
debra sweet
kats korner
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
the daily jot
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mikey likes it
ruths report
sickofitradlz
oh boy it never ends

The treaty and two countries prepare to leave Iraq

It was a dawn of the dead - Blair left behind him the almost unimaginable horror of Iraq and Afghanistan.

A rare poll conducted by Ipsos last January of 754 Iraqi refugees in Syria found that "every single person interviewed by Ipsos reported experiencing at least one traumatic event in Iraq prior to their arrival in Syria."

UNHCR estimated that one in five of those registered with the agency in Syria over the previous year were classified as "victims of torture and/or violence." The survey showed that fully 89 per cent of those interviewed suffered depression and 82 per cent anxiety. This was linked to terrors endured before they fled Iraq – 77 per cent of those interviewed reported being affected by air bombardments, shelling or rocket attacks. Eighty per cent had witnessed a shooting... and so on.

John Pilger was a lonely voice in 1997 warning that Blair was a dangerous fraud, a neocon in sheep's clothing. As Pilger later pointed out, the media could hardly plead ignorance:

Blair’s Vichy-like devotion to Washington was known: read his speeches about a new order led by America. His devotion to Rupert Murdoch, who flew him and Cherie Booth around the world first class, was known. His devotion to an extreme neoliberal Thatcherite economics was known…³

Over the past two weeks -- one decade and three wars later -- the same media have been insisting, as one, that US president-elect Barrack Obama is another "new dawn". A Guardian leader observed:

They did it. They really did it. So often crudely caricatured by others, the American people yesterday stood in the eye of history and made an emphatic choice for change for themselves and the world…

Today is for celebration, for happiness and for reflected human glory. Savour those words: President Barack Obama, America’s hope and, in no small way, ours too.

In the Guardian's news section, Oliver Burkeman described the victory as "historic, epochal, path breaking". But there was more:

"Just being alive at a time when it’s so evident that history is being made was elating and exhausting."

In 2003, the Guardian's foreign editor, Ed Pilkington, told us:

"We are not in the business of editorialising our news reports."⁴

Someone forgot to tell Burkeman, indeed the entire Guardian news team. At times like these, the media's claims to balanced coverage seem to belong to a different universe. Over the last two weeks, the public has been subjected to a one-way delusional deluge by the media. The propaganda is such that comments made by independent US presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, appear simply shocking:

What we're seeing is the highest level of resignation and apathy and powerlessness I've ever seen. We're not talking about hoopla. We're not talking about 'hope'. We’re not talking about rhetoric. We're not talking about 'rock star Obama'. We’re talking about the question that is asked everywhere I go: 'What is left for the American people to decide other than their own personal lives under more restrictive circumstances year after year?' And the answer is: almost nothing.⁵

Nader says of Obama: "This is show business what you’re seeing." The crucial point: "Obama doesn't like to take on power."⁵

