Question:
Gasoline Costs 5 Cents a Gallon in Iraq Thanks to US Taxpayers… /Associated Press/ http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0606-04.htm More Questions for the Bush Regime: An estimated 15,000 Iraqi women and children have been killed by the US military in the past 2 years. Why is it official US policy NOT to count civilian casualties in Iraq? Would it be too embarrassing?
answers from an unidentified official: Exactly. Anything that would cause the great white chiefs in washington "extreme embarrassment" that can be hidden from the public, is classified as top secret and kept under wraps. Maybe make it harder to call the soldier boys "heros" and thus to recruit young boys to kill for you?
Yes that’s true. The soldier boys like to think that this is a "war on terror" , so we continue to tell them (and the world) that so that we’ll get their support. We pat the stupid boys on their backs – give them some medals, call them heros, and tell them that did a great job for their country. They usually walk (or hobble) away smiling. It’s a win – win situation. Is it because you think that the Iraqi civilians don’t matter?
They are worthless. Those 15,000 women and children wouldn’t have been killed if they had stayed the hell out of our way. Their oil is whats important. Is it because the American people would be horrified and much less supportive of wicked invasions like this one?
It would not be in America’s best interests for the people to have a rounded view of what’s going on. It’s always been that way though. Would the truth of civilian casualties be bad for the business (of war profiteering)?
Most certainly. We’d have to find other ways to screw the American people out of hundreds of billions of dollars! Besides, nobody (who matters) cares about high gas prices. Only the little people fuss about it – they’re a bunch of nobodies. If they had any brains they’d be among the elite – those with millions or billions stashed away – who make up Bush’s base. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – www.veteransforpeace.org The Marine’s tale: ‘We killed 30 civilians in six weeks. I felt we were committing genocide’ By Natasha Saulnier "In a month and a half my platoon and I killed more than 30 civilians,"… He saw bodies being desecrated and robbed, and wounded civilians being dumped by the roadside without medical treatment. After he told his commanding officer that he felt "we were committing genocide", he was called a "wimp"…. Iraqis, he said, "would see us debase their dead all the time. We would be messing around with charred bodies, kicking them out of the vehicles and sticking cigarettes in their mouths. I also saw vehicles drive over them. It was our job to look into the pockets of dead Iraqis to gather intelligence. However, time and time again, I saw Marines steal gold chains, watches and wallets full of money." http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523992 Only the truth will set us free from war and tyrants. More guns, bombs, murders, executions, and lies will only make it all worse. http://www.fahrenheit911.com "Man must change or die. There is no other course." The World Teacher http://www.share-international.org
Response:
A question for President Bush… Please tell us: If we plan to return Iraq to the Iraqis, why is the U.S. currently building fourteen permanent bases there?
Hold on, I’ll ask him…
Response:
In Iraq Gas = 5 Cents/Gallon Thanks to US Taxpayers.. Gasoline Costs 5 Cents a Gallon in Iraq Thanks to US Taxpayers… /Associated Press/ http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0606-04.htm More Questions for the Bush Regime: An estimated 15,000 Iraqi women and children have been killed by the US military in the past 2 years. Why is it official US policy NOT to count civilian casualties in Iraq? Would it be too embarrassing? Maybe make it harder to call the soldier boys "heros" and thus to recruit young boys to kill for you? Is it because you think that the Iraqi civilians don’t matter? Is it because the American people would be horrified and much less supportive of wicked invasions like this one if they had more facts? Would large numbers of civilian casualties be bad for the business (of war profiteering)? www.veteransforpeace.org The Marine’s tale: ‘We killed 30 civilians in six weeks. I felt we were committing genocide’ By Natasha Saulnier "In a month and a half my platoon and I killed more than 30 civilians,"… He saw bodies being desecrated and robbed, and wounded civilians being dumped by the roadside without medical treatment. After he told his commanding officer that he felt "we were committing genocide", he was called a "wimp"…. Iraqis, he said, "would see us debase their dead all the time. We would be messing around with charred bodies, kicking them out of the vehicles and sticking cigarettes in their mouths. I also saw vehicles drive over them. It was our job to look into the pockets of dead Iraqis to gather intelligence. However, time and time again, I saw Marines steal gold chains, watches and wallets full of money." http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523992 Only the truth will set us free from war and tyrants. More guns, bombs, murders, executions, and lies will only make it all worse. http://www.fahrenheit911.com "Man must change or die. There is no other course." The World Teacher http://www.share-international.org
Response:
A question for President Bush… Please tell us: If we plan to return Iraq to the Iraqis, why is the U.S. currently building fourteen permanent bases there? 12 important questions the Bush Administration isn’t answering Chalmers Johnson, TomDispatch http://www.nationinstitute.org/tomdispatch/index.mhtml?pid=1468 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – www.commondreams.org www.democracynow.org "Without sharing there can be no justice; without justice there can be no peace; without peace there can be no future." Maitreya, The World Teacher http://www.share-international.org
Response:
as long as we remain in our delusion little world about how we’ve done nothing wrong, and never will, we’re headed for disaster. Bush is a very simple man, colliding with a very, very, very complex world. It’s like a freight train colliding with a yugo, Bush’s simplistic mind colliding with the vast, hugely complex world. I’m sure Bush didn’t know the names of all those cities like Falluja, al-Najaf , Karbala, Kirkuk, Basra before he invaded the country. He didn’t know all those cities were different, were each individually a different situation.
