The Common Ills

Monday, August 11, 2008

Iraq snapshot

Monday, August 11, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, the US death toll in Iraq continues to mount, Petraeus needs to lay off the strong stuff, King Abdullah II visits Iraq, and more.

Starting with war resistance. The August 1st snapshot critiqued the dumb ass Rondi Adamson (the same morning's "Rondi Adamson Lies" did so in greater detail). Yesterday the National Lawyers Guild's James Branum takes on Rondi (and today Ithica Journal re-prints Rondi's crap). Branum, who is defending Robin Long and has defended many others resisters (and co-chairs, with Kathleen Gilberd, NLG's Military Law Task Force), makes many strong points but leaves out the most important one: During Vietnam, Canada welcome "deserters." It wasn't just "draft dodgers," Canada also welcomes "deserters." Canada did not have a draft, Canada's position was not based on a draft. Deserters were not asked, "Did you enlist or were you drafted?" It wasn't an issue. The issue was the illegal war. When Rondi shows her ignorance, it's important to call her out on that basic fact. War resisters in Canada today have been undermined repeatedly by 'voices' that refuse to acknowledge the vast number of deserters that Canada accepted during Vietnam. But not noting that very real reality, today's war resisters (and their supporters) have to make the case: "Well, during Vietnam, you welcomed draft dodgers, so you should expand that today to welcome us." The real argument is: "During Vietnam, Canada welcomed deserters and they should today since this is another illegal war the Canadian government has refused to officially sanction." With the first argument, war resisters are placed in a position of weakness where they beg for something more. In the second argument, war resisters are not asking for 'special treatment' or anything different; they're merely asking Canada to do what it did before. That is reality. Rondi is a foreigner to reality. But that's a point everyone else needs to make. That Rondi either didn't know reality or thought she could lie about it goes to the failure to stick to the facts: Canada accepted draft dodgers and deserters during Vietnam.

Branum notes The Christian Science Monitor (which ran the oh-so-bad column August 1st) has refused to publish any of the many letters of complaint they've received. We'll emphasize the section on Robin Long (extradited from Canada) since Branum is his attorney:

First, Robin was promised by his recruiter that he would never see combat in Iraq. Robin was a fool for believing his recruiter, but I would say that it is understandable that he would believe his recruiter and understand that his recruiter is an agent of the US military and is tellilng the truth. And in basic contract law (outside of the military context), such statements could very well be interpreted as part of the contract itself, even if those statements aren't in writing.

Second, a basic tenant of contract law is that a contract isn't binding if it forces a party to engage in an immoral, unethical or illegal action. I would argue (as would Robin and millions of other people) that the Iraq war is all three of those things, and as such an enlistment contract should be invalid if it purports to force a party to participate in such a war. (of course, the enlistment "contract" isn't really a "contract," but that's another discussion. It would be fairer to say that it is an agreement to voluntarily become a slave of the state.)

Third, Robin Long left his unit and went to Canada in large part due to his conscience. Throughout history, we as a people (and I'm speaking of all North Americans and really all people of the world), have respected the idea that sometimes one must break the law if it conflicts with conscience. Dr. King, Gandhi, Thoreau, Jesus Christ, they all lived out this ideal. Contemporaries of the civilly disobedient often attack the character of those who refuse to submit to unjust laws, but the history books paint a different story.

And let's also remember that the US and other nations have long argued in favor of the Nuremberg principles, namely that obedience to the law of the state is no excuse for actions that defy international law. Surely you would agree that a deserter from the Nazi Army during WWII would be taking a righteous act? How is it different for Robin Long?

Branum's response also notes Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key and others. There are multiple sentences in it that could qualify for a "Truest" at Third this Sundy. It's a strong piece.

Courage to Resist offers the followings to support Robin:

1. Donate to Robin's legal defense

Online: http://couragetoresist.org/robinlong

By mail: Make checks out to "Courage to Resist / IHC" and note "Robin Long" in the memo field. Mail to:

Courage to Resist
484 Lake Park Ave #41
Oakland CA 94610

Courage to Resist is committed to covering Robin's legal and related defense expenses. Thank you for helping make that possible.

Also: You are also welcome to contribute directly to Robin's legal expenses via his civilian lawyer James Branum. Visit girightslawyer.com, select "Pay Online via PayPal" (lower left), and in the comments field note "Robin Long". Note that this type of donation is not tax-deductible.

2. Send letters of support to Robin

Robin Long, CJC

2739 East Las Vegas

Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Robin's pre-trial confinement has been outsourced by Fort Carson military authorities to the local county jail.

Robin is allowed to receive hand-written or typed letters only. Do NOT include postage stamps, drawings, stickers, copied photos or print articles. Robin cannot receive packages of any type (with the book exception as described below).

3. Send Robin a money order for commissary items

Anything Robin gets (postage stamps, toothbrush, shirts, paper, snacks, supplements, etc.) must be ordered through the commissary. Each inmate has an account to which friends may make deposits. To do so, a money order in U.S. funds must be sent to the address above made out to "Robin Long, EPSO". The sender's name must be written on the money order.

4. Send Robin a book

Robin is allowed to receive books which are ordered online and sent directly to him at the county jail from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. These two companies know the procedure to follow for delivering books for inmates.

War resisters in Canada also need support and to pressure the Stephen Harper government to honor the House of Commons vote, Gerry Condon, War Resisters Support Campaign and Courage to Resist all encourage contacting the Diane Finley (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration -- 613.996.4974, phone; 613.996.9749, fax; e-mail finley.d@parl.gc.ca -- that's "finley.d" at "parl.gc.ca") and Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, 613.992.4211, phone; 613.941.6900, fax; e-mail pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's "pm" at "pm.gc.ca"). Courage to Resist collected more than 10,000 letters to send before the vote. Now they've started a new letter you can use online here. The War Resisters Support Campaign's petition can be found here. Long expulsion does not change the need for action and the War Resisters Support Campaign explains: "The War Resisters Support Campaign is calling on supporters across Canada to urgently continue to put pressure on the minority conservative government to immediately cease deportation proceedings against other US war resisters and to respect the will of Canadians and their elected representatives by implementing the motion adopted by Parliament on June 3rd. Please see the take action page for what you can do."

There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Yovany Rivero, William Shearer, Michael Thurman, Andrei Hurancyk, Megan Bean, Chris Bean, Matthis Chiroux, Richard Droste, Michael Barnes, Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Jose Vasquez, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Logan Laituri, Jason Marek, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).

Georgian troops are leaving Iraq due to violence in their own country. Yesterday Deborah Haynes (Times of London) reported on US Gen David Petraeus' declaration that the US is providing transportation for the Georgian soldiers -- an estimated 2,000 were stationed in Iraq. People in the US need to pay attention. If you're not getting it, Yochi J. Dreazen (Wall St. Journal) reports, "The U.S. began flying Georgian troops out of Iraq on American military aircraft Sunday, and U.S. officials expect to have all of the Georgians home by midweek 'so that they can support requirements there during the current security situation,' according to Col. Steve Boylan, a military spokesman. Dreazen goes on to note that this "was the third-largest foreign force in Iraq" and that the departure, quoting Boylan, was "unexpected." Wednesday is mid-week. The reporters both say the US began transporting troops out of Iraq on Sunday. And today, Pentagon spokesperson Bryan Whitman announced that the transportation of those 2,000 troops will be completed today. That's basically 2,000 troops out of Iraq at the drop of a hat (in one day!) with no pre-planning and War Hawks in the US want you to believe that (a) a withdrawal cannot really be planned (changes on the ground!) and that it would take 16 months just to remove US "combat troops." Lies. Bill Richardson (while he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination) called those lies out. At the drop of a hat, unplanned, the US can -- while still fighting in Iraq -- transport 2,000 soldiers to the former Soviet Union but we're supposed to believe that a planned withdrawal could happen no sooner than 16 months (and then only the so-called "combat troops"). I believe life on the ground just told on them. At the very least, it called Barack, et al, "Liar." (And don't bring up 'equipment.' Most equipment isn't worth bringing back and any equipment brought back should be signed off on by a high ranking general swearing that the US military will not need to replace it for at least 5 years -- otherwise there's no point in it being brought.)

In an interview with Haynes that the Times of London published today, Petraeus declares of Iraq, "In the economic arena, all of a sudden you are seeing private investment . . . you see the electricity grid is literally all up for the first time in about three years . . . and oild production is up by some 400,000 barrels I think in the last six months as well in part because of electricit, which then means there is more fuel for the electricity." He is stoned, right? Good to know the military brass can still get the best weed; however, when he comes down from his high, someone might want to correct him on the electricity and, on the private investment, they can just wave today's front page of the New York Times at him while he satisifies his munchies. There he'll find Campbell Robertson's report on the faltering private sector in Iraq detailing Iraq's increased their government payrolls from 1.2 million in 2005 to 2.3 million today and how MPs explain they vote raises to garner . . . votes while some worry that should these people go off the payroll (there's even a 2 year payoff if you leave the government for the private sector -- 2 years of paydays from the government), they might quickly become part of the resistance. (Of course, al-Maliki's payroll is heavy with thugs and he has a problem with the US training Sunni thugs -- the "Awakening" Councils --- who might fight his own Shi'ite thugs.) Stoner Petraeus gets off some real howlers in the interview with Haynes. We may come back to it later in the week and explain where even he knows he's lying.

For now we'll move on to Saturday when Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) reported on the new practice of rounding Iraqi women and imprisoning them becuase the might be "future bombers? Maybe. Maybe not." Three women (out of 22) were released last Thursday. Of course the Iraqi police really can't round up "suicide bombers" because (unless they fail) their monicker indicates that they are no longer around. What's going on? The implementation of the policy Alissa J. Rubin (New York Times) reported on July 5th that Iraqi MP Sajar Qaduri tried to sell as 'freedom' and 'liberating.' The policy is actually profiling. Round up all the women who lost sons, husbands, fathers, cousins, boyfriends -- bascially your average Iraqi woman -- and imprison them but call the prisons "shelters" to pretty is all up. The sickness isn't the small number of female self-bombers (some of whom may not be bombing by choice), the sickness is the illegal war and continued occupation. Resistance is a normal response and, in a zone of violence, responding with violence is not surprising and not uncommon to the human condition. As noted July 5th: "A condition that's developed from the sickness of the Iraq War will be 'treated,' if Qaduir gets her way, by divorcing it from the very cause and treating the women's response as abnormal when what happened to their husbands was the abnormal thing. Instead, Qaduir's accepting as 'normal' the illegal war, the occupation that goes along with it and all the violence involved. The only 'abnormal' thing to her is that some women might respond in violence. Imagine what she would have recommended for American woman participating in the Revolutionary War."

The non-successful escalation ('surge') has ended and with nothing to show. Violence didn't vanish. And none of the benchmarks were reached, now were they? That was what Bully Boy claimed the 'surge' was supposed to accomplish. Analysts say there will be no provincial elections (a benchmark! designated by the White House) in October as long promised and that it might not be possible for them to be held this year. The Iraqi Parliament ended their regular session and then ended their special session. They are now on vacation (as is the US Congress). Leila Fadel (Baghdad Observer) reports that the "last controversial session before their summer break was attended by just over half of the legislatures. And those that stuck it out didn't pass the provincial elections law after a bitter dispute over the oil rich city of Kirkuk." But Fadel reveals the new Parliament building was still unveiled to a few spectators -- a tiny group "so small at the televised ceremony that the camera zoomed in on one section of the seating to give the illusion of a full crowd" -- and puppet of the occupation, Nouri al-Maliki, showed up to give a speeh but stopped before he completed it because, as he noted, "I can't talk for a very long time because it's very hot. I hope they put in the air conditioning soon." The building, constructed immediately outside the Green Zone, is nothing but a shell. Shell? The shell game that Iraqi forces are taking over or will take over. Anna Badkhen (Salon) reports, "The United States has spent four years and more than $20 billion on training and building Iraqi security forces; American instructors say the Iraqis are now mostly able to fight insurgents and sectarian militias on their own." But Iraqi forces feel different such as SWAT team member in training Haidar whose response is, "No! We are not going to be ready to do it without the Americans!"