the washington post

ernesto londono

dana priest

warren p. strobel

media lens

john pilger

I Hate The War

Iraq snapshot

Thursday, November 13, 2008.  Chaos and violence continue, a plane crashes in Iraq, Military Families Speak Out calls out VA  Secretary James Peake, and more.   Earlier this week the US Secretary of Veterans Affairs appeared on PBS' NewsHour and Military Families Speak Out has issued a press release rebuttal:   Nationwide -- Members of Military Families Speak Out are condemning comments by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs suggesting that the dramatic increase in the suicide rate among young veterans is not connected to the war in Iraq.  The suicide rate among male veterans under the age of 29 is now twice that of the general population.   In an interview aired Monday November 10th on PBS's NewsHour, Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake said that Veterans' suicides are the result of:  "the same kinds of issues that have to do with suicide in the general population.  It is issues of failed relationships, senses of hopelessness, transitions in life, that are at the root cause . . . we're not making a direct correlationw ith combat."   Specialist Scott Eiswert committed suicide in May after being told by a friend that his unit of the Tennessee National Guard would be returning to Iraq.  His widow, Tracy Eiswert, a member of Military Families Speak Out, expressed outrage at Secretary Peake's comments: "I am not a statistic.  We are a military family.  We are real people with real experiences as a result of my husband's PTSD and his suicide.  He wasn't that way before he went to Iraq, he came back changed."  After returning from a tour of duty in Iraq, Spc. Eiswert had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by civilian doctors, but the Veterans Administration denied that his condition was the result of his experiences in Iraq.  The Veterans Administration reversed that ruling in August.  Tracy Eiswert said: "It took him having to put a gun in his mouth for the military to admit that the changes in my husband were a result of the war.  If they had admit that the changes in my husband were a result of the war.  If they had admitted that earlier he might still be alive."   Kevin and Joyce Lucey are members of Military Families Speak Out and the parents of Corporal Jeffrey Lucey, a Marine Corps Reservist who suffered severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of his service in Iraq in 2003.  Shortly after being turned away from a Veterans Administration hospital, Corporal Lucey killed himself on June 22, 2004.  Kevin Lucey said:  "Secretary Peake's words are the kind of self serving comments that this nation does not need to hear from the Veterans Administration and its leadership.  This is why many regard this VA administration to be steeped in disgrace and dishonor when it comes to our loved ones.  They feel that they need to explain away, rationalize, justify or minimize -- instead of committing their resources, time and efforts to create the best healthcare system on God's earth." Joyce Lucey also had strong words for Secretary Peake: "This is dishonorable, disgraceful and shameful behaivor from someone who is charged with giving the best of care to our warriors.  With this type of message and thinking, is it any wonder that many of our troops and veterans don't seek help from those who are so callous and uncaring?"   Specialist Joe Hafley, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Military Families Speak Out who has had to fight to get treatment for his own Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, agreed.  Hafley served in Iraq with the U.S. Army Reserves from 2004 - 2005, and his brother, a Major with the U.S. Army Reserves is scheduled to deploy to Iraq early next year.  When Hafley returned from Iraq, the Veterans Administration diagnosed him with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and severe depression -- but ruled that none of those conditions were the result of his service in Iraq.  He said:  "My treatment at the VA was belittling and frustrating.  To have them diagnose me with PTSD and not attribute it to my service in Iraq is a slap in the face.  To have them tell me the problems could be the result of a failed relationship rather than the result of my experiences in combat makes me feel that as a veteran I have no place at the VA.    "The thing that is most baffling to me is that this 800 pound gorilla in the room, not being addressed.  Why are we feeling hopeless?  Why do we have failed relationships?  The common denominator is we all served in Iraq.  Maybe my feeling of hopelessness is that I served my country with honor and I am still trying to figure out for what reason?  For what just cause?   "Secretary Peake, it doesn't matter how many additional mental health workers you hire if you as the person at the top still feel we are just losers that failed to adjust or that we entered our military service unit.  No amount of false support will help us."   For The NewsHour report (link has text and video), Tracy Eiswert explained of her husband to Betty Ann Bowser, "He said he felt belittled because they didn't take what he was saying seriously.  'This is what it happened to me over there.'  You know, and they wanted to talk about, 'Well, how's your marriage? Or how was your childhood? How was your dad with you?' And he's like, 'Well, what's this got to do with why I'm here today?'"  Meanwhile Aaron Glantz (OneWorld) reports that Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Modern Warfare "filed a class action lawsuit this week to help ensure bureaucratic delays no longer keep disabled U.S. veterans from getting the financial help they need, when they need it most" and they are asking "a federal court to order interim benefits to be paid to a veteran if an initial claim for disability compensation takes longer than 90 days to be processed or an appeal of a denied claim takes longer than six months."    Reuters reports a civilian plane, Falcon Aviation Group Ltd, with FedEx cargo has crashed in Iraq "killing all seven people on board".   Moving to yesterday's Mosul shooting.  Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) reports that eight US soldiers were shot yesterday with two of them being shot to death and alleged shooter Barzan Mohammed reportedly used an AK-47 submachine gun in "the shooting spree".  Sam Dagher (New York Times) explains what Iraqi officials and eye witnesses are saying: Mosul police's Brig Gen Abdul-Karim al-Jubouri, "a senior official in the Ministry of Defense and an officer of the Nineveh Operations Command" all say there was "a quarrel between an American and Iraqi soldier" at the onset; 2 Iraqi soldiers and one Iraqi Army officer (all witnesses) described the US patrol arriving at the Iraqi post and "[a] heated arugment" taking place "between one of the American soldiers and an Iraqi soldier identified as Barzan Mohammed Abdullah, prompting the American to curse at the Iraqi, spit in his face and slap him, the Iraqis said.  The Iraqi soldier then opened fire on the American, they said, and other American soldiers responded with a barrage of gunfire at the Iraqi."  Ernesto Londono and Qais Mizher (Washington Post) note that US Maj. Gen. Mark P. "Hertling dismissed reports by Iraqi officials who suggested that an altercation between Iraqi and American soldiers preceded the gunfire in Mosul, but he said he had no information on the shooter's motive. He said U.S. and Iraqi officials are jointly investigating the incident."   The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq issued the following statement:   The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG) Staffan de Mistura expressed his shock and outrage at the continued targeting and killing of religious minorities, following the murder of two Christian sisters in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which has recently seen thousands of its inhabitants flee their homes after a campaign of threats and attacks.   The SRSG noted that this cowardly attack came hours after the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that some recently displaced Christian families are beginning to return to Mosul as the security situation in the city shows signs of improvement.      He said Mosul has historically been and must remain the cradle of religious and ethnic diversity, reiterating the United Nations' position that respecting and guaranteeing the rights of minorities in Iraq is "absolutely fundamental to a stable and democratic future for our country."   Mr. de Mistura called on the Iraqi Government authorities to do everything in their power to safeguard the human rights and protection of Christian, Yezidis, Shabak and other minorities -- all of whome have been the victims of terrible attacks -- and to ensure that those responsible for these attacks are swiftly brought to justice.  The SRSG also urged local authorities, as well as the Kurdistan Regional Government, to assist in protecting the rights of minorities and their religious identity, as well as in ending impunity for these criminal attacks.   That's in reference to the Mosul attack that left 2 women dead and a third wounded.  Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) notes, "On Wednesday, two Christian sisters were gunned down in Mosul and their mother was wounded. When police responded, unknown assailants detonated a roadside bomb, wounding three officers. The shooting underscores Christian fears in the city. Ten thousand or more Christians fled the city last month after a spate of about 15 killings of Christians in just two weeks." Sam Dagher (New York Times) explains that the older sister was Lamia Subaih Daoud, who worked for the municpal government and was the mother of three small children, was murdered first while waiting outside the family home on a bus and the assailants then stormed the house and shot dead the woman's twenty-three-year-old sister and wounded the women's mother. Dagher notes that Lamia's three children were asleep in the home "and survived the attack." The Melbourne Herald Sun supplies the name of the younger sister, "The intruders killed Lamia and Walaa Sabih and wounded their mother before booby-trapping the house. When police arrived a bomb went off, wounding two of them, an officer said on condition of anonymity." Asia News explains while both sisters were shot, the mother was attacked with a knife, that both sisters worked for the Office of the Treasurer of the Municipality of Wala, that their names were Lamia Sobhy Salloha and Walaa Sobhy Salloha and, "According to eyewitnesses the attack was carried out by a gang of 16-to-18 year olds who after attacking the residents of the house placed a bomb at the entrance and detonated it when a group of police agents came to the scene, killing two and wounding others." Aid to the Church in Need's John Pontifex (at Australia's Christian Today) observes, "Christians and other minorities are saying that the incident casts doubt on the Iraqi government's bid to improve security with a massively increased police presence in the city. . . . Speaking from northern Iraq in an interview with ACN, Fr Bashar Warda, who has overseen the charity's emergency relief programmes for people fleeing Mosul, said today's incident was having a 'dramatic' effect on the faithful, who now fear another wave of attacks against them.  Fr Warda said: 'It is clear that many would think of leaving Mosul again.  The government is trying to say the city is now safe and then suddenly you have incidents like this'." UPI notes: "Iraqi Christians began issuing accounts of targeted attacks against their community in July when parishioners claimed an Islamic group called "The Battalion of Just Punishment, Jihad Base in Mesopotamia" sent threatening letters to several churches."  ZENIT quotes an Iraqi "Catholic leader" stating, "The government is trying to deceive the outside world, making them believe that they are acting correctly and that Christians are safe.  In reality the situation is still very challenging."   Raheem Salman, Usama Redha and Tina Susman (Los Angeles Times) offer an overview of violence in Iraq:     Since Monday, according to police statistics, roadside bombs, car bombs and suicide bombers wearing explosive belts have killed 58 people in the capital. Deaths elsewhere included two Christian women who police said were killed by unidentified gunmen in the northern city of Mosul, where Christians say they have been caught in the middle of a war for power between Kurds and Arabs. Several Iraqis who witnessed the violence noted the heavy presence of Iraqi security checkpoints near Saadoun Street, in the eastern part of the capital, and elsewhere and said it showed that nobody could be trusted to keep them safe. Some also said it was a sign that Iraqi forces were not ready to protect the city if U.S. troops withdrew.  U.S. military officials said that this week's violence, coming after a steady downward trend in attacks, does not mean insurgents are staging a comeback, and they disputed the casualty figures provided by Iraqi sources.  