Response:
I’m very glad that this marine had the integrity to do the right thing and to speak out – even though it wasn’t the popular thing to do. It’s too bad our news media is too corrupt to give us fair and balanced pictures of what’s going on. Thankfully, the web enables us to visit news media outlets with genuine moral fiber who help us to get a better view! http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523992 As Americans we share part of the blame/responsibility for what is done in our name, with our tax dollars.
I don’t see it that way. Thousands upon thousands of Americans said "NOT IN MY NAME!" to no avail. The "blame/responsibility for what is done" rests upon those who commit the outraiges, not upon people who have no control whatsoever. And face it, "our tax dollars" are extorted for the most part, the super rich paying little to nothing while workers shoulder the burden. "We, the People-" deligated the power to declare war to "our Congress" not the quasi-elected de facto king Dubya and it’s not "our" fault the trust of government has been betrayed. Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld should be locked up, and forced to scrub pots and toilets for the rest of their days. That would be justice.
That list is a bit short…. Loving Light, Sanity – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – [chomp]
Response:
I’m very glad that this marine had the integrity to do the right thing and to speak out – even though it wasn’t the popular thing to do. It’s too bad our news media is too corrupt to give us fair and balanced pictures of what’s going on. Thankfully, the web enables us to visit news media outlets with genuine moral fiber who help us to get a better view! http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523992 As Americans we share part of the blame/responsibility for what is done in our name, with our tax dollars. Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld should be locked up, and forced to scrub pots and toilets for the rest of their days. That would be justice. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – this could be called: ‘a report on how some of our tax dollars are being used’. Remember that the Iraqi people posed no threat to us and did not have anything to do with 9-11 or al-queda. The Marine’s tale: ‘We killed 30 civilians in six weeks. I felt we were committing genocide’ By Natasha Saulnier During 12 years in the US Marines, including three years putting new recruits through boot camp, Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey hardly questioned his role. But what he saw in Iraq changed that. "In a month and a half my platoon and I killed more than 30 civilians," Mr Massey said. He saw bodies being desecrated and robbed, and wounded civilians being dumped by the roadside without medical treatment. After he told his commanding officer that he felt "we were committing genocide", he was called a "wimp". Mr Massey, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and depression, left the Marines in November. Back home in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, he says the cause of the uprising in Iraq is that "we killed a lot of innocent people". The incident that haunts him most took place early in April, near an Iraqi military compound five miles from Baghdad’s airport. "There were approximately 10 demonstrators near a tank," he said. "We heard a shot in the distance and we started shooting at them. They all died except for one. We left the bodies there. "We noticed that there were some RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] about 200 metres away from them – they might have come from the military compound. The demonstrators had the ability to fire at us or at the tank, but they didn’t. The survivor was hiding behind a column about 150 metres away from us. I pointed at him and waved my weapon to tell him to get away. Half of his foot had been cut off. He went away dragging his foot. We were all laughing and cheering. "Then an 18-wheeler [truck] came speeding around. We shot at it. One of the guys jumped out. He was on fire. The driver was dead. Then a Toyota Corolla came. We killed the driver, the other guy came out with his hands up. We shot him too. "A gunny from Lima Company came running and said to us: ‘Hey, you just shot that guy, but he had his hands up.’ My unit, my commander and me were relieved of our command for the rest of the day. Not more than five minutes later, the Lima Company took up our position and shot a car with one woman and two children. They all died." The next day the platoon guarded a checkpoint at Baghdad Stadium. "A red Kia Spectra sped toward us at about 45mph. We fired a warning volley above it but the car kept coming. Then we aimed at the car and fired with full force. The Kia came to a stop right in front of me, three of the four men shot dead, the fourth wounded and covered in blood. We called the medics, but he died before they arrived. That day we killed three more civilians in the same circumstances. I talked to my captain afterwards and told him: ‘It’s a bad day.’ He said: ‘No, it’s a good day.’" Mr Massey watched as badly injured Iraqis were repeatedly "tossed on the side of the road without calling medics". His reaction to the event that triggered the recent siege of Fallujah – the sight of the blackened, mutilated bodies of four American private security men – was that "we did the same thing to them". Iraqis, he said, "would see us debase their dead all the time. We would be messing around with charred bodies, kicking them out of the vehicles and sticking cigarettes in their mouths. I also saw vehicles drive over them. It was our job to look into the pockets of dead Iraqis to gather intelligence. However, time and time again, I saw Marines steal gold chains, watches and wallets full of money." Several members of his platoon expressed concern that so many civilians were being killed, but Mr Massey says he told them: "We’ve got a job to do." Finally, however, he voiced his own doubts to his commanding officer. "I told him I felt like we were committing genocide in Iraq, that we were doing harm to a culture. He said nothing and walked away. I knew my career was over." Later, he says, his superior poured abuse on him, saying, "You’re a poor leader. You’re faking it. You’re a conscientious objector, you’re a wimp." After being sent back to the US, Mr Massey was offered a desk job. "I had seven years until retirement from the Marine Corps, but I told them I didn’t want their money any more," he said. The Marines’ slogan – "No better friend, no worse enemy" – now embitters the former sergeant, who says remorse keeps him awake at night. "One day we would go into a city and set up roadblocks where civilian casualties would take place, and then the next morning we would undertake a humanitarian mission," he said. "How do we expect people who’ve seen their brothers and mothers killed to turn around and welcome us with open arms?" http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523992 If Clinton can be impeached for lying about his interactions with one very seductive intern, then surely Bush can be impeached for lying his fool head off – to justify the Iraq invasion and occupation. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11! http://www.votetoimpeach.org www.commondreams.org www.democracynow.org Only the truth will set us free from war and tyrants. Guns, bombs, murders, executions, and lies will only make it all worse. Could there possibly be a more idiotic ‘war on terrorism’? Unfortunately a large percentage of Americans minds are so deceived by corporate and US gov’t propaganda that the truth about certain things (like the the invasion and occupation) is unbelievable in their view. The American corporate news industry is a big fat cash cow for the super rich who also own the American politicians, the oil companies, and the ‘war machine’ (defense) corporations. They want to make more and more and more and more money, NOT to tell the people the truth about what’s going on, or to support democracy. Only the truth will set us free from tyrants, fear, and needless bloodshed. http://www.commondreams.org "Without sharing there can be no justice; without justice there can be no peace; without peace there can be no future." Maitreya, The World Teacher http://www.share-international.org
Response:
No one I know of, except Jon Cardinal, is buying into the lie that the US needed to launch a first strike against Iraq. "Winning the hearts and minds" of people whose innocent family members you’ve killed and maimed is not possible. Get out of Iraq. Top posted by, Sanity – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – this could be called: ‘a report on how some of our tax dollars are being used’. Remember that the Iraqi people posed no threat to us and did not have anything to do with 9-11 or al-queda. The Marine’s tale: ‘We killed 30 civilians in six weeks. I felt we were committing genocide’ By Natasha Saulnier During 12 years in the US Marines, including three years putting new recruits through boot camp, Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey hardly questioned his role. But what he saw in Iraq changed that. "In a month and a half my platoon and I killed more than 30 civilians," Mr Massey said. He saw bodies being desecrated and robbed, and wounded civilians being dumped by the roadside without medical treatment. After he told his commanding officer that he felt "we were committing genocide", he was called a "wimp". Mr Massey, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and depression, left the Marines in November. Back home in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, he says the cause of the uprising in Iraq is that "we killed a lot of innocent people". The incident that haunts him most took place early in April, near an Iraqi military compound five miles from Baghdad’s airport. "There were approximately 10 demonstrators near a tank," he said. "We heard a shot in the distance and we started shooting at them. They all died except for one. We left the bodies there. "We noticed that there were some RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] about 200 metres away from them – they might have come from the military compound. The demonstrators had the ability to fire at us or at the tank, but they didn’t. The survivor was hiding behind a column about 150 metres away from us. I pointed at him and waved my weapon to tell him to get away. Half of his foot had been cut off. He went away dragging his foot. We were all laughing and cheering. "Then an 18-wheeler [truck] came speeding around. We shot at it. One of the guys jumped out. He was on fire. The driver was dead. Then a Toyota Corolla came. We killed the driver, the other guy came out with his hands up. We shot him too. "A gunny from Lima Company came running and said to us: ‘Hey, you just shot that guy, but he had his hands up.’ My unit, my commander and me were relieved of our command for the rest of the day. Not more than five minutes later, the Lima Company took up our position and shot a car with one woman and two children. They all died." The next day the platoon guarded a checkpoint at Baghdad Stadium. "A red Kia Spectra sped toward us at about 45mph. We fired a warning volley above it but the car kept coming. Then we aimed at the car and fired with full force. The Kia came to a stop right in front of me, three of the four men shot dead, the fourth wounded and covered in blood. We called the medics, but he died before they arrived. That day we killed three more civilians in the same circumstances. I talked to my captain afterwards and told him: ‘It’s a bad day.’ He said: ‘No, it’s a good day.’" Mr Massey watched as badly injured Iraqis were repeatedly "tossed on the side of the road without calling medics". His reaction to the event that triggered the recent siege of Fallujah – the sight of the blackened, mutilated bodies of four American private security men – was that "we did the same thing to them". Iraqis, he said, "would see us debase their dead all the time. We would be messing around with charred bodies, kicking them out of the vehicles and sticking cigarettes in their mouths. I also saw vehicles drive over them. It was our job to look into the pockets of dead Iraqis to gather intelligence. However, time and time again, I saw Marines steal gold chains, watches and wallets full of money." Several members of his platoon expressed concern that so many civilians were being killed, but Mr Massey says he told them: "We’ve got a job to do." Finally, however, he voiced his own doubts to his commanding officer. "I told him I felt like we were committing genocide in Iraq, that we were doing harm to a culture. He said nothing and walked away. I knew my career was over." Later, he says, his superior poured abuse on him, saying, "You’re a poor leader. You’re faking it. You’re a conscientious objector, you’re a wimp." After being sent back to the US, Mr Massey was offered a desk job. "I had seven years until retirement from the Marine Corps, but I told them I didn’t want their money any more," he said. The Marines’ slogan – "No better friend, no worse enemy" – now embitters the former sergeant, who says remorse keeps him awake at night. "One day we would go into a city and set up roadblocks where civilian casualties would take place, and then the next morning we would undertake a humanitarian mission," he said. "How do we expect people who’ve seen their brothers and mothers killed to turn around and welcome us with open arms?" http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523992 If Clinton can be impeached for lying about his interactions with one very seductive intern, then surely Bush can be impeached for lying his fool head off – to justify the Iraq invasion and occupation. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11! http://www.votetoimpeach.org www.commondreams.org www.democracynow.org Only the truth will set us free from war and tyrants. Guns, bombs, murders, executions, and lies will only make it all worse. Could there possibly be a more idiotic ‘war on terrorism’? Unfortunately a large percentage of Americans minds are so deceived by corporate and US gov’t propaganda that the truth about certain things (like the the invasion and occupation) is unbelievable in their view. The American corporate news industry is a big fat cash cow for the super rich who also own the American politicians, the oil companies, and the ‘war machine’ (defense) corporations. They want to make more and more and more and more money, NOT to tell the people the truth about what’s going on, or to support democracy. Only the truth will set us free from tyrants, fear, and needless bloodshed. http://www.commondreams.org "Without sharing there can be no justice; without justice there can be no peace; without peace there can be no future." Maitreya, The World Teacher http://www.share-international.org
Response:
this could be called: ‘a report on how some of our tax dollars are being used’. Remember that the Iraqi people posed no threat to us and did not have anything to do with 9-11 or al-queda. The Marine’s tale: ‘We killed 30 civilians in six weeks. I felt we were committing genocide’ By Natasha Saulnier During 12 years in the US Marines, including three years putting new recruits through boot camp, Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey hardly questioned his role. But what he saw in Iraq changed that. "In a month and a half my platoon and I killed more than 30 civilians," Mr Massey said. He saw bodies being desecrated and robbed, and wounded civilians being dumped by the roadside without medical treatment. After he told his commanding officer that he felt "we were committing genocide", he was called a "wimp". Mr Massey, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and depression, left the Marines in November. Back home in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, he says the cause of the uprising