Sunday the New York Times took the day off from Iraq. Today Campbell Robertson and Suadad Al-Salhy showed up to inform that one US service member died yesterday. Anyone getting their news only from the print edition of the New York Times would have no idea that 11 US service members have already been announced dead this month. Late Friday an announcement was made by M-NF: "Two Multi-National Force – West Marines died as the result of a non-combat related incident near Karmah Aug 7. The Marines names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense." Saturday yesterday they announced: "One U.S. Soldier was killed and two others wounded after an improvised explosive device struck their patrol in Baghdad at approximately 9:30 p.m. Aug. 8." Sunday the US military announced: "A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier and four Iraqi citizens were killed, and others wounded during a complex attack in the Tarmiyah district, north of Baghdad at approximately 2 p.m. Aug. 10. After an initial improvised explosive device detonated, an MND-B team was sent to investigate. Shortly after the team's arrival, a suicide vest attack occurred and was followed by small-arms fire. The attacks also wounded two U.S. Soldiers, 15 local nationals, three Iraqi Policemen and three Sons of Iraq members." When 13 US service members died for the entire month of July it was news for days -- as the press launched another wave of Operation Happy Talk. It's August 11th, the death toll for the month thus far is 11. At what point is the press going to convey that or are we all still supposed to pretend the 'surge' worked?

Tina Susman (Los Angeles Times) observes of yesterday, "Sunday's attacks showed the challenges still facing American forces in Iraq, who number about 140,000, and the Iraqi security forces who ultimately will have the task of protecting the country." Yes, violence is on the rise (and it never stopped) in Iraq with at least 35 reported deaths over the weekend by last night. Sunday alone, Baghdad saw one bombing after another. Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reported a Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded two Iraqi civilians and two Iraqi soldiers, another Baghdad roadside bombing that claimed 2 lives and left ten wounded, a third Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded three Iraqi military members, another Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded two security contractors, a Baghdad car bombing that claimed the life of 1 Iraqi soldier (five more wounded), another Baghdad roadside bombing that claimed 3 lives and left ten wounded and a Baghdad bomber who killed themselves and claimed the lives of 10 people with twenty more wounded -- all on Sunday.

Hammoudi also reported on a Sunday Diyala Province car bombing that claimed the life of the driver as well as 3 civilians (twenty more wounded). Diyala Province -- home of the for-show 'offensive' that's supposed to convince Americans that a corner has been turned. That the Iraqi military is on the rise and kicking butts and taking names . . . of no one. Hard to find any 'insurgents' when you announce your impending action weeks in advance. So it's really no surprise that AP's Bushra Juhi reports today that Nouri is saying the for-show operation in Diyala Province is taking a one-week vacation "to give insurgents time to surrender". Nicholas Spangler (McClatchy Newspapers) adds that the "limited amnesty" is being hailed by Abudl Kareem Khalaf, Interior Ministry flack, as "a very clear message to the insurgents that there will be no other chance." Presuming 'insurgents' were ever in Diyala in large numbers to begin with, this is, what, their third such warning? First came the warning telling them when the action would start, then came the warning when they were on the ground in Diyala and telling people to turn themselves in and, now, it's "Turn yourself in. We'll stop everything for one week, turn yourself in." If you were an insurgent, you'd probably have figured out the whole thing is playing like a close-out sale and that a better offer is probably 'just around the corner' (as the White House might put it).

The treaties remain the source of endless speculation (Strategic Framework Agreement: SFA; Status of Forces Agreement: SOFA). The White House promised they would be nailed down by July 31st. Didn't happen. The UN mandate (covering only the occupation and not retroactively giving permission for the illegal war) can be extended. It expires at the end of the year. Let's wait for some real news about any treaty. Here's actual news, Jordan's King Abdullah II was in Iraq. Waleed Ibrahim and Peter Graff (Reuters) report Abdullah is "the first leader to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003". Deborah Haynes (Times of London) notes the "trip was shrouded in secrecy because of security concerns and revealed only when he had headed home." Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP) explains, "Ties between the two neighboring countries had been strained since the fall of Saddam because of Jordanian fears that Iraq's Shiite-led government was too friendly with Shiite-dominated Iran. Jordanian officials have been concerned about Iranian influence in Iraq and the loss of discounted oil, which Saddam once provided."

Turning to some of today's reported violence . . .

Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing that left two people wounded, a Baghdad car bombing that claimed the life of the driver (the bomb was stuck to the car with adhesive), another Baghdad roadside bombing with no known casualties, a Baghdad rocket attack that wounded three people, another Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded eight people, a Diyala Province roadside bombing that claimed the lives of 5 women with three males wounded, a Basra roadside bombing that wounded two police officers and a Baquba bombing where the bomber blew herself up and claimed the life of 1 police officer with seventeen people injured. Reuters notes a Mosul car bombing that left two people wounded.

Shootings?

Reuters notes 1 police officer shot dead in Mosul.

Corpses?

Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 2 corpses discovered in Baghdad.

Turning to the US presidential race, Harper's John R. MacArthur (at The Providence Journal) explains, "Obama spends so much time courting the rich that I'm not surprised that James Webb has removed himself from consideration for vice president. Webb is the most articulate Senate critic of America's class divide. 'The most important -- and unfortunately the least debated -- issue in politics today is our drift toward a class-based system, the likes of which we have not seen since the 19th Century," he wrote two years ago. Webb understands that class stratification is aggravated not only by tax and trade policy but also by public schools that serve increasingly as holding pens for students who can't afford better private or parochial education. Attendance at an elite private school or university, as Obama well knows (and his Ph.D. mother appreciated), is one of the greatest aids to upward mobility in America today, as well as the best guarantee, along with a low inheritance tax, that people of means will maintain their children in the economic status they've become accustomed to." And are you surprised? Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader is in Canada. Ralph will be speaking at seven p.m at the Design Exchange on 234 Bay Street in Toronto -- admission is free but donations are welcome and An Unreasonable Man will be shown.

Meanwhile, Jason Kafoury of Team Nader notes:

Well, you did it.

Two weeks ago, we asked you for $100,000 to get us on the ballots in 30 states.

You came through with flying colors - over $120,000 - with half of that - $60,000 - coming in the last four days.

Thank you to everyone who helped make that happen.

In return, we did it.

Nader/Gonzalez is now done with our ballot access effort in 30 states, on our way to 45 states by September 15.

This is all good news.

And now add this:

I just got in the office - took the red eye from Denver - where I spent the weekend laying the groundwork for a Nader/Gonzalez Super Rally.

On Wednesday, August 27, right during the heart of the Democratic National Convention, we will be holding a Super Rally for 5,000-7,000 people at the University of Denver Magness Arena. (Check out our new Nader/Gonzalez video promoting our rallies here.)

And we'll be hosting a second super rally in Minneapolis on September 4th at the Orchestra Hall during the week of the Republican National Convention.

Why?

To protest the corporate control over our political system and to call for opening the presidential debates.

During his 2000 campaign, Ralph Nader drew sellout crowds to super rallies in arenas from Portland's Memorial Coliseum to Madison Square Garden.

After the election, the NewsHour's Mark Shields called the Nader Super Rallies "the most exciting political development of the campaign year."

"My apology to Ralph Nader for not demanding that he be included in the debates," Shields said.

In 2004, the Democratic Party - along with its Republican allies - smothered the Nader campaign with phony lawsuits in a coordinated campaign of petition sabotage.

We had a tough time keeping our heads above water.

Just last month, legislative leaders responsible for illegal use of tax money to keep us off of the ballot in Pennsylvania in 2004 were indicted by a grand jury in Harrisburg.

Now, in 2008, Nader is back, and - thanks to you - on track to be on the ballot in 45 states - we were on only 34 in 2004 - and the Nader/Gonzalez ticket is at six percent in the latest CNN poll.

Now, we need your help for another breakthrough.

We are launching a campaign to Open the Debates.

In its first phase, the super rallies will rise again in Denver and Minneapolis during the Democratic and Republican conventions.

We call all of our supporters to action from every corner of the United States: come to our first rally in Denver on Wednesday, August 27, 2008.

Plan to make the trip to Denver - or Minneapolis - or both.

These rallies will be part of an massive outpouring of protest in Denver and Minneapolis against the two corporate controlled parties and their policies of perpetual militarism and war.

We'll be filling in the details on the two rallies in the days to come.

But for now, we need you to spread the word.

Nader/Gonzalez is aiming to bust open the presidential debates.

As Ralph says, if tens of millions of Americans can hear the Nader/Gonzalez message through the

Presidential debates, it will be a three way race.

Send this e-mail message to your address book.

Tell friends and family.

The super rallies are back.

Time to get on board.

Onward to November

iraq
robin long

leila fadel
mcclatchy newspapers

the new york times
alissa j. rubin

campbell robertson

suadad al-salhy

the los angeles times

Posted at 06:07 pm by thecommonills
Permalink

Iraq (realities)

But the Iraqis say the idea of securing Iraq without American assistance remains terrifying to them.
"No!" exclaimed Haidar, a 29-year-old SWAT trainee who has been a police officer since 2004, with an expression of shock on his face. "We are not going to be ready to do it without the Americans!"
The United States has spent four years and more than $20 billion on training and building Iraqi security forces; American instructors say the Iraqis are now mostly able to fight insurgents and sectarian militias on their own. Iraq says it has more than half a million people in its security forces (although the special inspector general for Iraqi reconstruction for the U.S. Defense Department has questioned the numbers, saying that many of those have been wounded, been killed or gone AWOL). They wear uniforms and body armor, move in organized formations, almost always carry their weapons correctly and, for the most part, act professionally during missions.
But despite such a vote of confidence from the Americans, and despite Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's repeated assurances that Iraq is ready to provide its own security, members of Iraqi security forces say they are still years away from being able to defend their country and its citizens without direct American support.

The above is from Anna Badkhen's "Meet Iraq's new SWAT team" (Salon) and we'll team it with more reality, this from Leila Fadel's "Small Victories" (Baghdad Observer, McClatchy Newspapers):

Parliament adjourned this month and by Sunday most Iraqi parliament members had flitted off to London or Paris or the province they represent.
A lot of them didn't even wait until parliament ended. Their last controversial session before their summer break was attended by just over half of the legislators. And those that stuck it out didn't pass the provincial elections law after a bitter dispute over the oil rich city of Kirkuk.
So while most parliament members were unavailable the government chose to open the new parliament building housed outside the heavily fortified Green Zone. The audience was so small at the televised ceremony that the camera zoomed in on one section of the seating to give the illusion of a full crowd.

If you're able, continue reading because there's a guest-star about to show up. As you read it, wonder why Fadel's able to regularly produce these stories but other outlets aren't?

Yochi J. Dreazen's "Georgian Troops Begin Exiting Iraq
To Fight Russians, Leaving Gap" (Wall St. Journal) reports:

The U.S. began flying Georgian troops out of Iraq on American military aircraft Sunday, and U.S. officials expect to have all of the Georgians home by midweek "so that they can support requirements there during the current security situation," according to Col. Steve Boylan, a military spokesman.
Col. Boylan acknowledged that the Georgians' departures were "unexpected" but said U.S. officials "are accommodating the changes."
Still, replacing the Georgians will be difficult. The 2,000-strong Georgian contingent was the third-largest foreign force in Iraq, and Georgia, unlike most of the other coalition countries, allowed its forces to carry out dangerous missions near the Iraqi-Iranian border.

Amazingly, when some countries have internal issues, they can leave Iraq. The US? (You know the answer.)

Remember that independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader is in Canada today:

Ralph Nader to speak on Monday August 11, on the trading floor of old Toronto Stock Exchange building.

Please circulate and post widely.

Event also features partial screening of the biographical documentary, An Unreasonable Man.

Now at over 5 percent in national polls, Nader is on his third run for President of the United States.

Find out why he runs and what's at stake for Canada this election.

Ralph Nader is the only major candidate for President of the United States standing up to implement Canadian-style universal healthcare, a Dion-style Carbon Tax, and ending the war in Iraq with a full 6-month withdrawal. Over ten million Americans say they will vote for him, and another 20 million say they would if they thought he had a chance of winning. He's on track to be on the ballot in 45 states, and has a shot at getting in the Google Presidential Debates to be held in New Orleans this September. Come see him this Monday August 11 at the Design Exchange in Downtown Toronto.

Event Program:

Screening of a portion of An Unreasonable Man, the acclaimed documentary on Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader Remarks on the US Presidential Election: What's at stake for Canada?
Q and A with Ralph Nader

Where: Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1B2.

Time: 7:00 to 9:30 pm

Ticket Price: Free, donations appreciated, RSVP to ensure seating.

To RSVP, email toronto@votenader.org or call Rashi Khilnani at 647 286 0396 for more details.

Please circulate and post widely.

And Melissa notes this Nader campaign video calling for the debates to be open (as they should be, and how sad that candidates to have for that in a democracy).