Baghdad and its environs continue to experience an average of four attacks a day on security forces and civilians, compared with more than 20 a day about a year ago, Army Brig. Gen. William Grimsley, deputy commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, said Monday after bombers killed 31 people in northeast Baghdad's Kasra district.    In some of today's reported violence . . .   Bombings?    Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad bombing that claimed 1 life and left seven injured, a Baghdad roadside bombing that left six injured, a Mosul car bombing that claimed 1 life and left sixteen injured and a Mosul roadside bombing that left 2 people dead.   Shootings?   Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 1 police officer shot dead in Diyala Province.     In diplomatic news, Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes the department's minister Hoshyar Zebari and his Syrian counterpart Walid Moallem held a press conference yesterday in Damascus where they "discussed ways to develop and activate bilateral relations between the two countries," Zebari alluded to Iraq sending an ambassador to Damascus and he "explained the positive results of his visit and his meetings with President Bashar al-Assad, and delivered the letter of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to president Asaad regarding the Iraqi government's stance on the US-Iraqi security agreement and stages of negotiation. Foreign Minister Zebari also stressed the Iraqi government's refusal to use Iraqi territory as a platform to launch military operations against Syria or any of the neighboring countries and expressed sympathy and solidartiy with the Syrian people."     Tuesday's snapshot noted on IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh's court appearance for being the victim of police state actions carried out Oct. 15th in Hempstead, NY on himself and thirteen other IVAW members who were trying to deliver debate questions for Senators John McCain and Barack Obama..  Kimberly Wilder (On The Wilder Side) provides an update, "I attended court today in the stands for Adam Kokesh. Adam was there with his attorney, and some other supporters. More to follow, and possibly a few photos of Adam and his attorney. The main outcome: Adam Kokesh will have his trial on Thursday, December 11th. Sounds like the trial would happen sometime after 10am. In addition, Wednesday, December 10th and Thurs. Dec. 11th are appearance dates for some of the other Hempstead 15. So, we will standby for which dates the IVAW folks would prefer the community come out in full force for."  Adam (Adam Kokesh - Revolutionary Patriot) explains, "In requesting that I be released on my own recognizance (or ROR as everyone else had been) so I could get my bail money returned, my attorney was told by the prosecutor that he would like to have my bail raised!  The judge declined, but that would have put me in jail again until I could get bail posted at the raised amount.  The judge also declined Mr. Moore's motion to dismiss, or take an ACD, adjourn in contemplation of dismissal.  The prosecutor conferred with the police officer who would be testifying, and came up with a date to schedule the trial.  So trial is now scheduled for 9:30 AM on December 11th.  For reasons I can't discuss, we are very excited about this going to trial."  IVAW has just published Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan: Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupation in book form.   Turning to the 2008 presidential election, On The Wilder Side notes that Green Party of Connecticut officials have registered an objection that "'REGISTERED' WRITE IN votes were not counted in all towns across the state, as required by state law".  Rebecca addressed the topics of write-ins Friday and noted that Cynthia McKinney (Green Party presidential candidate) received only 53 votes in Connecticut and Rebecca focused on Texas where the Ralph Nader - Matt Gonzalez ticket allegedly received 3,053.  It appears many states have areas that were 'selective' in their counting. [That is not questioning the outcome or saying "The election was stolen!"  That is noting write-in votes appear not to have been counted.] Joel S. Hirschhorn (Dissident Voice) reviews the election numbers:     This year, among the four most significant third-party presidential candidates, Ralph Nader without a national party did the best with 685,426 votes or 0.54 percent of the grand total (a little better than in 2004 with 0.4 percent but much worse than in 2000 running as a Green Party candidate with 2.7 percent). He was followed by Bob Barr the Libertarian Party candidate with 503,981 votes or 0.4 percent of the total (typical of all Libertarian candidates in recent elections, including Ron Paul in 1988), followed by Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party with just 181,266 votes or 0.1 percent, and then Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party with only 148,546 votes or 0.1 percent. Showing the problem of ballot access, engineered by the two major parties, is that there were only 15 states where all four were on the ballot. In all but one, Nader received more votes than the other three third-party candidates. In four states only one of the four candidates was on the ballot; in one state none of them were ( Oklahoma ). Nader's best state was California with 81,434 votes, as it was for McKinney's with 28,624 votes. Baldwin was not on the ballot there. Alan Keyes received 30,787 votes in California . Barr's best state was Texas with 56,398 votes. None of the other three were on the ballot there. In his home state of Georgia where he had been a Representative Barr received 28,420 votes (and none of the other three were on the ballot). Baldwin's best state was Michigan with 14, 973 votes. Nader was not on the ballot there. In round numbers, Barack Obama raised $639 million or about $10 per vote, and John McCain raised $360 million or $6 per vote, compared to Ralph Nader with $4 million and $6 per vote, Bob Barr with about $1 million or $2 per vote, and Cynthia McKinney with only about $118,000 or less than $1 per vote. Money matters, but the ability of the two-party duopoly to keep third-party presidential candidates out of nationally televised debates matters more for media attention, money and votes.   Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader sounds warnings (at CounterPunch) today:   To its everlasting credit, the conservative American Bar Association sent to President Bush three reports in 2005-2006 concluding that he has been engaged in continuing serious violations of the Constitution. This is no one-time Watergate obstruction of justice episode ala Nixon that led to his resignation just before his impeachment in the House of Representatives. Nearly two years ago Senator Obama, contrary to what he knows and believes, vigorously came out against the House commencing impeachment proceedings. It would be too divisive, he said. As one of one hundred Senators who might have had to try the President and Vice President in the Senate were the House to impeach. He should have kept impartial and remained silent on the subject. As President, he cannot remain silent and do nothing, otherwise he will inherit the war crimes of Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney and become soon thereafter a war criminal himself. Inaction cannot be an option. Violating the Constitution and federal laws is now routine. What is routine after awhile becomes institutionalized lawlessness by official outlaws. Domestic Policy abuses are also rampant. Just what are the limits of the statutory authority of the U.S. Treasury Department or the government within a government funded by bank assessments known as the Federal Reserve? Don't read the $750 billion bailout law for any answers! The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and the Majority Leader of the Senate, Harry Reid just sent a letter to Bush asking whether the White House believes the bailout law could be interpreted to save not just the reckless banks, but also the grossly mismanaged Big Three auto companies in Michigan. Didn't Congress know what they were or were not authorizing? Or did the stampede started by the demanding Bush result in blanket, or panicked ambiguity by a cowardly Congress?   Last week Raed Jarrar (Raed in the Middle) addressed the election:   1- I didn't find this in the English media, but Arab media (including Al-Jazeera) reported today: Iraqi Presidency Council said in its first reaction to Barak Obama winning the U.S. presidential election: there is only one U.S. policy in Iraq, and the changes that may occur during Obama's time "would be only technical." 2- As you've heard already, Obama picked congressman Rahm Emanuel to become the White House's chief of staff. Mr. Emanuel, an Israeli citizen who has served in the Israeli Army (he denies both), was the only one out of Illinois' nine congressmen who voted for the invasion of Iraq in 2002. I know that the confetti has not settled down yet, but I think it's time already to ask the Obama-Biden campaign some questions about their foreign policy plans, especially regarding the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and regarding ending the U.S. occupation of Iraq.   And winding this up, the GOP ticket was John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin.  The Republican governor's conference took place today and Texas Governor Rick Perry explained it was focused on "what's  the Republican Party going to look like going forward."  He then stated, "It gives me great deal of pleasure to introduce one of our collegues, one of America's great republican governors, Governor Sarah Palin."     Gov Sarah Palin: Thank you [to Rick Perry], thank you so much [to those assembled].  Thank you, Governor Perry.  Thank you governors. Thank you very much.  Thanks. Honored to be here and to speak with and to my fellow governors.  It hasn't been that long since we all gathered.  I don't know about you, but I managed to fill up the time. [Laughter] Let's see I had a baby, I did some traveling, I very briefly expanded my wardrobe [Laughter], I made a few speeches, I met a few VIPs including those who really impact society like Tina Fey [Laughter] and aside from that it was pretty much the same-old, same-old since we last gathered.  But in the great campaign that has come and gone . . .  And it was great.  One of the nicer experiences that we had along the campaign trail was seeing so many of my RGA colleagues and I think you guys so much for your assistance with John McCain's good run.  Each of you gave your all to the cause and were helpmates and positive additions to Senator McCain's good run. You were there to help when things were looking good and you were there to help when -- once in a while -- things weren't looking so good.  And where I'm from in Alaska, life would be pretty lonely if all we had were fair weather friends.  And you have been friends in all seasons and for that I will forever be grateful and I know Senator McCain also would be so appreciative.     Palin noted the campaign in her remarks. Gov Sarah Palin: Along the trail, it was my husband, Todd, who was my right hand.  And among his many willing -- winning qualities is the gift that he has of optimism and just thankfulness in all situations that he finds.  And going forward, I'm going to count on those qualities a little more even.  Because of course there was a disappointment after a loss in a national election like that.  You run to win.  You run the race to win.  It's kind of relying on Todd with that optimism and the thanfkulness in all situations that I'm certainly going to be there with him along those lines.  But far from returning to the great state of Alaska with any sense of sorrow or regret, we carried with us the best of memories and joyful experiences that really do not depend at all on political victory.  For years to come, I'm going to remember all the young girls who came up to me at rallies to see the first woman having the privilege of carrying our party's VP nomination.  And they inspired me.  With an extra hurdel or two in front of us and in front of these young girls, I fell that we've got this mutually beneficial relationship now -- me and these young girls -- where we're going to work hareder.  We're going to be stronger.  We're going to do better.  And one day, one of them will be the president because in America there will be no ceilings on achievement -- glass or otherwise.  [Applause begins and grows ] And if I can help point the way --   [Pauses for applause to die down.]  If I can help point the way for these young women or inspire them to tap into their own gifts and talents and strengths -- to find their own opportunities -- Well, it is a privilege.   iraq military families speak out pbs the newshour aaron glantz leila fadel mcclatchy newspapers the los angeles times tina susman the los angeles times usama redha raheem salman the new york times sam dagher the washington post ernesto londono qais mizher kimberly wilder adam kokesh iraq veterans against the war  raed jarrar