in Iraq is that "we killed a lot of innocent people". The incident that haunts him most took place early in April, near an Iraqi military compound five miles from Baghdad’s airport. "There were approximately 10 demonstrators near a tank," he said. "We heard a shot in the distance and we started shooting at them. They all died except for one. We left the bodies there. "We noticed that there were some RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] about 200 metres away from them – they might have come from the military compound. The demonstrators had the ability to fire at us or at the tank, but they didn’t. The survivor was hiding behind a column about 150 metres away from us. I pointed at him and waved my weapon to tell him to get away. Half of his foot had been cut off. He went away dragging his foot. We were all laughing and cheering. "Then an 18-wheeler [truck] came speeding around. We shot at it. One of the guys jumped out. He was on fire. The driver was dead. Then a Toyota Corolla came. We killed the driver, the other guy came out with his hands up. We shot him too. "A gunny from Lima Company came running and said to us: ‘Hey, you just shot that guy, but he had his hands up.’ My unit, my commander and me were relieved of our command for the rest of the day. Not more than five minutes later, the Lima Company took up our position and shot a car with one woman and two children. They all died." The next day the platoon guarded a checkpoint at Baghdad Stadium. "A red Kia Spectra sped toward us at about 45mph. We fired a warning volley above it but the car kept coming. Then we aimed at the car and fired with full force. The Kia came to a stop right in front of me, three of the four men shot dead, the fourth wounded and covered in blood. We called the medics, but he died before they arrived. That day we killed three more civilians in the same circumstances. I talked to my captain afterwards and told him: ‘It’s a bad day.’ He said: ‘No, it’s a good day.’" Mr Massey watched as badly injured Iraqis were repeatedly "tossed on the side of the road without calling medics". His reaction to the event that triggered the recent siege of Fallujah – the sight of the blackened, mutilated bodies of four American private security men – was that "we did the same thing to them". Iraqis, he said, "would see us debase their dead all the time. We would be messing around with charred bodies, kicking them out of the vehicles and sticking cigarettes in their mouths. I also saw vehicles drive over them. It was our job to look into the pockets of dead Iraqis to gather intelligence. However, time and time again, I saw Marines steal gold chains, watches and wallets full of money." Several members of his platoon expressed concern that so many civilians were being killed, but Mr Massey says he told them: "We’ve got a job to do." Finally, however, he voiced his own doubts to his commanding officer. "I told him I felt like we were committing genocide in Iraq, that we were doing harm to a culture. He said nothing and walked away. I knew my career was over." Later, he says, his superior poured abuse on him, saying, "You’re a poor leader. You’re faking it. You’re a conscientious objector, you’re a wimp." After being sent back to the US, Mr Massey was offered a desk job. "I had seven years until retirement from the Marine Corps, but I told them I didn’t want their money any more," he said. The Marines’ slogan – "No better friend, no worse enemy" – now embitters the former sergeant, who says remorse keeps him awake at night. "One day we would go into a city and set up roadblocks where civilian casualties would take place, and then the next morning we would undertake a humanitarian mission," he said. "How do we expect people who’ve seen their brothers and mothers killed to turn around and welcome us with open arms?" http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523992 If Clinton can be impeached for lying about his interactions with one very seductive intern, then surely Bush can be impeached for lying his fool head off – to justify the Iraq invasion and occupation. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11! http://www.votetoimpeach.org – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – www.commondreams.org www.democracynow.org Only the truth will set us free from war and tyrants. Guns, bombs, murders, executions, and lies will only make it all worse. Could there possibly be a more idiotic ‘war on terrorism’? Unfortunately a large percentage of Americans minds are so deceived by corporate and US gov’t propaganda that the truth about certain things (like the the invasion and occupation) is unbelievable in their view. The American corporate news industry is a big fat cash cow for the super rich who also own the American politicians, the oil companies, and the ‘war machine’ (defense) corporations. They want to make more and more and more and more money, NOT to tell the people the truth about what’s going on, or to support democracy. Only the truth will set us free from tyrants, fear, and needless bloodshed. http://www.commondreams.org "Without sharing there can be no justice; without justice there can be no peace; without peace there can be no future." Maitreya, The World Teacher http://www.share-international.org
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