Eddie e-mails to note that Nader and running mate Matt Gonzalez have other events coming up:

Nader/Gonzalez event schedule

August 26th, 1:30pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Albuquerque, NM; University of New Mexico, Ballroom C (student union); Contribution: $10/$5 student; More info: (505)982-3928 or events@votenader.org; Map it

August 26th, 5:30pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Santa Fe, NM; University of Santa Fe; Contribution: $10/$5 student; More Info: (505)473-6537 or events@votenader.org; Map it

August 27th, 7pm: "Open the Debates" Rally at the DNC; Denver, CO; Magness Arena, University of Colorado- Denver; (202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org; Map it

Sept. 4th, 4:30pm: Private Conversation w/ Ralph Nader; Minneapolis, MN; RSVP: (202) 471-5833; events@votenader.org; Map it

Sept. 4th, 7:30pm: "Open the Debates" Rally at the RNC; Minneapolis, MN; (202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org; Map it

Sept. 5th, 1pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Eau Claire, WI; University of Wisconsin, Council Fire Room- University Center; 105 Garfield Ave; Contribution: $10/$5 student; (715) 703-0353 or events@votenader.org; Map it

Sept. 5th, 7pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Madison, WI; Orpheum Theatre; 216 State St. Madison, WI 53703; Contribution: $10/$5 student; (608) 215-1342 or events@votenader.org; Map it

Sept. 6th, 12pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Milwaukee, WI; Cardinal Stritch University, Nancy Kendall Theater; 6801 N. Yates Road, Milwaukee, WI 53217; Contribution:$10/$5 student; (608) 345-5452 or events@votenader.org; Map it

Sept. 6th, 7:30pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Chicago, IL; Location:TBA; Contribution:$10/$5 student; (202)471-5833 or events@votenader.org; Map it

Sept. 7th, 1:30pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Lansing, MI; Michigan State, Kellogg Center (Big Ten room A); 55 South Harrison Rd. East lansing, MI 48824; Contribution: $10/$5 student; (202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org; Map it

Sept. 7th, 7:30pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Detroit, MI; Location:TBA; Contribution: $10/$5 student; Map it

Sept. 8th, 12pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Cincinnati, OH; Location:TBA; Map it

Sept. 8th, 7:30pm: Nader for President 2008 Rally; Columbus, OH; Location:TBA; Map it

Peter Jackson (AP) notes BonusGate, the Pennsylvania scandal involving many things including Democrats conspiring to keep people off the ballot in 2004:

In announcing the first arrests from an ongoing corruption probe, state Attorney General Tom Corbett described a conspiracy in which leaders of the House Democratic caucus allegedly enlisted large numbers of publicly paid subordinates to participate in petition inspections that blocked independent and third-party candidates considered threats to major Democratic candidates in 2004 and 2006.
That allegation--one of many that led to last month's arrests of 12 people connected to the caucus--angered supporters of consumer advocate Ralph Nader, an independent presidential candidate who was forced off the 2004 ballot, and Carl Romanelli, a Green Party candidate who was denied a spot on the U.S. Senate ballot two years later.
Citing the alleged misconduct, lawyers for Nader and Romanelli have filed motions in state courts seeking the withdrawal of orders requiring each of the campaigns to pay more than $80,000 in legal expenses from the 2004 and 2006 ballot challenges.

The Detroit Free Press offers a historical look at independent and third-party runs for president.

And Karen notes this from Gilles d'Aymery's "The Gray Lady's Muzzle" (Swans Commentary):

On July 29, 2008, The New York Times published on its Web site a column, "The Power of the Protest Vote," written by Andrew Kohut, the president of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, in which he contended that "third or fourth party presidential candidates [could] garner enough votes in November to make a difference in some of the hotly contested swing states." Kohut went on to analyze the defection of Hillary Clinton's supporters and the "liberals" who think that Obama has moved too much to the center, and the conservatives who are unhappy with McCain and take a serious look at Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate. He did not miss the opportunity to associate Ralph Nader with the spoiler syndrome; and he ended asserting the "protest" vote could be a decisive factor on the November electoral results. Comments surged. The New York Times staff kept the commenting flow as they saw fit. My comment did not make the cut.
Ironically, following the usual dicing of Nader-the-Spoiler, which meme is so prevalent in the antechambers of the corporate media and the more obscure progressive outfits, Kohut inserted a small graphic of a series of Pew polls indicating the level of enthusiasm for the respective candidates in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008, to prove that Senator McCain had a serious enthusiasm gap in comparison to Senator Obama. But that small graphic, which I cannot reproduce without risking the lightning thunders of the paper's counsels, had the merit to show that in 2000, 46% of Democrats expressed enthusiasm for Al Gore, and only 40% had strong enthusiasm for him. I am surprised that no one has yet accused Nader of being responsible for the absence of Democratic support for Gore (over 200,000 registered Florida Democrats voted for Mr. Bush in 2000), or for causing about 100 million potential voters to go fishing on election day. As Gelett Burgess once quipped, "To appreciate nonsense requires a serious interest in life."
Kohut's column generated a lively debate -- over 180 comments -- ranging from Clinton's supporters refusing to vote for Obama to people adamantly defending their right to vote for a third-party or independent candidate (like the two I cited at the top), and of course, the partisans of the trite line, "not voting for Obama is voting for McCain, imbeciles."

Carolyn of MakeThemAccountable probes The Mansion That Rezko Bought in "More Than Just A Boneheaded Mistake:"

Simply put, the allocation of purchase price between the Obamas' lot and the lot next door, which were both owned by the same couple and had long been sold together, makes no sense unless the amount paid for the lot adjoining the Obamas', by the wife of now convicted political fixer Tony Rezko, was specifically meant as a favor to the Obamas, so that they could afford their mansion. If so, the difference between what Ms. Rezko paid for the side lot and what it was actually worth would be construed by the IRS as income to the Obamas. After looking at the Obamas' tax return for 2005, my source was able to say that in his opinion they did not declare any such income, and therefore did not pay taxes on it.

And reminder, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Vacationing Barack" went up Sunday night. The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.

iraq

anna badkhen

leila fadel

mcclatchy newspapers

yochi j. dreazen

gilles d'aymery

Posted at 06:05 pm by thecommonills
Permalink

Iraq

On the front page of the New York Times, Campbell Robertson's "Iraq Government Rolls Soar As the Private Sector Falters." Iraq's increased their government payrolls from 1.2 million in 2005 to 2.3 million today and . . . And? Isn't the whole talking point of the puppet's office that they do not have a strong enough bureaucracy? (And trained.) Is it a story? Probably. Is it front page news? Not as written. But considering that Sunday was yet another day the New York Times couldn't even find Iraq, maybe we shouldn't complain?

Inside the paper, A8, Robertson teams with Suadad Al-Salhy for "Attacks Across Iraq Ill 13, Including a U.S. Soldier." Seems much more appropriate as front page news, doesn't it? But 13? Look at the numbers from last night -- just McClatchy and Reuters and mainly McClatchy -- and you've got over 25 deaths (that includes 3 corpses discovered in Baghdad). On the plus side, at least the paper is finally reporting deaths of US service members. Anyone getting their news only from the print edition of the New York Times would have no idea that 11 US service members have already been announced dead this month.

In the Los Angeles Times, Tina Susman's "U.S. soldier, 17 Iraqis killed in suicide blast" offers "Sunday's attacks showed the challenges still facing American forces in Iraq, who number about 140,000, and the Iraqi security forces who ultimately will have the task of protecting the country." and notes this:

Iraqi police said the dead included three Iraqi soldiers, eight civilians, and six Awakening members, along with two U.S. soldiers, but the U.S. military said in a statement that one American was killed and two were wounded. There was no explanation for the discrepancy.

ITV (like the second Times article) talks about what might be in a treaty between the White House and the puppet of the occupation in "Iraq seeks US withdrawal timeline:"

Iraq has said the US must provide a "very clear timeline" to withdraw its troops from the country.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said it is required as part of an agreement to allow US troops to stay beyond this year.
US President George W Bush has long resisted setting a firm schedule for pulling troops out of Iraq.
Last month, however, the White House began speaking of a general "time horizon" and "aspirational goals" to withdraw.

If the treaties (Strategic Framework Agreement: SFA; Status of Forces Agreement: SOFA) don't come be (July 31st was the self-imposed deadline of the White House), the UN mandate (covering only the occupation and not retroactively giving permission for the illegal war) can be extended. It expires at the end of the year.

AP's Bushra Juhi reports that Nouri is saying the for-show operation in Diyala Province is taking a one-week vacation "to give insurgents time to surrender".

Kyle notes this from Team Nader:

Ralph's Weekend Audio Message

Posted by Ralph Nader on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 11:16:00 AM

ShareThisShareThis

Click here for Ralph's Saturday audio message.

This is Ralph Nader.

I'm very proud of the millions of Americans who are standing with me and my running mate Matt Gonzalez in this momentous election year.

To the scores of signature gatherers around the country who have beared bad weather -- thank you.

To those of you who have written letters to your local newspapers and defended our candidacy to friends and neighbors -- thank you too.

To the thousands of you who have fueled the Nader/Gonzalez campaign with your generous donations -- our gratitude.

We have polled over five percent in a number of national polls -- most recently six percent in the CNN poll last week.

Nader/Gonzalez is projected to be on the ballot in 45 states come election day.

I was at a breakfast meeting with reporters this week in Washington, D.C.

And a reporter asked me if I thought Nader/Gonzalez had a chance to win.

Well, I said, if we get into the debates, before tens of millions of voters, it would be a three way race.

But before we get into the debates, we have to get on the ballots.

And as you know, we're in the stretch run of our ballot drive.

We're very close to hitting our target of $100,000 by tomorrow night.

We're closing in.

So, help push us over the top.

After this weekend, we move from the primary to the general election period.

That means that this is the last weekend where your online contributions will be matched by the federal government.

More specifically, every dollar you give online this weekend, up to $250, will be matched or doubled by the government.

After this weekend, no match for online contributions.

Help push us over the top on our current ballot access fundraising drive.

Go to votenader.org and hit the contribute button.

You can give to your heart's content---up to $4,600 that is---that's the legal limit.

You will be fueling a campaign that will shift the power in specific ways from the giant corporations back into the hands of the American people---whether as voters, consumers or taxpayers.

Thank you again for your support and your considered dedication.

Onward to November.

ShareThisShareThis

And below is the audio of the message.

And on the race for president, Alain Jean-Robert (AFP) reports:

A leading conservative voice and champion of individual liberties, Barr, a former Republican, broke with the Bush administration after the Patriot Act was introduced in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
Barr will appear on the ballots in at least 34 states, some of which, such as northern Ohio and western Nevada, are seen as key swing states this year.
In Georgia, where polls give McCain only a seven-point advantage over Obama, Barr's presence could significantly muddy the vote.
Barr himself faces competition from another former Republican, Chuck Baldwin, who is running as a candidate for the Constitution Party, which has an election manifesto very similar to the Libertarian's. Baldwin is standing in at least 24 states.
Nader, 74, is making his fifth tilt at the White House, this time as an independent and will be running in at least 29 states, including key battleground Michigan.
Nader, who is of Lebanese origin, could win significant support among the large Arab-American community in the northern state, and according to some polls, could even take some 25 per cent of their vote.
"You have in Ralph Nader's candidacy a genuine Arab-American who has a lot of notoriety and publicity. It would be detrimental to Obama's candidacy," said Morley Winograd, former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party.
The Green Party has chosen as its candidate African-American former Democratic congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who will be on the ballot in 24 states.
Her presence could handicap Obama by slicing into his support among women and pacifists against the Iraq war.
"Obama cannot take the peace vote for granted. There are peace candidates running from across the political spectrum," said Kevin Zeese, executive director of Voters for Peace.

There are others mentioned, we focused on on Bob Barr, Cynthia McKinney and Ralph Nader
-- and Nader is the one the community is supporting. The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.

iraq
the new york times

campbell robertson

suadad al-salhy

the los angeles times

tina susman

Posted at 05:59 pm by thecommonills
Permalink

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Vacationing Barack"

Isaiah's latest The World Today Just Nuts "Vacationing Barack." On the beach, Barack explains, "This is my third vacation this year. It takes a lot of work to be this pretty. Does this thong make my ass look fat?"

the world today just nuts
barack obama
vacationing barack
comic
the common ills

Posted at 11:50 pm by thecommonills
Permalink

And the war drags on . . .