Lamia and Walaa Sabih slain in Mosul

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Yesterday's violence and today's

An Iraqi soldier shot and killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded at least six others Wednesday in Mosul, the American military said. As the shootings occurred in northern Iraq, violence continued in Baghdad, with at least 25 people killed in bombings across the capital.
The shootings of the U.S. troops occurred in an Iraqi army compound in western Mosul outside a building where two U.S. Army lieutenants were conferring with an Iraqi captain, the American military said. Just before noon, an Iraqi soldier named Barzan Mohammed walked into the compound with an AK-47 submachine gun and began the shooting spree, according to the U.S. military.
It said he fired a "drum load" of ammunition at American soldiers. A drum load holds a "significantly" higher number of bullets than the magazine that's issued to Iraqi soldiers. U.S. Army spokeswoman Maj. Peggy Kageleiry said Mohammed said something to another Iraqi soldier and began shooting the Americans.

The above is from Leila Fadel's "Iraqi soldier shoots and kills U.S. troops" (McClatchy Newspapers) on yesterday's shooting, what Tim Cocks (Reuters) terms a "rampage." Two appears to be the number of US service members killed. Sam Dagher's "Iraqi Soldier Reportedly Kills 2 G.I.'s" (New York Times) does the best job of presenting the Iraqi version of events:

The head of police operations in Mosul, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim al-Jubouri, said the episode was set off by a quarrel between an American and an Iraqi soldier. This was confirmed by a senior official in the Ministry of Defense and an officer in the Nineveh Operations Command, which oversees all Iraqi forces operating in Mosul and is advised by the American military.
An Iraqi Army officer and two soldiers who witnessed the attack provided a detailed account on the condition of anonymity, for fear of retribution from their commanders.
They said an American military patrol stopped on Wednesday afternoon to inspect a post staffed by Iraqi soldiers in the predominantly Sunni Arab neighborhood of Zanjili, a notoriously violent part of Mosul.
A heated argument ensued between one of the American soldiers and an Iraqi soldier identified as Barzan Mohammed Abdullah, prompting the American to curse at the Iraqi, spit in his face and slap him, the Iraqis said. The Iraqi soldier then opened fire on the Americans, they said, and other American soldiers responded with a barrage of gunfire at the Iraqi.

Ernesto Londono and Qais Mizher's "2 U.S. Troops Killed by Iraqi Soldier" (Washington Post) notes that US Maj. Gen. Mark P. "Hertling dismissed reports by Iraqi officials who suggested that an altercation between Iraqi and American soldiers preceded the gunfire in Mosul, but he said he had no information on the shooter's motive. He said U.S. and Iraqi officials are jointly investigating the incident." [Note Dagher also presents the US version. That should go without saying being that it's the New York Times but before some drive-by e-mail comes in from a visitor screaming about what NYT has done now, let's make that clear.] Tina Susman provides background on such attacks in "Iraq soldier kills at least two Americans" (Los Angeles Times):

A similar shooting occurred in the area in December. Two U.S. soldiers were killed by an Iraqi soldier in Nineveh, which remains one of the country's most volatile areas because of the presence of Sunni Muslim insurgents loyal to the group Al Qaeda in Iraq and friction between Arabs and Kurds vying for influence. The Iraqi soldier is awaiting trial in Baghdad.


That's yesterday. Already violence is being reported today. Reuters notes Baghdad has seen two bombing with at least thirteen wounded while a Mosul car bombing has left 16 people injured, a Ramadi bomber has taken his own life and the lives of 4 other people "including two policemen" and a bombing outside Laitifya has claimed at least one life.

And we'll again note John Pilger's "Beware the Obama Hype" (Dissident Voice) but focusing on this section:

That is the subtext of Barack Obama's "oratory". He says he wants to build up US military power; and he threatens to ignite a new war in Pakistan, killing yet more brown-skinned people. That will bring tears, too. Unlike those on election night, these other tears will be unseen in Chicago and London. This is not to doubt the sincerity of much of the response to Obama’s election, which happened not because of the unction that has passed for news reporting from America since November 4 (e.g. "liberal Americans smiled and the world smiled with them") but for the same reasons that millions of angry emails were sent to the White House and Congress when the "bailout" of Wall Street was revealed, and because most Americans are fed up with war.
Two years ago, this anti-war vote installed a Democratic majority in Congress, only to watch the Democrats hand over more money to George W Bush to continue his blood fest. For his part, the "anti-war" Obama never said the illegal invasion of Iraq was wrong, merely that it was a "mistake". Thereafter, he voted in to give Bush what he wanted. Yes, Obama's election is historic, a symbol of great change to many. But it is equally true that the American elite have grown adept at using the black middle and management class. The courageous Martin Luther King recognized this when he linked the human rights of black Americans with the human rights of the Vietnamese, then being slaughtered by a liberal Democratic administration. And he was shot. In striking contrast, a young black major serving in Vietnam, Colin Powell, was used to "investigate" and whitewash the infamous My Lai massacre. As Bush's secretary of state, Powell was often described as a "liberal" and was considered ideal to lie to the United Nations about Iraq’s non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Condoleezza Rice, lauded as a successful black woman, has worked assiduously to deny the Palestinians justice.
Obama's first two crucial appointments represent a denial of the wishes of his supporters on the principal issues on which they voted. The vice-president-elect, Joe Biden, is a proud war maker and Zionist. Rahm Emanuel, who is to be the all-important White House chief of staff, is a fervent "neoliberal" devoted to the doctrine that led to the present economic collapse and impoverishment of millions. He is also an "Israel-first" Zionist who served in the Israeli army and opposes meaningful justice for the Palestinians -- an injustice that is at the root of Muslim people's loathing of the United States and the spawning of jihadism.

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.


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The bridge, the sacrifice, more

For three years no one had crossed the bridge, which was closed in 2005 after an infamous day when Shiite pilgrims panicked and stampeded after rumors broke out about a suicide bomber in their midst. More than 900 people died.
"We are all Muslims -- Sunnis and Shiites," men chanted as they danced on the newly opened span. "We will not sell out this country."
The two neighborhoods were separated by blood for years. But on Tuesday, the blood on the bridge was in celebration. Two sheep were slaughtered in honor of the opening as a ritual sacrifice. The meat later was distributed to the poor.
Baghdad is still largely segregated by religious sect, and many people fear driving through neighborhoods of the other sect where they were once killed for being Shiite or Sunni. However, the bridge opening was taken as a message that Shiites and Sunnis could venture into each other's neighborhoods again.

The above is from Laith Hammoudi's "Opening of bridge reconnects Shiite, Sunni Iraqis" (McClatchy Newspapers) and the bridge is seen as a 'big story' with all the outlets that regularly cover Iraq filing on it. Usama Redha offers "Reopening of Iraq bridge symbolizes renewed unity" (Los Angeles Times) which probably does the best job on recent history:

For the Iraqi public, question marks remain despite the relative calm of late. Most of Baghdad is still sectioned off by a maze of concrete barricades aimed at separating long-feuding Sunni and Shiite armed groups. Violent acts such as roadside bombings and assassinations are still an everyday occurrence.
On Monday, for example, a triple bombing claimed the lives of 31 people in east Baghdad. Another bombing on Tuesday wounded six.
And then there are the memories, including those of that fateful day in 2005 when the bridge was briefly reopened for pilgrims heading across the Tigris River to a gilded shrine in Kadhimiya to mark the anniversary of the death of a Shiite saint, Imam Musa al Kadhim. After rumors of a bomber sparked panic, hundreds of pilgrims were trampled to death in the stampede or drowned when they jumped off the bridge to escape.
It was the highest death toll in any single incident since well before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
After the stampede, Kadhimiya and Adhamiya, with its tomb of the revered Sunni cleric Abu Hanifa, were again closed to each other. During the worst violence, the districts traded mortar fire across the Tigris.

From Mary Beth Sheridan's "Long-Closed Baghdad Bridge Reopens" (Washington Post), we'll note this section:

Rana Jassim, a 30-year-old mother of two who lives near the bridge on the heavily Shiite Kadhimiyah side, noticed the crowds streaming onto it Tuesday morning and realized the rumors of its reopening were true.
As she strolled across the span with her family, she began clapping and dancing, she recalled later. It had been two years since she had been in mostly Sunni Adhamiyah on the opposite bank.
"The situation was bad," said her husband, Samel Lafta, 35, a government employee. "Not because of the regular people of Adhamiyah. It was some foreign people. Foreign terrorists -- they tried to destroy the relations between us."

Yes, there are Iraqi women. Imagine how much different their fate would have been had the Go-Go Boys of the Green Zone bothered to pay them the slightest attention in the early days of the illegal war? To read Dexter Filkins and John Burns back then was to assume that Iraq was an all male prison. (As opposed to the co-ed prison the White House has turned it into.) In the New York Times today, Stephen Farrell's "Baghdad Bridge Reopens, Restitching a Divided Area" stands out mainly for this: "But on Tuesday, the only blood in sight was of sheep slaughtered in celebration as hundreds of people marched with politicians and clerics from both sides to meet in the middle." Gotta be a sac-sac-sacrifice, as Tori sings ("I I E E E" off Tori Amos' From The Choirgirl Hotel). And on the op-ed pages, Maureen Dowd plays out the stereotype of spinster aunt in the final stages of dementia as she attacks Sarah Palin yet again. Maureen's become a public embarrassment (and any writer who would open a sentence with "Calling Tina Fey . . ." really has past their expiration date -- not even Thomas Friedman would be so damn cornpone). Rebecca will tackled Crazy MoDo tonight. But it needs to be noted right now that while liars pushed the myth that Palin was shooting animals from a helicopter, they've been sacrificing in Iraq for some time at every official ceremony and the pseudo PETA brigade hasn't acted at all alarmed. That's the US-occupied Iraq. And don't offer some garbage about 'religon' because this is fundamentalism and the US has encouraged it, has rewarded it and has seen it grow.

Remember that visiting Bloomberg TV allows you to access Night Talk and other programs. Night Talk allows you to enjoy Katrina vanden Heuvel unhinged. It is hilarious. To get it in a podcast, click here. Mike Schneider host Night Talk. That was noted in yesterday's snapshot as was Operation Survivor: "The traumatic effects of war, left unaddressed, will have far-reaching negative consequences for service members, their families, and their communities. Based on our ten years of global experience helping survivors of conflict overcome trauma and give back to their communities, Survivor Corps founded Operation Survivor to provide the same kind of life-changing support to American veterans and service members." Both deserve a second noting. We'll note the news release on the start of Survivor Corps:

Survivor Corps Launches!
Leader in Nobel Peace Prize Winning Campaign Launches Survivor Corps to Help Survivors of War, Violence and Terrorism

Formerly the Landmine Survivors Network (LSN), Survivor Corps Aims to Expand Reach of Global Network of People Helping Each Other Overcome Trauma Caused by War and Conflict

Quick Links: News Facts | About Survivor Corps | About Jerry White | About I Will Not Be Broken | Contacts | Multimedia Elements | Additional Resources | Join Our Mailing List | Social Media | Tags


I Will Not Be Broken Survivor Corps Rise Above Give Back
Landmine Survivors Network (LSN)
is expanding its mission from serving those injured by landmines to serving all those who have been injured by the man-made epidemic of violence and war. In recognition of this expansion, the organization is changing its name to Survivor Corps and accompanying the move with the launch of a new website: http://www.survivorcorps.org.