Iraq Veterans Against the War are in the midst of a summer base tour and upcoming dates include:

Fort Stewart
Mon, August 11, 2008
7 pm
Stafford Pavillion
607 Oglethorp Hwy
Hinesville, GA
Fundraiser
Tues, August 12, 2008
7pm
202 E 32nd St
Savannah, GA 31401
Fort Hood
Fundraiser
Thur, August 14, 2008
7pm
Genuine Joe’s
2001 W Anderson Ln
Austin, TX 78757
BBQ
Fri, August 15, 2008
7 pm
TBD
Concert - Ryan Harvey
Sat, August 16, 2008
7pm-2am
Ruta Maya
3601 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
Fort Sill
Concert - 8-bit Cynics, MC Jabee
Sun, August 17, 2008
7pm
Cross Rhodes Tavern
2548 N.W. Ft Sill Blvd
Lawton, OK 73507
Fundraiser
Mon, August 18, 2008
7:30 pm
1st Unitarian Church
600 NW 13th St
Oklahoma City, OK 73103
BBQ - VA Benefits / GI Rights information
Tue, August 19, 2008
7pm
Location TBD
Fort Carson / Denver (Democratic National Convention)
Concert
Sun, August 24, 2008
Denver Park Bandstand
23rd Ave
Denver, CO
Minneapolis (IVAW Convention and Republican National Convention)
Event details to come.
Camp Pendleton
Fundraiser - Potluck BBQ
Thur, September 4, 2008
6:30PM
1462 Burroughs St
Oceanside, CA 92054
BBQ
Fri, September 5, 2008
7pm
Capistrano Park
770 Capistrano Dr
Oceanside, CA
Concert
Sat, September 6, 2008
Location: TBD

For more information, you can use these IVAW links:

Latest Base Tour Updates
Latest Base Tour News Coverage
Upcoming Base Tour Stops
More information on the Base Tour
Meet the Base Tour crew

The start of August brought the non-stop 'news' of 'success' in Iraq and 'turned corner' and all the other hogwash that's a component of Operation Happy Talk. Multiple bombings took place in Baghdad over the weekend -- yeah, Baghdad 'the protected' area. Reported violence claimed at least 35 lives over the weekend. The number of US service members killed in Iraq continued to rise but all the press can talk about is whispers that just maybe a treaty between the White House and the puppet of the occupation (Nouri al-Maliki) is about to be 'finalized' (such a treaty has to go to the Iraqi Parliament for approval and should go to the US Senate though Bully Boy thinks he can sidestep them). Nearly five and half years later and no end to the illegal war.

They're just there to try and make the people free,
But the way that they're doing it, it don't seem like that to me.
Just more blood-letting and misery and tears
That this poor country's known for the last twenty years,
And the war drags on.
-- words and lyrics by Mick Softly (available on Donovan's Fairytale)

Last Sunday, ICCC's number of US troops killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war hit the 4,128 mark. And tonight? 4138. Today the US military announced: "A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier and four Iraqi citizens were killed, and others wounded during a complex attack in the Tarmiyah district, north of Baghdad at approximately 2 p.m. Aug. 10. After an initial improvised explosive device detonated, an MND-B team was sent to investigate. Shortly after the team’s arrival, a suicide vest attack occurred and was followed by small-arms fire. The attacks also wounded two U.S. Soldiers, 15 local nationals, three Iraqi Policemen and three Sons of Iraq members." And yesterday they announced: "One U.S. Soldier was killed and two others wounded after an improvised explosive device struck their patrol in Baghdad at approximately 9:30 p.m. Aug. 8. " The death toll for the month is 11. Remember when July's total of 13 was "news" and you couldn't avoid it? Somehow 11 dead already this month barely gets a mention. But then it doesn't fit in with the myth of the 'turned corner' and the 'working' 'surge,' does it? 11 so far this month, ten more since last Sunday. But if everyone pretends not to notice, maybe we can all believe the 'surge' worked, right?

Just Foreign Policy's counter estimates the number of Iraqis killed since the start of the illegal war to be 1,252,595 up from 1,251,944 last Sunday. Turning to some of the weekend's reported violence starting with Sunday.

Bombings?

Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded two Iraqi civilians and two Iraqi soldiers, another Baghdad roadside bombing that claimed 2 lives and left ten wounded, a third Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded three Iraqi military members, another Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded two security contractors, a Baghdad car bombing that claimed the life of 1 Iraqi soldier (five more wounded), another Baghdad roadside bombing that claimed 3 lives and left ten wounded, a Baghdad bomber who killed themselves and claimed the lives of 10 people with twenty more wounded and a Diyala Province car bombing that claimed the life of the driver as well as 3 civilians (twenty more wounded). Reuters notes a Khanaqin bus bombing that claimed 3 lives and left at least twenty people injured. Dropping back to Saturday, Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy) reported a Baghdad roadside bombing that left four police officers wounded, a Baghdad apartment bombing that left two people wounded, a Diyala Province home bombing that claimed the life of 1 police officer and a Diyala Province roadside bombing that wounded two police officers.

Shootings?

Saturday Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy) reported an attack on "the director of Al Qadisiya pool in Baghdad" (Satar Amir) that claimed the life of 1 of his sons and left the director and another son wounded and 1 man shot dead in Erbil.

Corpses?

Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 3 corpses discovered in Baghdad. Saturday Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy) reported 3 corpses discovered in Baghdad and 1 in Diyala Province.

Again, thirty-five reported dead above. And notice how many attacks took place in Baghdad. That would be the one area that the US is supposed to 'control.'

New content at Third:

Truest statement of the week
A note to our readers
Editorial: NPR aka Home of the Unqualified
TV: The stench of 'public affairs' programming
Stop-Loss
'Friends' and Bigots
You can learn a lot from a movie
Nader and Gonzalez speak to the people
War resistance then
The sorry John Edwards spectacle
Highlights

Isaiah's latest goes up after this. UK members are noting they have a demonstration against the illegal war planned next month and where's the US? As Gareth writes, "Guess the 'left' in the States can't oppose the illegal and immoral war and also support the war hawk Barack Obama so ending the war takes a back seat?" That does appear to be the case, Gareth. Pru notes "Demonstrate against the war at Labour Party conference" (Great Britain's Socialist Worker):

Protesting against the war at Labour’s conference in Manchester in 2006 (Pic: » Guy Smallman)

The Stop the War Coalition has called a national demonstration at the Labour Party conference in Manchester on 20 September to protest against the continuing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The demonstration will also highlight the cost of the war.
Chris Nineham from the Stop the War Coalition told Socialist Worker, “Gordon Brown is supporting George Bush’s wars as enthusiastically as Tony Blair did. There are still thousands of British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The war budget is now £32.6 billion and set to rise to £36.9 billion in 2010. That money could be spent on pensions, food subsidies and services. The ‘Troops Out’ demonstration to Labour’s conference is a rare chance to make the government aware of real public opinion.”
For more information go to » www.stopwar.org.uk
» email article » comment on article » printable version
© Copyright Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). You may republish if you include an active link to the original and leave this notice in place.
If you found this article useful please help us maintain SW by » making a donation.

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

iraq
and the war drags on
donovan
iraq veterans against the war
mcclatchy newspapers
laith hammoudi
the socialist worker
the world today just nuts
the third estate sunday review

Posted at 11:48 pm by thecommonills
Permalink

Saturday, August 09, 2008

9 US service members dead in Iraq so far this month

9 US service members have died in Iraq so far this month.

Late Friday an announcement was made by M-NF: "Two Multi-National Force – West Marines died as the result of a non-combat related incident near Karmah Aug 7. The Marines names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense."

Considering all the headlines and gas bagging the 13 deaths for July received, all the hog wash about a turned corner, you'd think the press would bother to note that in less than two weeks, over half as many US service members have died as died in the month of July. But that doesn't help continue to sell the illegal war, now does it? A splash of cold water in the face doesn't help out Operation Happy Talk. So watch all play dumb.

Ralph Nader to speak on Monday August 11, on the trading floor of old Toronto Stock Exchange building.
Please circulate and post widely.
Event also features partial screening of the biographical documentary, An Unreasonable Man.
Now at over 5 percent in national polls, Nader is on his third run for President of the United States.
Find out why he runs and what's at stake for Canada this election.
Ralph Nader is the only major candidate for President of the United States standing up to implement Canadian-style universal healthcare, a Dion-style Carbon Tax, and ending the war in Iraq with a full 6-month withdrawal. Over ten million Americans say they will vote for him, and another 20 million say they would if they thought he had a chance of winning. He's on track to be on the ballot in 45 states, and has a shot at getting in the Google Presidential Debates to be held in New Orleans this September. Come see him this Monday August 11 at the Design Exchange in Downtown Toronto.
Event Program:
Screening of a portion of An Unreasonable Man, the acclaimed documentary on Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader Remarks on the US Presidential Election: What's at stake for Canada?
Q and A with Ralph Nader
Where: Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1B2.
Time: 7:00 to 9:30 pm
Ticket Price: Free, donations appreciated, RSVP to ensure seating.
To RSVP, email toronto@votenader.org or call Rashi Khilnani at 647 286 0396 for more details.

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader will be in Canada on Monday. Turning to Iraq, this is the opening of Leila Fadel's "Looking for suicide bombers in Iraq is no easy task" (McClatchy Newspapers):

The Iraqi National Police came in the middle of the night and roused the three women from their sleep.
For 14 days, they were held, suspected of preparing to carry out deadly suicide attacks and recruit other women to do the same. On Thursday, they were sent home.
Were they future bombers? Maybe. Maybe not.
The three were among 22 women who were detained during an ongoing security operation in Diyala province for alleged links to the al Qaida in Iraq group, which dominated this mostly Sunni Muslim area for years.
In Diyala, women are feared now. In the last eight months, 12 have blown themselves up in suicide attacks. Police are working to ferret out such bombers.

Three innocent women detained/imprisoned, wow, who could have seen that happen? Drop back to July 5th, "New abuses for Iraqi women" when the 'strategy' was first discussed publicly.

As the article continues, she pushes the notion of profiling women and laments that they can't be "detained" (imprisoned) only from a profile. But if she can't imprison them, she can create "homes" and "shelters" to "put them in". Consider them pretty prisons. And by not calling them prisons, Qaduir may be able to circumvent the remnants of a legal system in Iraq. "It's for your own good," they could tell these 'sick' women -- when the only sickness is the occupation itself.Qaduir is a quack who wants to use her psuedo 'understanding' to crack down on women. If there's anything worse than your husband being imprisoned in the illegal maze or being killed, it has to be dealing with that while you're farmed out to a detention center posing as 'care'.
The reality is that the response of Iraqis to resist the occupation is a normal response and all the more so when someone they have loved is killed. Want to end 'sucide bombings'? End the illegal war. A condition that's developed from the sickness of the Iraq War will be 'treated,' if Qaduir gets her way, by divorcing it from the very cause and treating the women's response as abnormal when what happened to their husbands was the abnormal thing. Instead, Qaduir's accepting as 'normal' the illegal war, the occupation that goes along with it and all the violence involved. The only 'abnormal' thing to her is that some women might respond in violence. Imagine what she would have recommended for American woman participating in the Revolutionary War.
Qaduir is not the 'fixer,' she is part of the problem. (And apparently the Jane Harman of the Iraqi Parliament.) With all the women and children in Iraq who are homeless, the fact that she wants to create detention centers (posing as 'shelters') to imprison women who fit her profile while ignoring those very much in need of an actual shelter says a great deal.
And she can try to cut off debate with all her claims of 'different' societies until she's blue in the face but she's targeting a group for imprisonment out of her own fear. That's not all that 'different' than the round ups Bully Boy launched of Arab-Americans after 9-11.
The problem is not women whose lives are destroyed resisting the ongoing occupation, the problem is the Iraq War. If "Dr." Qaduri wants to 'treat' something, she might try addressing that instead of attempting to round up widows due to Qaduri's own fear and derangement. Her profile not only reflects the 'US military analysis,' it appears to have been handed her to her by the US military.

It's really amazing how little criticism the 'strategy' Alissa J. Rubin documented in "Despair Drives Suicide Attacks by Iraqi Women" (New York Times) received until you grasp how little attention is ever paid to Iraqi women (well why should the women in Iraq be any different from the women in the rest of the world!). You can see it in the refusal to call out the US government for paying female "Awakening" Council members 20% less than their male cohorts. We don't approve of the "Awakening" Councils in this community but if you're going to pay people for a job, you pay them equal. Equal pay for equal work. In fact, with the focus now being on female bombers, you could, in fact, argue that female "Awakening" Council members need to be paid more because they are currently more needed.

Iraqi women suffer every day. There's no concern. There's no outcry. And when someone does raise the issue, they get no credit for it. Take Hillary Clinton who has raised the issue repeatedly as far back as 2003. But you saw LIARS like Betsy Reed and Laura Flanders (both of the worthless Nation magazine) LIE that Hillary hadn't done anything on women's issues since giving a speech in the 90s. Both of those liars, those useless pathetic girls, should be ashamed of themselves because they didn't just LIE, they lied knowing they could get away with it because the larger society pays so damn little attention to women.