Survivor Corps was co-founded by Jerry White, who recently published I Will Not Be Broken, a memoir about his personal experiences as a landmine survivor outlining a very specific five-step program to coping with disaster.

The new Survivor Corps website will feature new social networking functionality that will allow members to meet, interact and support each other through their healing journey.

Survivor Corps is a nonprofit organization that serves victims of global conflict, by providing tools and support to help them rebuild their lives, improve their communities, and ultimately work together to break the cycle of violence in the world.

I Will Not Be Diminished Survivor Corps Rise Above Give BackThe Landmine Survivors Network has already made a large impact on awarness and policy about landmines, including:

* The Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
* The Disability Rights Treaty to end discrimination and bring equal opportunity to 650 million people with disabilities around the world.
* The Cluster Munitions Ban, being negotiated in 2008 to end the use of cluster bombs and help victims of this indiscriminate weapon.

The Campaign for Violence Prevention, soon to join this Campaign started by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Similar to work done as the Landmine Survivors Network, Survivor Corps will continue to work on three formats: peer support, training and advocacy.

Survivor Corps is also launching a new program to help American Service members who are returning home after combat. This program will help connect US military survivors to each other, their communities and to all the local and online services that exist to help them reintegrate and recover.

About Survivor Corps
I Will Not Be For Nothing Survivor Corps Rise Above Give Back

Around the globe, people are inflicting harm on one another on an alarming scale with alarming ease. There were approximately 250 wars throughout the 20th century. Today, there are more than 39 conflicts raging in the world -from armed conflicts in Latin America to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to genocide in Darfur.

More than 35 million people have been displaced from these conflicts-innocent people who have been robbed of their dignity, their homes and their livelihoods. With no hope or tools to rise above their circumstances, far too many victims lash out, seeking revenge for their plight and perpetuating the cycle of violence and suffering. Something has to be done to break this downward spiral.

Survivor Corps operates under the credo that no one is better equipped to change the world than those who have been most scarred by what's wrong with it. There is a way to break the cycle of violence, and it begins with showing survivors a new, more hopeful way forward.
I Will Not Be Powerless Survivor Corps Rise Above Give Back

What is the Survivor Corps philosophy? No one is better equipped to change the world than those most scarred by what’s wrong with it.

Whom does Survivor Corps serve? We serve people who have been injured by global conflict. Primarily through training and support of the organizations that serve victims of conflict.

Whom does Survivor Corps serve? We serve people who have been injured by global conflict, primarily through training and support of the organizations that serve conflict survivors at the local level.

Where does Survivor Corps work? Wherever communities are experiencing or recovering from conflict - currently in over 50 countries.

Why should I support Survivor Corps? We have a ten-year track record of results improving health, creating economic opportunity, and changing laws & policies for survivors of conflict.

How does Survivor Corps work? We work across the spectrum of issues and organizations that affect the lives of survivors.

Can Survivor Corps really solve this problem? Yes. We believe that by showing survivors a new, more hopeful way forward, we can help break the cycle of violence.

Survivor Corps provides the tools and support survivors need to rise above their injuries and give back to their communities. Learn more at www.survivorcorps.org.

About Jerry White

Jerry White of Survivor Corps
Jerry White is a global survivor activist who has dedicated his life to helping victims of violent conflict. While camping in Northern Israel in 1984, he stepped on a landmine, and he spent nearly six months in Israeli hospitals learning to walk on an artificial leg. Since then, he has become a recognized leader of the historic International Campaign to Ban Landmines, co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Peace; and a co-founder of Survivor Corps. He has testified before the US Congress and the United Nations and appeared in hundreds of media interviews and profiles.

About I Will Not Be Broken

Survivor Corps Rise Above Give Back Five Steps to Overcoming a Life Crisis By Jerry White Book
The loss of a loved one, a painful divorce, or a serious physical injury---we must all, at one point, face tragedy -- unavoidable moments that divide our lives into "before" and "after."

How do we muscle our way through tough times and emerge stronger, wiser -- even grateful for our struggle? In 1984, author Jerry White lost his leg -- and almost his life -- in a landmine accident. He has endured the pain of loss and the challenge of rebuilding. As cofounder of Survivors Corps, White has interviewed thousands of victims of tragedy. With this book, he shares what he has learned.

White outlines a very specific five-step program to coping with disaster; to achieving strength and hope; and to turning tragedy into triumph. In their own words, his survivor friends and colleagues share their stories. It's a group that includes the well known, like Lance Armstrong, Nelson Mandela, and the late Princess Diana, and also everyday survivors. Through their stories and the author's words, the book takes readers step-by-step through the process of not only surviving tragedy and victimhood, but going on to thrive.

For more information about I Will Not Be Broken, visit: http://iwillnotbebroken.smnr.us

Contacts

For Press Inquiries: Daniel Krueger
dkrueger@survivorcorps.org

For More Information: Elizabeth Miner
eminer@landminesurvivors.org
202-250-3929
2100 M St. NW Suite 302,
Washington, DC 20037

For two years we got garbage daily passed off as news. We got polls and we got fashion and so much more nonsense passed off as 'news' coverage of the presidential race. Actual news was regularly blacked out. Whether it was Hillary's proposal on breast cancer research, Sarah Palin's proposals regarding special-needs children or anything that actually matters. One example is of the black out on all genuine news was what Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney did on the last Thursday in October. This is Gloria Rubec's "Presidential candidate joins protest of execution" (Workers World):

Cynthia McKinney made history in Texas Oct. 30. Never has any politician or any candidate for public office been in Huntsville, Texas, on an execution night to join in with those protesting.

Cynthia McKinney comforts Misty Smith,
stepdaughter of Greg Wright, executed
in Huntsville, Texas, Oct. 30. " border="0">

Green Party presidential candidate
Cynthia McKinney comforts Misty Smith,
stepdaughter of Greg Wright, executed
in Huntsville, Texas, Oct. 30.