Zach notes this from Team Nader:

Ralph's Weekend Audio Message
Posted by Ralph Nader on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 11:16:00 AM
ShareThis
Click here for Ralph's Saturday audio message.
This is Ralph Nader.
I'm very proud of the millions of Americans who are standing with me and my running mate Matt Gonzalez in this momentous election year.
To the scores of signature gatherers around the country who have beared bad weather -- thank you.
To those of you who have written letters to your local newspapers and defended our candidacy to friends and neighbors -- thank you too.
To the thousands of you who have fueled the Nader/Gonzalez campaign with your generous donations -- our gratitude.
We have polled over five percent in a number of national polls -- most recently six percent in the CNN poll last week.
Nader/Gonzalez is projected to be on the ballot in 45 states come election day.
I was at a breakfast meeting with reporters this week in Washington, D.C.
And a reporter asked me if I thought Nader/Gonzalez had a chance to win.
Well, I said, if we get into the debates, before tens of millions of voters, it would be a three way race.
But before we get into the debates, we have to get on the ballots.
And as you know, we're in the stretch run of our ballot drive.
We're very close to hitting our target of $100,000 by tomorrow night.
We're closing in.
So, help push us over the top.
After this weekend, we move from the primary to the general election period.
That means that this is the last weekend where your online contributions will be matched by the federal government.
More specifically, every dollar you give online this weekend, up to $250, will be matched or doubled by the government.
After this weekend, no match for online contributions.
Help push us over the top on our current ballot access fundraising drive.
Go to votenader.org and hit the contribute button.
You can give to your heart's content---up to $4,600 that is---that's the legal limit.
You will be fueling a campaign that will shift the power in specific ways from the giant corporations back into the hands of the American people---whether as voters, consumers or taxpayers.
Thank you again for your support and your considered dedication.
Onward to November.
ShareThis

The following community sites have updated since Friday morning:

Rebecca's Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude;
Betty's Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man;
Cedric's Cedric's Big Mix;
Kat's Kat's Korner;
Mike's Mikey Likes It!;
Elaine's Like Maria Said Paz;
Wally's The Daily Jot;
Trina's Trina's Kitchen;
Ruth's Ruth's Report;
and Marcia's SICKOFITRADLZ

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

iraq
leila fadel
mcclatchy newspapers
the new york times
alissa j. rubin
like maria said paz
kats korner
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
trinas kitchen
the daily jot
cedrics big mix
mikey likes it
ruths report
sickofitradlz

Posted at 11:44 pm by thecommonills
Permalink

'Withdrawal'

Muqtada al Sadr, the Shiite Muslim cleric who made his reputation by opposing the American presence in Iraq, will disband the armed wing of his militia if a new Iraq-U.S. security agreement includes a date for an American withdrawal, a key Sadr aide said Friday.
Salah al Obaidi, a spokesman for the cleric, said Sadr's Mahdi Army would review the security agreement closely to see how precisely it spelled out when the U.S. troop presence would end.
"It depends on what this agreement brings us," he said. "When there is no more occupation, there will be no need for these cells."
The pronouncement could give Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki a potent incentive to press the United States for a specific withdrawal date.
Iraqi officials told McClatchy earlier this week that the negotiations on a security agreement are nearing a close and that the current draft of the agreement includes a date of June 30, 2009, for American troops to withdraw from Iraq's cities. U.S. combat forces would be gone "by 2011," said a senior Iraqi official who's been participating in the talks.

The above is from Leila Fadel's "Sadr promises to disband militia if U.S. sets Iraq withdrawal date" (McClatchy Newspapers) and the question to ask is: "Is Moqtada al-Sadr as big a dupe as so many Americans?" If he is, Fadel's summary may excite and delight him. But he represents a movement that wants NO US forces on Iraqi soil. So either he or the movement may grasp that what's being discussed is not withdrawal at all.

Nor is what's being included in the Democratic Party plank. Calvin Woodward (AP) notes, "On Iraq, the draft states that Democrats "expect to complete redeployment within 16 months," reflecting Obama's time frame but not the tone of certainty he brought to it when he was running in the primaries." I see, that clock upon the wall . . . Well it don't bother me at all . . . It's an ever changing time, as Aretha sings. Siedah Garrett recorded it first, for the film Baby Boom, "Ever Changing Times" written by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Bill Conti. Another movie theme probably best described the mood in The Cult of Obama as they continue to justify one cave after another: "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" (written by Alan and Marilyn Berman and Michel Legrand -- Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds' Best Friends).

There is no withdrawal planned by the Democratic 'leadership.' A lot of the Cultists who are semi-known try to lie that Barack, if elected, will be pressured to do more. They couldn't even pressure him to keep his word on FISA. Keep dreaming.

In fact, let's just finish out this movie music thread. Barack's groupies old enough to know better make like a girl group -- day after day. Larry Klein and Gerry Goffin's "Born To Love That Boy" (from Allison Anderson's amazing Grace Of My Heart) probably sums them up best:

He doesn't love me
But I love him so
Always thinking of that boy
But he never thinks of me.

My heart's a toy
And, like a little boy,
He breaks it when he's through.
He fools around
And puts me down.
But there's nothing I can do.

I just live for the moments with him.
(Be careful)
His touch is soft
And the lights are dim.
(Watch out)
Oh what a trance he puts me in.
I guess that I was born to love that boy.

It's a real shame Tom Hayden, Laura Flanders, et al had to inflict their late-life adolescence on the nation.

Lewis notes Glen Ford's "Obama Won't Address Specific Black Concerns" (Black Agenda Report):

"What about the Black community, Obama?" read the banner held aloft by three young African American men at what was supposed to be the usual campaign pep-rally (nominally a town hall meeting), in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Not far away, in Orlando, National Urban League President Marc Morial, preparing for the organization's annual convention last weekend, vowed that the candidate would be quizzed on "what steps should we take as a nation to alleviate the effects of racial exclusion and racial discrimination?"
Barack Obama has hard-wired himself to avoid answering such questions. His responses, when offered, range from skillful shadings of the truth to outright lies about his own statements on how he would confront the living legacy of American slavery and apartheid - if at all. And, although there is little reason to believe that masses of Blacks are reconsidering their overwhelming support for Obama, there is evidence of growing anxiety at the Illinois senator's determined "race neutrality."
Spouting the same line that endeared him to "centrist" whites and corporate contributors in 2004, Barack Obama steadfastly refuses to put forward any program to address specific historical and contemporary grievances of African Americans. The catechism is always some variation of his "There is no Black America, there is no white America..." speech at the Democratic National Convention, in Boston. He seldom acknowledges, and then only grudgingly, that African Americans continue to be subjected to institutionalized harms that are qualitatively different than those endured by whites of any social strata. He is willing to curb certain racist behaviors, such as racial profiling, but will do nothing to systematically reverse the accumulated assaults that are particular to the African American experience and condition.
In other words, Blacks have no special gripe, as far as Barack Obama is concerned - which is the source of his attraction to unprecedented numbers of white voters seeking, if not absolution for past crimes, at least a muting of Black complaints. That's the kind of "change" they're anticipating, race-wise.

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

iraq
leila fadel
mcclatchy newspapers
glen ford

Posted at 11:40 pm by thecommonills
Permalink

Friday, August 08, 2008

Iraq snapshot

Friday, August 8, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, Moqtada al-Sadr floats an offer for disbanding, US presidential candidate Ralph Nader prepares to visit Canada, and more.

Starting with war resistance. Last month US war resister Robin Long was extradited from Canada. Courage to Resist notes that Robin is "being held in the El Paso County Jail, near Colorado Springs, Colorado, awaiting a military court martial for resisting the unjust and illegal war against and occupation of Iraq. Robin will be court martialed for desertion 'with intent to remain away permanently' -- Article 85 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice -- in early September. The maximum allowable penalty for a guilty verdict on this charge is three years confinement, forfeiture of pay, and a dishonorably discharge from the Army. In order to expedite Robin's trial, it appears that his unit command, the Fourth Brigade Combat Team, Fourth Infantry Division is option to not charge Robin with speech-related violations of military discipline; opting to try and convict Robin as fast as possible."

They note the public support that Garrett Reppenhagan (IVAW) and others have shown in Colorado for Robin. A protest held at Fort Carson (see July 28th snapshot) was noted here last month and Lee Zaslofsky declared at the protest: "Robin Long did what he did because of his conscience and because he believed that the war was wrong, that he was simply running away or hiding out. . . . I think most Americans now realize that the war in Iraq is a complete mistake." James Branum is Robin's civilian attorney and he discussed Robin's case in this video (transcript of which is in the August 5th snapshot) noting, "So they had a hearing late at night. Robin was put into jail. And since that point, he has been held here in Colarado Springs in the Criminal Justice Center in El Paso County -- basically just a regular old county jail with all kinds of people, dangerous criminals many of them, and it's a difficult place to be. But Robin's in good spirits and we're now dealing with the consequences of his action in the military courts here."

Courage to Resist offers the followings to support Robin:

1. Donate to Robin's legal defense

Online: http://couragetoresist.org/robinlong

By mail: Make checks out to "Courage to Resist / IHC" and note "Robin Long" in the memo field. Mail to:

Courage to Resist
484 Lake Park Ave #41
Oakland CA 94610

Courage to Resist is committed to covering Robin's legal and related defense expenses. Thank you for helping make that possible.

2. Send letters of support to Robin

Robin Long, CJC

2739 East Las Vegas

Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Robin's pre-trial confinement has been outsourced by Fort Carson military authorities to the local county jail.

3. Send Robin a money order for commissary items

4. Send Robin a book

Anna Badkhen files from Iraq for Salon. This week she's been reporting on the realities of the "Awakening" Council (aka "Sons Of Iraq," aka "Turncoats For Coins"). On Tuesday, Badkhen reported on an Iraqi who discovered grenades in Baghdad but didn't feel he could say anything: "If I tell the Iraqi police or the Sons of Iraq they will tell the wrong people, and I will be killed. I don't trust them. If I tell the Americans, they'll tell no one how they found about the grenades." Wednesday she reported on the "Awakening" Council members quoting US Lt Justin Chabalko explaining, "When the SOIs [Sons of Iraq] stood up, we were basically hiring terrorists." Badkhen observes:

The Sons of Iraq was formed in 2007, when Sunni tribal leaders, tired of violence and disillusioned with Islamic fundamentalists such as al-Qaida in Iraq, encouraged tribal members -- including some former militia members -- to guard Sunni and mixed neighborhoods against takeover by sectarian gangs. The Americans touted the creation of the Sons of Iraq as a major diplomatic success and agreed to finance the organization, paying each member a monthly salary of $300, despite the protests from the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government, which never liked the idea of legitimizing the Sunni-dominated fighting force.

The force helped quell the Sunni insurgency in Baghdad and in Iraq's tribal heartlands, such as the restive Anbar province. But what a year ago looked like a brilliant solution to sectarian violence is now looking like a time bomb. Many of the force's members once fought alongside al-Qaida in Iraq and other Sunni insurgency organizations against American troops and the predominantly Shiite Iraqi security forces. And now, a joint U.S.-Iraqi government plan to disband the force could put up to 80,000 men out of work -- and leave them armed and disgruntled.

April 8th, as The Crocker and Petraeus Variety Hour performed before Congress, US Senator Barbara Boxer pointed to reports that Nouri al-Maliki wouldn't put "half of them" onto the Iraqi security forces out of concerns about their loyalty and Boxer pointed out the US was buying their loyalty at $182 million a year, $18 million a month and wondered "Why don't you ask the Iraqis to pay the entire costs of that program?" A question worth asking then and now. Yochi J. Dreazen (Wall St. Journal) reports today that, "The U.S. military was supposed to be out of the employment business by now. When it introduced the Sons of Iraq initiative last year, senior commanders expected the local security personnel to be hired gradually into the ranks of the Iraqi army and police. But Iraq's Shiite-dominated central government has balked at the idea of bringing so many young Sunni men -- including many onetime militants -- into the country's fledging security forces. Less than 20% of the roughly 103,000 Sons of Iraq had been given government jobs as of early June. That has left U.S. forces responsible for employing -- and paying -- the Iraqis." Sudarsan Raghavan and Ernesto Londono (Washington Post) report on the "Awakening" Councils today and notes the tensions escalating as people think of elections: "The National Front and other onetime insurgent groups will join a bitter struggle for power between established Sunni politicians of the Iraqi Islamic Party and upstart leaders of the Sahwa, or 'Awakening' council, a U.S.-backed tribal alliance whose popularity has grown following its success in combating the group al-Qaeda in Iraq. 'Entering the elections is to change the current reality in our area, the domination of the Sunni spectrum by the Iraqi Islamic party,' said Effan al-Issawi, the top Awakening commander in Falluja. 'They are unworthy of leading the Sunnis'." No, it doesn't sound like 'peace,' now does it? That's what you get when you put thugs on the payroll and that was the intent, as US Secretary of State Condi Rice made clear in an interview this week where she referred to "Sons of Iraq in Anbar" as part of Gen Petraues' "smart counterinsurgency strategy".

This week the Iraqi Parliament adjourned their special session with no agreement on provincial elections which most analysts believe make it impossible for the elections to be held in October and others state it is impossible to hold elections this year period. Yesterday, the US State Dept was asked for comment on the development. Acting Deputy Spokesperson Gonazlo R. Gallegos replied as follow: "I believe I have something. Okay. We continue to urge the Council of Representatives to seek a compromise that can be adopted promptly. We regret that the Iraqi Parliament adjourned yesterday without finishing its work on a local elections law. The parliamentarians have made great strides towards finishing the closing agreement on most of the more difficult issues. We recognize that the election law brought to the floor important questions regarding the status of Kirkuk. The status of Kirkuk is, indeed a sensitive issue that needs to be addressed in a serious fashion, but it is an issue that cannot be solved through the legislative mechanism of the eleciton law. The election law should not be held hostage to that problem." Gallegos was also asked by the treaties the White House is attempting to negotiate with the puppet of the occupation Nouri al-Maliki -- popularly and wrongly called SOFA. "Updates on the SOFA," Gallegos stalled. "My understanding is that they're continuing. I don't have anything particular to say about the process right now. We haven't discussed those publicly before. I'm not going to here. As we said, we'll provide you with details when we get through with this." Asked for an estimate of when such an agreement might be reached, Gallegos replied, "I would not be prepared to provide a timeline for that." Actually, the White House provided a timeline -- they stated the negotiations would be completed July 31st. [Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) reports on rumors of a deal being reached.] Meanwhile Mark Kukis (Time magazine) explains, "Shi'ite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr stepped back into Iraq's political fray Friday with an offer that (if genuine) Washington would be hard-pressed to refuse: Set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and the Mahdi Army will begin to disband. 'The main reason for the armed resistance is the American miltiary presence,' said Sadr emissary Salah al-Ubaidi, who spoke to reporters in Najaf Friday. 'If the American military begins to withdrawal, there will be no need for these armed groups'." Ali al-Mashakheel and Nick Schifrin (ABC News) point out that al-Sadr's cease-fire/freeze "was one of the main reasons that violence in Iraq has dropped to the lowest levels in four years for both civilians and trooops."

Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Tal Afar car bombing that claimed 18 lives and left twenty people wounded. Reuters notes the number wounded has already risen to twenty-five.

Turning to the United States presidential campaign. Ralph Nader visist Canada Monday:

Ralph Nader to speak on Monday August 11, on the trading floor of old Toronto Stock Exchange building.

Please circulate and post widely.

Event also features partial screening of the biographical documentary, An Unreasonable Man.

Now at over 5 percent in national polls, Nader is on his third run for President of the United States.

Find out why he runs and what's at stake for Canada this election.

Event Program:

Screening of a portion of An Unreasonable Man, the acclaimed documentary on Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader Remarks on the US Presidential Election: What's at stake for Canada?
Q and A with Ralph Nader

Where: Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1B2.

Time: 7:00 to 9:30 pm

Ticket Price: Free, donations appreciated, RSVP to ensure seating.

To RSVP, email toronto@votenader.org or call Rashi Khilnani at 647 286 0396 for more details.

A huge section (regarding NPR) just got pulled because the snapshot's way too long. That will be carried over to Third for Sunday but the transition is now lost so just pretend that Nader, Bob Barr and Cynthia McKinney were just discussed. Adam Kokesh participated in last month's farce of an impeachment hearing and wrote about it at his site, "I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Bob Barr would be testifying. He didn't disappoint. He made a great opening statement about 'Preserving Constitutional Liberty through Checks and Balances and the Separation of Powers,' but the best part of his testimony was in the second round before questioning. 'What we are facing now is a Constitutional clock, and it is countind own what remains of the Constitution of this great land. I might ask then to introduce for the record the disappearing Bill of Rights. This is the Bill of Rights that we as members of the Judiciary Committee know [he holds up a copy of the Bill of Rights] as adopted in 1791. [he flips it over to reveal a copy of the Bill of Rights that is largely redacted] This is what it is fast becoming.' You know it's a sad day when a former Congressman has to submit the Bill of Rights for the record in a Congressional hearing!" Kokesh shares many of his observations in the post and also includes Barr's written statement to the committee. The hearing was a farce. As Kokesh points out the Democrats "seemed to be really trying to make case for their won party's reelection. They failed. As petulant and petty as the Republicans were throughout the hearing, Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, the ranking Republican, hit the nail on the head: 'It seems that we are hosting an anger management class. This hearing will not cause us to impeach the president; it will only serve to impeach Congress's credibility.' The Democrats have become a sorry excuse for an opposition party. I don't think any of the many potentially deserving members of the Bush Administration will ever be impeached for the same reason that we didn't have impeachment hearings today or even months ago. The Democrats are just as corrupt, and complicit. Spineless Democrats are Neocon Appeasers and the blood is on their hands too." He goes on to predict that voters will be driven to the Libertarian Party (Bob Barr is the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee). The entire post is worth reading in full. Adam Kokesh is, of course, an Iraq War veteran and the co-chair of IVAW. His remarks are him writing for himself. IVAW is a diverse and growing group committed to ending the illegal war but it does not require that members belong to one political party (or any). Nor do they confuse their organization with a get-out-the-vote movement; instead, they are bringing an end to the illegal war.

Matt Gonzalez is Ralph Nader's running mate. He and Ralph spoke at Sebastopol on Sunday and NPR didn't consider that 'news' apparently. A real broadcast journalist did. Which is why Bonnie Faulkner devoted the hour of her KPFA Wednesday show to providing the voices shut out by the media. Yesterday we noted some of Ralph's speech and we'll note some of Matt's speech today. Bonnie Faulkner hosts Guns and Butter, [Here for KPFA archive.] Matt is speaking of how he and Ralph recently held a campaign event in Austin, Texas.

Matt Gonzalez: It was vey interesting to see that the weekly newspaper sort of put an ad about our appearance and they wrote something like, "Maybe Ralph will apologize for the last eight years?" And, you know, I thought -- I thought it was amusing sort-of, but then I started getting angry about it and i thought to myself, "Well wait a second, who should be apologizing? Who's voted for this war? Who voted for the Patriot Act? Who supports all these appropriations? Who supports the FISA bill?" I mean at some point there has to be responsibility taken for these positions. And this idea that it all belongs at the feet of Ralph Nader is just so absurd that it's insulting to our intelligence. The war in Iraq is probably one of the ugliest things we've ever engaged in. Nancy Pelosi told us, 'Elect me the Speaker [of the House of Representatives] and I'll get you out of the war.' Well I want you to know when she was not the speaker we put $116 billion into the war. She became the Speaker January of 2007, that amount went up by $50 billion. $50 billion more. From $116 to $165. This year, it went up to $189 -- so another $20 billion on top of that. What's wrong with our country? What's wrong with our opposition party that they can -- with a straight face -- tell you that the problem with this country is that candidates who hold views different than the ones that they hold are somehow not allowed to engage in the democratic process and not allowed to get out there and try to get our ideas out? Ralph Nader and I are fighting to end the war in Iraq. We want single-payer health care. We want to reform the Taft-Hartley law that has really taken the strength out of labor -- that's essentially outlawed general strikes, jurisdictional strikes, secondary boycotts, all kinds of things the labor movement can't do anymore. Now when I think about what was the problem in 2000 I'm just awestruck that so little has been done to cure the problem that we have in this democracy. Two things happened. We let somebody get announced and declared the president of the United States who got less votes than one of the other candidates. And we let someone be declared the winner who didn't even have the majority of the vote. Now we're all intelligent people, we can figure out how we would fix this problem: We would mandate that the winner would have to get over 50% of the vote. That would be that. How complicated is that? How is it that all the brain power in the Democratic and Republican Parties can't figure that out? Well first off for the Democrats, let me say this: "You like to invoke the name Ralph Nader but you never invoke the name Ross Perot who won 19% of the vote and 'elected' Bill Clinton president in 1992 with 43% or less of the vote. Clinton got less percentage of the vote than our current president did in 2000. But you never hear about." So the first thing I want to say is the antiquated line, you know, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. There is a reason why these political parties don't want to change the system. It's not because they don't know how. It's that if they were to change the system, the political spectrum would widen. What's possible in this country would widen. And they would whether have arbitrary outcomes and be in power roughly half the time than to fix the problem and really change American democracy. So if they're not willing to change the problem then aren't we rewarding them when we attack Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez and all the other candidates out there that are trying to talk about the real issues? Now it's astounding to me that Barack Obama likes to say 'Well . . .' -- for his explanation why he can't do the things that need to be done and take the positions that he should take, he likes to say -- 'super heroes don't get elected in politics.' Well, you know, there are no super heroes in the Canadian legislature that passed health care for their citizens. The [US] legislatures that vote against the Patriot Act are not super heroes. They're human beings like we are who believe in due process and equal protection and want a citizenry that isn't at the whim of governmental invasion of privacy. That's -- that's -- it's fundamental. There's a whole group of people out there that are trying to make apologies for the Democratic nominee, saying, 'Well he's only moving to the right now that he's secured the nomination.' It's not true. It's not true. Barack Obama supported the Republican Class Action Reform Law. This was something that David Sirota wrote for The Nation -- and many of their columnists made fun of -- they said 'This is a big business bonaza.' John Kerry voted against it, Hillary Clinton voted against it. The Democratic nominee has always supported limiting pain and suffering damages and medical malpractice cases -- favoring the wealthy in effect, those with good jobs over those with poor ones. He's opposed getting any kind of royalties from the mining of public lands -- the hard rock minerals on public lands. He voted for the Energy Policy Act in 2005 -- a vote that [John] McCain even opposed in 2005 Mobil Exxon, as we all know, has record profits now of over $40 billion a year. In 2005 they had record profits of over $35 billion a year and one of the Chicago newspapers -- in response to Obama's vote for this thing -- pointed out that it was an odd time to be dishing out oil-welfare. You know? Because we were giving tax breaks and subsidies in greater amounts than we were investing money in alternative energy. This is a candidate that opposes gay marriage. He has come out in response to progressives saying 'What are you doing -- what are you talking about with this faith-based initiative stuff?' And you know what he does? He scoffs at progressives and says, 'You have not been listening to me.' Well listen, we are listening to you now. We have listened to you with your FISA vote, with your 'change' on off-shore drilling, with your condemnation of a Supreme Court opinion related to the death penalty and you don't deserve our vote. You're not going to get it. And if you give these candidates your vote, you're guaranteeing that the system stays in place. You're guaranteeing that they can just say one thing to you and change their mind afterwards. One of the most notorious recent things that Obama said that just is astounding relates NAFTA. First off, he's campaigning in the primary and he's saying to everybody, he says 'I don't think NAFTA has been good for Americans and I never have." Well it turns out that an AP writer goes back and look at his -- a guy named Calvin Woodward -- goes back and looks at his Senate campaign in 2004 and guess what? At the time Obama said the US should pursue more deals such as NAFTA and argued that his opponent's calls for tarrifs would spark a trade war. Okay? So now he's against NAFTA, okay? He's in a tight race with Hillary Clinton, he's against NAFTA now, maybe he's figured out that NAFTA has created a scenario where we have displaced millions of Mexican workers, caused the migration to the north because we're subsidizing corn, for instance, dumping it in Mexican markets and ruining their agricultural system. What would you do in that situation? So now he tells -- he's in a fight with Clinton over who's against NAFTA more. He wins the nomination in effect and he gets interviewed by a writer for Fortune magazine, June 18th, Nina Easton, Washington editor, asking him, 'What about NAFTA, you said you would invoke the six month clause to unilaterally get out of it?' He says, 'Well, you know, sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified." So he went from calling it devastating and a big mistake to it's just rhetoric. And that's what we're supposed to buy into? We're supposed to buy into political rhetoric because we're not allowed to have better candidates? We're not allowed to have candidates that are saying, "Come on, we can have a better country. We can change this around"? The Democrats . .. You know, if voting for complacency and capitulation and appeasement worked, I would advocate it. It's not working. It's just not working. And notice they tell us 'If we can just have this, we'll win. If we can just have this next thing, we'll change everything.' I love how these US Senators run around and say, "Well if I were president the home morgate crisis wouldn't have happened and the oil prices wouldn't be what they are." You've been in the United States Senate, what the hell have you been doing there? Why do we have to elect -- give you a promotion, when you're asleep on the job. Right? Now you counter that, you counter that with Ralph Nader's history of achieving legislative accomplishments as an outsider. How does his record match up against Senator McCain's and Senator Obama's? Right? I mean Freedom of Information Act, Clean Air, Clean Water, all the automotive work, all the consumer protection work. a lifetime of trying to wake up the American public to stand up and fight back and not to take this anymore. Right? Imagine what it is to go into a progressive town and have a progressive publication say "Maybe they'll apologize for the last eight years?" It's really gross. It's not the way to treat Americans participating in a democracy trying to tell people, 'Come on, let's try to fix this.' I want to just close by making reference to the historical examples I think are important to keep in mind. There were candidates in the past that people said, "Don't vote for them. You're throwing your vote away if you vote for them. You know people like Eugene Debbs who ran for president a number of times and, you know, he thought we should have the forty-hour work week, you know? He thought women should be allowed to vote. Imagine that? The radical concept that women were 'advanced enough' intellectually and 'mature enough' that they could vote. This was actually a discussion in our society and it was Eugene Debbs that was saying "Yes." And maybe he got 6% of the vote, the best he ever did was 6%. So if you had lived in that time and somebody had said, "Don't vote for Eugene Debbs, you're throwing your vote away" -- what would you have said to them? Now with this historical lens to look back. How do we break through things? And you go even further back, you go to the Liberty Party of the 1840s James Birney advocating abolition of slavery. He can get 1% of the vote. You're throwing your vote away if you vote for him apparently. Well I don't believe that and I hope that you don't. I think it takes a lot of courage to be someone like Ralph Nader who is being attacked for standing up in a democracy and trying to articulate views that the other candidates are essentially throwing away, rejecting, you know? And I think we are at that historical moment are we going to vote for what we believe in or are we just going to keep buying into rhetoric about "hope" and "change" that it's already been proven to us is false? Thank you.