Photo: Jon Axford

McKinney, the Green Party candidate for president of the United States, joined the ranks of protesters this evening, Oct. 30, and quietly introduced herself to the family and friends of Greg Wright, who was scheduled to be executed 45 minutes later.
As Wright's stepdaughter stood outside of the death house holding a cell phone in one hand and a framed photo of Wright in the other, McKinney approached her and asked about the photo. "How long has your family been dealing with fighting this execution? Did you ever think that your family would ever have to deal with the issue of the death penalty in such a personal way?"
McKinney listened to Misty Smith explain that they had been fighting to prove Wright’s innocence for seven or eight years and that never did she think she and her mother would be going through this injustice.
Then McKinney was introduced to the crowd opposing Wright's execution.
The candidate told them: "I am sad to join you tonight, those of you who have a conscience and who want the U.S. to join the community of nations that respect life, rights and the administration of justice. It’s one thing to feel politically, academically and intellectually opposed to the death penalty. It’s quite another thing to meet the family of someone who has maintained his innocence throughout his entire ordeal and yet they find themselves on the opposite side of justice.
"Most people in this country have believed in the justice system. They believe that they would never be the victims of injustice. And yet I am here in the very place where Shaka Sankofa was murdered by the state of Texas.
"Texas is the execution capital of the country. Why is it that the state of Texas wants the world to know that killing is wrong yet it engages in killing?"
McKinney continued: "Our president, George W. Bush, has engaged in killing. One million Iraqis are dead from war and occupation. How many Afghanis are dead from war and occupation? How many Pakistanis dead from war and occupation?
"The war machine is a death machine. It's a killing machine. As a leader of the Green Party, I join with the families that are here right now and say that we must end all of this killing, including the death penalty, including the use of depleted uranium munitions, and including the interminable march of the imperialistic war machine.
"Misty, thank you for allowing me to be here. Thank you for helping me to understand how barbarically this country can treat people, people who believe in it still. Thank you."
Greg Wright expressed his appreciation for the Green Party just hours before his execution when his spouse, Connie Wright, told him that Cynthia McKinney would be in Huntsville for the protest. "Well, now, you sure know who to vote for, don't you?" he told Connie. "I can't believe she will be here for me."
Music that Connie Wright and Greg Wright chose for the evening played over the sound system outside of the death house as the prison clock chimed at 6:00 p.m. Then Connie and the four other witnesses to the execution walked into the death house for the 419th Texas execution, while "You are the Wind Beneath My Wings" could be heard for blocks around.
Some 1,125 people have been executed in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated in the 1970s. Over one-third of all executions have been in Texas and over 85 percent have been in the South. Texas has 13 more executions scheduled, including another likely innocent person, Eric Cathey. Over 65 percent of those on death row are African-American or Latino.
Articles copyright 1995-2008 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
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As Maureen Dowd bores the world with her sad attempts at pop culture ditherings (which only reveal how truly out of touch Dowd is), grasp that the garbage Dowd serves up today is exactly why news like Gloria Rubec's was ignored in the MSM.

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.


iraq
mcclatchy newspapers
laith hammoudi
the washington post
mary beth sheridan
the los angeles times
usama redha
the new york times
stephen farrelll
mike schneider
night talk
bloomberg tv
gloria rubec

Day 3 of Baghdad bombings during rush hour

Although world attention has focused on the battle to control oil-rich Kirkuk — where the late Saddam once purged Kurds, and now Kurds and Kurdish parties are purging Arabs -- the strip of small villages connecting Sinjar to Khanaqeen has turned into a powder keg as Kurdish and Arab parties compete for the loyalties of the minorities. Both sides are using economic incentives, intimidation, detention and in some cases murder.
The force at the center of the conflict is the Peshmerga, Kurdish militias that mostly have been absorbed into the Iraqi Security Forces but remain loyal to the Kurdish parties in the north rather than the Shiite-dominated central government to the south. Sunni Arabs, who've cracked down on extremists elsewhere in Iraq, are angry and fearful of Kurdish rule in the region and have given the extremists space to terrorize Mosul.
"The whole front of where the (Kurdistan Regional Government) borders the rest of Iraq from Sinjar through Kirkuk on down to Khanaqeen is timed for a misstep, especially a military misstep," said Brig. Gen. Tony Thomas, the U.S. commander in Nineveh province. "We've got a real challenge and a crisis on our hands."
The office of the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Massoud Barzani, an outspoken Kurdish nationalist and the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, rejects allegations that they're "Kurdifying" areas through intimidation, detention and extrajudicial killings. Barzani's chief of staff, Fuad Hussein, charged that accusations from the Shabak and Yazidi communities, whom the Kurds consider to be fellow Kurds, often were due to Arab backing and Arab racism against the Kurds. Any incidents of intimidation or abuse are isolated and not a policy, he said.
"Some people speak on the behalf of the Yazidis, and now there are a few who are speaking on behalf of the Shabak to say that there is a policy within Kurdish political parties or within the KRG to discriminate against them," Hussein said. "We are trying to do everything to protect these people. We believe in their rights. . . . We are trying to help them as we are trying to help ourselves."
Thomas said he'd seen little evidence of extrajudicial killings during his 14-month tour. "We hear allegations all the time. You'll hear about Kurdish pressure; it will be everything from economic and political pressure to more concerning forced apprehension and murder," he said.
The issue is so sensitive that many Western officials won't talk about Kurdish intimidation on the record. Residents who've complained to U.N. officials about intimidation by Kurdish forces are often subject to detention by those forces within hours of their meetings with the officials.

The above is from Leila Fadel's "Kurdish expansion moves threaten stability in northern Iraq" (McClatchy Newspapers), a very important article. Meanwhile, for the third day in a row, Baghdad's in the news for bombings. Hamid Ahmed (AP) reports a Baghdad car bombing claimed 4 lives today (fifteen more wounded) and it was "the third consecutive day of morning rush hour blasts in the Iraqi capital" which also included a roadside bombing that left seven wounded while, in Mosul, two Iraqi Christians (sisters) were shot dead outside their home and their mother was left wounded.

As the report released Monday by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon noted (this is the link, click on language of choice -- such as "English" -- and remember it's PDF format):

Starting in August, attempts at intimdation aginst Christians in Mosul were reported with a dramatic increase in violence in the first two weeks of October. Over 2,200 families, more than 10,000 individuals, have reportedly fled their homes and most have sought temporary shelter in the Ninawa plains, leading my Special Representative to publicly express concern and strongly condemn the killing of civilians on 12 October. The development comes at a very sensitive time, and against a backdrop of heightened political tensions regarding the unresolved issues of minority representation in the provincial elections and disputed internal boundaries.

Didn't puppet of the occupation Nouri al-Maliki swear the assaults had resulted in stronger measures to ensure protection? Some of the over 2,000 families have returned to the area and it appears some may flee for their own safety again.

Louise Ireland (Reuters) notes, "In Wednesday's incident, gunmen killed one woman outside her home, then stormed the house, killing her sister and wounding their mother."