Team Nader notes:

This is it.

Our accounting team has decided to cut off our primary season online donations this Monday.

This means no more matching funds from the federal government after this weekend.

If you've already contributed, but have yet to donate up to $250, then this is your last chance to bump it up to $250 and have it matched.

If you haven't donated at all this is your last chance to have your contribution -- up to $250 -- doubled.

If you give $50, the government will give us $50.

If you give $100, the government will give us $100.

If you give us $250, the government will give us $250.

But we are running out of time.

We need you to do two things now:

One -- forward this urgent matching funds call to action to everyone you know.

And two -- make your donations double by giving up to $250 right now.

Our green eye shade people tell us it's time to shift to the general campaign.

It's time for Ralph to mount his 50 state campaign. It's time to mount an effort to get Ralph in the debates.

And whatever our green eye shade people tell us to do, we do.

So, here we go.

Time is running out.

Hit the button now.

And double your money, double our possibilities.

And after you hit contribute, sit back and watch Ralph Nader later today on C-Span.

Ralph will be discussing his plan to empty the prisons of non-violent drug offenders and fill them with corporate criminals at a 10am EST press conference. (Click here for C-span daily TV schedule.)

And remember, for a contribution of $100 or more to our campaign between now and Sunday night, we will send to you an autographed copy of Ralph's rousing call to arms -- Civic Arousal and a copy of No Debate -- the classic expose of the corporate control of the Presidential debates.

So, donate now.

We'll ship you the books.

And sit back and watch Ralph on C-Span.

Together, we are making a difference.

Onward

kpfa
bonnie faulkner
guns and butter

Posted at 03:52 pm by thecommonills
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Other Items

From Courage to Resist:

Iraq War resister Robin Long jailed, facing three years in Army stockade

Free Robin Long now!
Support GI resistance!

By Courage to Resist
August 7, 2008

Last month 25-year-old U.S. Army PFC Robin Long became the first war resister since the Vietnam War to be forcefully deported from Canadian soil and handed over to military authorities. Robin is currently being held in the El Paso County Jail, near Colorado Springs, Colorado, awaiting a military court martial for resisting the unjust and illegal war against and occupation of Iraq. Robin will be court martialed for desertion "with intent to remain away permanently" --Article 85 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice -- in early September. The maximum allowable penalty for a guilty verdict on this charge is three years confinement, forfeiture of pay, and a dishonorable discharge from the Army.

In order to expedite Robin's trial, it appears that his unit command, the Fourth Brigade Combat Team, Fourth Infantry Division is opting to not charge Robin with speech-related violations of military discipline; opting to try and convict Robin as fast as possible.

Jennifer Johnson, Ryan Johnson, and Dale Landry rally for Robin Long in Toronto, Canada

Robin went absent without leave (AWOL) from the Army in 2005, realizing that he had significant moral opposition to the war and the lies he had been told regarding the reason for invasion and occupation of Iraq. After being transferred to an Iraq bound combat unit, Robin went to Boise, Id. (his home town) where he stayed for several months, before traveling to Canada.

Robin recently talked to Courage to Resist about why he enlisted. "When the U.S. first attacked Iraq, I was told by my president that it was because of direct ties to Al-Qaida and weapons of mass destruction." Robin explained that while he was uneasy about his personal role in fighting, the Iraq War seemed justified. So when his recruiter promised him a non-combat position within the U.S., he took it. Regarding his decision to resist later, Robin explained, "I made the best decision. Regardless of what hardships I go through, I could have put Iraqi families through more hardships. I have no regrets." When asked by the Boise Weekly, in May of 2006, if he was prepared to go to jail, Robin replied, "Yeah if it came down to that, I'd be willing to go to prison because I know I did the right thing and I can sleep at night and my conscience is still good."

Garrett Reppenhagen of IVAW speaks to a reporter about Robin Long, Pioneer Park, Colorado Springs 7/27/08

On July 27th, 2008 Garrett Reppenhagen of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Lee Zaslofsky of the War Resisters Support Campaign (Canada), members of the Springs Action Alliance and more joined James Branum, Robin Long's civilian lawyer in Pioneer Park to demand Robin Long’s freedom. Garrett praised Robin, declaring "I support Robin Long because he is a Soldier of Conscience. There is a huge propaganda campaign in this country to get young men to join the military. He bought the hype. He signed up for a promised [non-combat] job, but it turned out not to be so. He decided to go to Canada and follow his conscience instead."

As Robin awaits trial by military tribunal, a general court martial, he sits in the El Paso County Jail -- surrounded by other military inmates, as well as civilians serving time on convictions or awaiting criminal prosecution. In the past Robin would have been held in pretrial confinement in an Army stockade, but with rising troop level needs, the Army has chosen to shut down many stockades and outsource confinement of soldiers to civilian authorities. With the exception of Robin’s Lawyer, James Branum, all of Robin's visitors must communicate with him via a camera and real time video screen. Robin is allowed out of doors for only one hour a day, and even then cannot see anything but a thin strip of sky, directly overhead.

Robin's lawyer James Branum (right) rallies for his client., Pioneer Park, Colorado Springs. 7/27/08

Despite the deprivations of the El Paso county jail, Mr. Branum reports that Robin is "... in considerably good spirits, especially considering all that he is going through." In a recent phone interview with Courage to Resist Robin reported that he was very happy with Mr. Branum calling him "awesome" as well as his military assigned defense lawyer "a smart cookie" in Robin's words. He has received many visitors -- pastors and members of local congregations, members of the IVAW among them. He wants everyone to know that the cards and the letters of support he receives are most welcome and give him of true sense of the support that is swelling for him, outside the confines of his cell. Lee Zaslofsky, of the Canadian WRSC reports that Robin is "... aware of what he might have to face, and is prepared to face it with courage and without bitterness."

The fact remains, however, that the Iraq War is unjust and illegal. The U.N. Charter, the Geneva Convention and the Nuremberg principles all bar wars of aggression. The U.S. Constitution makes such treaties part of American law as well. Robin Long is a hero for not only recognizing these truths, but putting his future on the line to courageously resist participating in an immoral occupation. The least we can do is support Robin, and demand his immediate freedom.

What you can do now to support Robin

1. Donate to Robin's legal defense

Online: http://couragetoresist.org/robinlong

By mail: Make checks out to "Courage to Resist / IHC" and note "Robin Long" in the memo field. Mail to:

Courage to Resist
484 Lake Park Ave #41
Oakland CA 94610

Courage to Resist is committed to covering Robin's legal and related defense expenses. Thank you for helping make that possible.

Also: You are also welcome to contribute directly to Robin’s legal expenses via his civilian lawyer James Branum. Visit girightslawyer.com, select "Pay Online via PayPal" (lower left), and in the comments field note "Robin Long". Note that this type of donation is not tax-deductible.

2. Send letters of support to Robin

Robin Long, CJC
2739 East Las Vegas
Colorado Springs CO 80906

Robin's pre-trial confinement has been outsourced by Fort Carson military authorities to the local county jail.

3. Send Robin a money order for commissary items

4. Send Robin a book

Robin is allowed to receive books which are ordered online and sent directly to him at the county jail from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. These two companies know the procedure to follow for delivering books for inmates.

War resister Robin Long was extradited from Canada. Many US war resisters remain in Canada and the message can be sent that the world is watching. To pressure the Stephen Harper government to honor the House of Commons vote, Gerry Condon, War Resisters Support Campaign and Courage to Resist all encourage contacting the Diane Finley (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration -- 613.996.4974, phone; 613.996.9749, fax; e-mail finley.d@parl.gc.ca -- that's "finley.d" at "parl.gc.ca") and Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, 613.992.4211, phone; 613.941.6900, fax; e-mail pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's "pm" at "pm.gc.ca"). Courage to Resist collected more than 10,000 letters to send before the vote. Now they've started a new letter you can use online here. The War Resisters Support Campaign's petition can be found here. Long expulsion does not change the need for action and the War Resisters Support Campaign explains: "The War Resisters Support Campaign is calling on supporters across Canada to urgently continue to put pressure on the minority conservative government to immediately cease deportation proceedings against other US war resisters and to respect the will of Canadians and their elected representatives by implementing the motion adopted by Parliament on June 3rd. Please see the take action page for what you can do." The Robin items mentions Garrett Reppenhagen and Lee Zaslofsky and you can refer to the July 28th snapshot for some coverage of their actions to show support for Robin. There's a transcript of James Branum discussing Robin's case (and a link to this video) in the August 5th snapshot.

Since we're on the topic of Canada, let's again note this upcoming event for the Ralph Nader campaign:

Ralph Nader to speak on Monday August 11, on the trading floor of old Toronto Stock Exchange building.

Please circulate and post widely.

Event also features partial screening of the biographical documentary, An Unreasonable Man.

Now at over 5 percent in national polls, Nader is on his third run for President of the United States.

Find out why he runs and what's at stake for Canada this election.

Event Program:

Screening of a portion of An Unreasonable Man, the acclaimed documentary on Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader Remarks on the US Presidential Election: What's at stake for Canada?
Q and A with Ralph Nader

Where: Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1B2.

Time: 7:00 to 9:30 pm

Ticket Price: Free, donations appreciated, RSVP to ensure seating.

To RSVP, email toronto@votenader.org or call Rashi Khilnani at 647 286 0396 for more details.

Please circulate and post widely.

That is this Monday. Let's move to Iraq and we'll note Sudarsan Raghavan and Ernesto Londono's "In Iraq, Regional Politics Heats Up" (Washington Post) which is a lengthy article and apparently other US reporters stationed in Iraq tired themselves out just watching the two produce the article. That would explain yet another day of no article filed from Iraq in the New York Times today. McClatchy Newspapers is always working -- Sahar Issa, Laith Hammoudi, and all the other Iraqi and US reporters stationed in Iraq. Leila Fadel's "U.S. agrees to set withdrawal date with Iraq" offers a look at what's being said about the upcoming treaty:

The United States and Iraq are nearing completion of negotiations on a security agreement that would pull American troops out of Iraqi cities by next July and foresees all U.S. combat troops gone from Iraq by 2011, according to two Iraqi officials who are familiar with the negotiations.

"The tactical team is finished and it's a closed deal, but remember that we've been through this before and every time we close a deal it's reopened," said a senior official who's been participating in the talks.
The official said that the deal, once completed, would be perhaps the most restrictive agreement the United States had with a country where it had troops.
"We've seen all the status of forces agreements with other countries," the official said. "This is the best that the Americans have conceded."
The official asked not to be identified because the deal is still being negotiated.
Another official, Ali al Adeeb, a senior member of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's Dawa party, said he'd been briefed on the negotiations and he confirmed the details.

Megan notes this from Team Nader:

Last Chance to Have Your Contribution Doubled

Posted by The Nader Team on Friday, August 8, 2008 at 07:00:00 AM

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Last Chance to Have Your Contribution Doubled .

This is it.

Our accounting team has decided to cut off our primary season online donations this Monday.

This means no more matching funds from the federal government after this weekend.

If you've already contributed, but have yet to donate up to $250, then this is your last chance to bump it up to $250 and have it matched.

If you haven't donated at all this is your last chance to have your contribution -- up to $250 -- doubled.

If you give $50, the government will give us $50.

If you give $100, the government will give us $100.

If you give us $250, the government will give us $250.

But we are running out of time.

We need you to do two things now:

One -- forward this urgent matching funds call to action to everyone you know.

And two -- make your donations double by giving up to $250 right now.