A few e-mails to the public account offer heads up to the pay day for the "Awakening" Council members. This was covered in Monday's snapshot. It was avoided in yesterday's (which was a nightmare with too many people wanting too many things included -- mainly friends wanting things included) because some accounts were just laughable and incorrect. (But highly similar to the talking points issued by M-NF.) For those interested in the topic, Tina Susman's "Payday for some impatient sons" (Babylon & Beyond, Los Angeles Times) offers a highly comprehensive rundown and we'll note this from it:

The Iraqi payout, which began Monday in Baghdad, seemed to go smoothly, but the impatience exhibited by Jundi and several other Sons of Iraq is a warning sign of what may lie ahead if the Iraqi government does not fulfill its vow to find jobs for these men.
"So far all we've gotten is promises that we'll get hired here or there, but nothing," said Jundi as other men in line around him joined in the complaints. "There's nothing tangible" to hold on to for the future, said Younis Abdullah Sukhairi. "We don't have any faith." They said they trusted the U.S. forces but not Iraq's government.
The mutual distrust between the mainly Shiite Muslim government and the mainly Sunni Arab Sons of Iraq is at the root of several problems that could derail the program, which is credited with helping bring down violence nationwide. A year ago, there were about 24 attacks per day on U.S. and Iraqi forces and Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. William Grimsley. Now, there are about four attacks per day, said Grimsley, who called the Sons of Iraq "hugely important" in bringing down violence.
As U.S. troops brought journalists to visit some of the pay stations in Baghdad to witness the historic payout, there were no outward signs of mistrust. The Sons of Iraq stood in orderly lines. They quickly began tucking their shirts into their trousers when they spotted a TV camera. As their names were called, they stepped forward one by one to receive bundles of cash. The biggest problem seemed to be matching names on the Sons' identity cards with the transliterations of names on lists being kept by U.S. forces overseeing the operation.
"Say again?!" an American soldier said to an Iraqi after he'd called out the name of a man waiting to get paid. The American couldn't find the name on his list. "What's the tribal name?" he asked. Eventually the name game was sorted out and the man got his money: the equivalent of $300 in Iraqi dinars.
But how long can men be expected to expose themselves to attacks and danger -- at least 79 Sons of Iraq have been killed in Baghdad -- without knowing when they will find permanent work in the Iraqi security forces or other government institutions? That was on the minds of the men waiting to get paid. Even among some Sons already tapped to become Iraqi police, there was the sense that they would not have gotten to that point without U.S. forces prodding the Iraqi government.

And you can also check out Susman and Ned Parker's "Iraq's Sunni fighters leave U.S. payroll" (Los Angeles Times proper):

On Monday, fighters groused about a cut in pay, in some cases from $350 a month under the U.S. to $300 now.
In west Baghdad's Ghazaliya district, off a residential street with palm trees and chocolate-colored houses, hundreds of the fighters gathered in a line and waited to be called inside the tombstone-like blast walls of a U.S.-Iraqi military compound.
Under the leadership of a former officer in Saddam Hussein's special forces who identifies himself as Col. Raad, more than 100 Sons of Iraq members have been placed in the police force in this neighborhood.
Ghazaliya's Sunni paramilitary began as a way for the U.S. military to counter the influence of both the Sunni-dominated insurgent group Al Qaeda in Iraq and the Mahdi Army militia, made up of Shiites. Through the summer of 2007, the Iraqi army was thought by Sunnis and U.S. officers to be tacitly aiding the Mahdi Army as it spread into Sunni sections of Ghazaliya.
Raad, a onetime insurgent, fought the Americans in 2003 and 2004 and spent most of 2005 in Abu Ghraib prison, but became one of the group's leaders after his release. On Monday, he sat side by side with the Iraqi army commander and watched as his men were paid, studying the list of names.

This morning, the United Nations World Food Programme issued this press release entitled "New Report Says Iraq Food Security Better But Situation Still Volatile:"

Baghdad, 12 November 2008 -- The number of people without adequate access to food in Iraq has fallen dramatically, according to the findings of a joint assessment carried out by the Iraqi Government and the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
The assessment -- which shows a significant improvement in food security - found some 930,000 people were without adequate access to food last year, down from around four million in 2005.
The Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (CFSVA) was carried out in late 2007 in collaboration with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as a follow-up to the last food security survey in mid-2005.
"We can give a cautious welcome to these figures," said Edward Kallon, WFP Country Director for Iraq.
"I say cautious, because 930,000 is still far too many for a relatively wealthy country. Moreover, there are a further 6.4 million people who would slide into food insecurity if it were not for safety nets, such as the Public Distribution System (PDS)."
Under the Government-run PDS, every Iraqi is entitled to a monthly food basket to fulfill their nutritional needs. However, frequent shortfalls and delays in the distribution of certain commodities have made it difficult for vulnerable households to manage their monthly food needs.
As well as surveying the food security of 26,000 people across the country, the CFSVA also examined the nutritional status of 24,000 children under five. It found an improvement in national acute malnutrition rates and little change in chronic malnutrition rates. However, in five districts, stunting rates among children were described as alarming.
"This report gives us crucial insights into the current state of food security in Iraq," said Dr Mehdi al-Alak, chairman of the Central Organization of Statistics and Information Technology of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning. "And that, in turn, is vital for the country's economic recovery, reconstruction and improvements in basic services."
"For the first time, we have a comprehensive report covering all parts of the country. This makes it an extremely valuable tool for working out policies and strategies in the future," said Dr. Jamal Ameen, the head of Kurdistan Region Statistics Office.
WFP is currently providing food assistance to 750,000 of the most vulnerable among the estimated 1.5 million people displaced inside Iraq since February 2006, who do not have continuous access to a PDS ration because they are unable to register in the places where they are currently living.
Kallon attributed the reversal of declining food security to increased economic activity across the country, stimulated by a marked improvement in security and the humanitarian efforts of the international community. “But the situation remains volatile and any deterioration could undermine the whole process,” he said.
The report recommends continued food assistance to the most vulnerable in collaboration with the Iraqi government’s efforts to reform the PDS. It calls for support to initiatives to improve mother and child nutrition and caring practices, scaling up micronutrient programmes and providing food for education in the poorest areas, with a particular emphasis on girls’ school enrolment and attendance.

Katherine Zoepf covers the $3.5 billion oil deal between China and Iraq in today's New York Times.

Last Thursday, Stan started his own site, Oh Boy It Never Ends. The plan for yesterday's snapshot was to note the political election section with links to community posts including Stan's "Isaiah and some quick thoughts" -- it did not work out that way. (It rarely does when attempts are made to plan something.) But I will note it here and note Stan's "Read Terrance D.C." from last night as well as:

• 
  Cedric's Big Mix

  Barack and Rupaul

  8 hours ago
• 
  The Daily Jot

  THIS JUST IN! BARACK SHARES PHOTOS!

  8 hours ago
• 
  Mikey Likes It!

  Cynthia McKinney, Veterans Day

  9 hours ago
• 
  Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude

  palin, survivor corps, heroes and more

  9 hours ago
• 
  SICKOFITRADLZ

  Shut up Sherry Wolf, shut the hell up

  9 hours ago
• 
  Ruth's Report

  Katrina vanden Heuvel is an idiot

  9 hours ago
• 
  Like Maria Said Paz

  Miss Bully Boy Regrets . . .

  9 hours ago
• 
  Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)

  No, no, Nancy

If you've checked out Stan's site, you recognize the above. That's how his permalinks display. It gives the site and the most recent posting.

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.


iraq
leila fadel
mcclatchy newspapers
the los angeles times
tina susman
ned parker
the new york times
katherine zoepf
like maria said paz
kats korner
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
the daily jot
cedrics big mix
mikey likes it
ruths report
sickofitradlz
oh boy it never ends