Our green eye shade people tell us it's time to shift to the general campaign.

It's time for Ralph to mount his 50 state campaign. It's time to mount an effort to get Ralph in the debates.

And whatever our green eye shade people tell us to do, we do.

So, here we go.

Time is running out.

Hit the button now.

And double your money, double our possibilities.

And after you hit contribute, sit back and watch Ralph Nader later today on C-Span.

Ralph will be discussing his plan to empty the prisons of non-violent drug offenders and fill them with corporate criminals at a 10am EST press conference. (Click here for C-span daily TV schedule.)

And remember, for a contribution of $100 or more to our campaign between now and Sunday night, we will send to you an autographed copy of Ralph's rousing call to arms -- Civic Arousal and a copy of No Debate -- the classic expose of the corporate control of the Presidential debates.

So, donate now.

We'll ship you the books.

And sit back and watch Ralph on C-Span.

Together, we are making a difference.

Onward

The Nader Team

PS: What you did yesterday was nothing short of remarkable. We raised close to $15,000 yesterday on our way to our $100,000 goal by Sunday night. We're only $25,000 away. Thank you. Now, we're real close. Let's push it over the top.

Your contribution could be doubled. Public campaign financing may match your contribution total up to $250.

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If you're e-mailing about the garbage on Democracy Now! this morning, Ava and I will address that nonsense Sunday at Third. Preview? An Embarrassment of Democratic Cheerleading and Artistic Ignorance.

And we're expecting to include Bill Moyers Journal in it -- not the segment worth watching ("the business of poverty") but the stand-up routine a columnist will offer. You won't want to miss it.
NOW on PBS features Pakistani documentarian Sabiha Sumar discussing her film Dinner With the President -- her documentary on Pervez Musharraf, the President of Pakistan. On PBS' Washington Week, it's just Gwen and the fellows. AP's Charles Babington and Wall St. Journal's David Wessel are among the guests. All three PBS shows begin airing tonight in most markets but check your local listings because local stations may air at different times and on different days -- especially true last week for Billie who e-mailed she just wanted to catch Moyers last Friday but instead got a really bad (badly lit, badly shot) oldies concert (for some PBS stations, it's pledge drive time again).

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

iraq

Posted at 06:52 am by thecommonills
Permalink

Iraq

The anti-American cleric who launched the Shiite insurgency in Iraq four years ago, sparking a cycle of violence that killed scores of U.S. soldiers and led to a sectarian war, will transform his militia into a mostly nonviolent social organization, his office tells ABC News.
Moqtada al-Sadr's decision to focus on education and science instead of violence cements a shift that began almost one year ago, when he asked his followers to freeze their actions against the U.S. military and the Iraqi government.
The freeze was one of the main reasons that violence in Iraq has dropped to the lowest levels in four years for both civilians and troops. But before today, he had never stepped so far back from the armed insurgency that gave him a widespread following.

The above is from Ali al-Mashakheel and Nick Schifrin's "Anti-U.S. Cleric to Lay Down Weapons" (ABC News)and Wisam Mohammed (Reuters) adds the most important detail:

Influential Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr would dissolve his Mehdi Army militia if the United States starts withdrawing troops according to a set timetable, a spokesman said.

As noted in yesterday's snapshot, a number of editorial boards weighed in on the topic of who pays for Iraqi reconstruction. This morning, others join in. From the San Francisco Chronicle's "America borrows, Iraq banks billions:"

While the United States pours money into rebuilding efforts, Iraq can't be bothered to spend its own money on essentials like water, sewer, power or road systems. The billions in petrodollars are sitting in the bank while U.S. taxpayers continue paying a long-distance infrastructure program that's cost $48 billion since the invasion five years ago.
The reasons aren't convincing. Iraqi officials claim their fragile central government isn't ready for the challenge of a major rebuild, an answer that's distressingly similar to excuses about why American troops are still needed to prop up Baghdad.
More time - for either political or brick-and-mortar work - isn't an option. Baghdad needs to get going on both fronts, and the unspent billions should ease the way. The country is at a new point where Iraqi leadership, political compromise and billions in reserves could produce a more stable society.

The New York Times offers "Time for Iraq to Pay the Bill:"

In truth, Iraqis have had little incentive to spend their own money given the willingness of the United States Congress to keep writing blank checks for President Bush’s disastrous adventure there. Congress has appropriated $48 billion for rebuilding in Iraq since 2003 and committed all but $6 billion of that amount, mostly for oil, electricity, water and security projects.
By contrast, between 2005 and 2007, when all that oil revenue was piling up, only $3.9 billion of Iraq's budget went to reconstruction. An even tinier amount went to maintaining United States and Iraqi-financed projects like roads, bridges, buildings, water and electrical installations. That raises serious questions about the wisdom of making those capital investments in the first place if they are not going to be properly tended.
One of the Bush administration's most damaging postinvasion decisions is at the heart of this problem. In its ill-considered dismissal of everybody who had any connection to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, American overseers depleted the ranks of Iraqi bureaucrats who had the skills and experience to run an oil-producing country of about 27 million people.

The Idaho Mountain Express and Guide offers "Americans stiffed by Iraq"

The Government Accoutability Office finds that by year's end, Iraq will have a $79 billion surplus languishing in banks, while hapless and helpless American taxpayers have been fleeced of $48 billion to rebuild the war-shattered Iraq.
Worse, $10 billion of the Iraqi surplus now sits in New York banks drawing interest—$435.6 million so far, according to the GAO.
One comparison shows the extent to which Americans are being stiffed.
While President Bush has ordered $23.2 billion to be spent on rebuilding Iraq's water, oil, electricity and security systems, Iraq has spent only $3.9 billion on the same services.
What really should steam taxpayers are the empty promises made by White House officials, especially Vice President Cheney and his war hawks, that the war would only cost a pittance because Iraq's oil revenues would cover expenses.

Turning to election news, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader needs no beauty rest or vacation from the campaign trail*, he just keeps going and now he's going to Canada:

Ralph Nader to speak on Monday August 11, on the trading floor of old Toronto Stock Exchange building.

Please circulate and post widely.

Event also features partial screening of the biographical documentary, An Unreasonable Man.

Now at over 5 percent in national polls, Nader is on his third run for President of the United States.

Find out why he runs and what's at stake for Canada this election.

Event Program:

Screening of a portion of An Unreasonable Man, the acclaimed documentary on Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader Remarks on the US Presidential Election: What's at stake for Canada?
Q and A with Ralph Nader

Where: Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1B2.

Time: 7:00 to 9:30 pm

Ticket Price: Free, donations appreciated, RSVP to ensure seating.

To RSVP, email toronto@votenader.org or call Rashi Khilnani at 647 286 0396 for more details.

Please circulate and post widely.

*Beauty rest? Vacations? Did you miss Cedric's "Barack needs his beauty rest" and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! BARACK'S BEAUTY REST!" (joint-post)? Elections take place in November. The Green Party is mounting a large slate of candidates across the country. Here is some information on Green John Anthony La Pietra's run in Michigan:

John Anthony La Pietra
* For the People *
County Clerk-Register
=====================
386 Boyer Court
Marshall, MI 49068

http://www.jalpForThePeople.org
jalp@triton.net

La Pietra Announces Opening of Campaign Website
===============================================
Address Restates Basic Theme: "For the People"

Featured Page Renews Public Invitation to Take Part
in Survey of Voting Conditions in County Precincts

Coming Soon: Bio, Description of GPMI's Ten Key Values,
A Way Schools Can Teach About Different Voting Methods

John Anthony La Pietra, the Green Party of Michigan (GPMI)
candidate for Calhoun County Clerk-Register of Deeds, has
opened up a campaign Website at:

http://www.jalpForThePeople.org

The very name of the site reflects the main theme of John's
campaign: better service from the Clerk-Register's position
*for the people* of Calhoun County.

The front page outlines ideas for improvements in several
areas: running elections, managing public records, and
making government work better -- all *for the people*.
La Pietra will discuss these ideas in greater detail on
the Website in the near future.

Hoping to Hear from Citizens
About the Primary Election
--------------------------
The featured page on the Website at present is a renewal
of John's open invitation to the public to participate
in a citizens' study of voting conditions in the county.

The page has a letter John sent out to county newspapers
on July 18 -- a week before he decided to run for office.
That letter also offers a link to an e-mail John sent to
local clerks in Calhoun County a month earlier asking for
similar information.

The survey asks voters to tell La Pietra how many election
inspectors their precincts had as well as how many voting
stations, including touch-screen or "direct-recording
electronic" (DRE) machines.

John pledges to report on the results of the study by
Labor Day. He also plans to call on citizens to observe
their voting conditions again in the fall, and to put out
those results in time for the next holder of the office
to use them.

Campaigning on Issues and Information
-------------------------------------
John aims to continue this informative style of campaigning
on other issues as well. For example, one of the next pages
he will post on the Website will be a one-page handout that
describes different ways that some places cast their votes.

La Pietra will present this handout at next Monday's school
board meeting in Marshall, where he lives. And he will help
any school system in the county adapt the form and content
of the handout for use in government classes or otherwise.

Another addition coming soon to the Website will be a brief
description of the Ten Key Values of the Green Party. Many
of them are directly related to the work of a county clerk-
register, John believes -- in particular, two of what Greens
call the "Four Pillars": grassroots democracy and social
justice.

Some basic biographical information will also be forthcoming.
And John invites suggestions for other things to be included.
"I want to carry out this public office for the people -- so
my campaign has to be for the people as well."

To contact John's campaign for Calhoun County Clerk-Register,
please feel free to e-mail

jalp@triton.net

or call

269-781-9478

For more information on GPMI and its other candidates, contact

Green Party of Michigan
548 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
http://www.migreens.org
734-663-3555

# # #

prepared and distributed
(with donated labor) by

John Anthony La Pietra
* For the People *
County Clerk-Register
=====================
386 Boyer Court
Marshall, MI 49068

http://www.jalpForThePeople.org

Micah notes this from Team Nader:

Two Books from Ralph Nader to You

Posted by The Nader Team on Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 12:17:00 PM

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It was a breakthrough day with the mainstream media.

Yesterday morning, Ralph Nader met with a group of reporters at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.

The meeting resulted in a slew of articles - including those that appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Miami Herald, the National Journal and US News and World Report.

One of the points that Ralph made at the meeting yesterday was that if he is given the opportunity to debate the two corporate candidates - McCain and Obama - it will become a three-way race.

Yes it will.

But right now, the debates are controlled by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) - which is controlled by the two major parties and the corporations that fund them.

But fear not.

We'll be campaigning over the next couple of weeks to bust up the corporate hammerlock on free speech in this election year and to get Ralph and Matt into the debates.

To first step is to create a viable candidacy.

And the candidacy can't be viable if we're not on enough state ballots.

As the Miami Herald headline put it today: Nader Sets Goal to be on Most Ballots.

Our goal: 45 states.

And thanks to you, we're on track - on in 28 now, 30 by Sunday, 45 by September 20.

But right now, we need your help to fund this massive, nationwide ballot access drive.

We need your help to meet our target of $100,000 by Sunday, August 10.

We're at over $61,000 with only four days to go.

So, here's the plan.

We need 390 of you - our loyal supporters - to donate $100 each now.

And in return, we'll ship you No Debate, the classic expose of the Commission on Presidential Debates.

And we'll also send you an autographed copy of Ralph Nader's 49-page political manifesto - Civic Arousal.

To help us bust open the debates this year, you'll need these two books - No Debate for the rock solid expose and criticism of the corporate-controlled debates.

And Civic Arousal for a healthy dose of homegrown Ralph inspiration.

(In Civic Arousal, Ralph reports the following: When we were youngsters, our father would ask us provocative questions. One day he asked - What is the most powerful, event-producing force in the world? We guessed and guessed. His answer: Apathy. What? Yes, he said. Apathy. Because huge numbers of apathetic citizens, or victims, allow bad guys to create all kinds of problems on the ground - from dictatorial regimes, to repressed economic conditions, to health and safety hazards, to corruption, to wars.)

If you already have these books, get yourself another set.

They make a great gift for young and old alike in this election season.

And you'll help put Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot.

So, do it now.

Drop that $100 spot on Nader/Gonzalez.

Don't delay.

We need to get ‘er done this weekend.

(Only one set of books per donation of $100 or more. If you would like two sets, please donate twice. Three sets, donate three times.)

Help push us past our $100,000 goal.

And get these two classics now.

Thank you.

Together, we will open up the debates.

Onward

The Nader Team

PS: This offer expires Sunday August 10 at 11:59 p.m.

PPS: While you’re waiting for your books to arrive, here are some new videos to check out:
– Ralph at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast
– Am I Losing You (Ralph on subprime mortgages)

Your contribution could be doubled. Public campaign financing may match your contribution total up to $250.