Open Thread

Conduct: Afghan Attack (0.00 / 0)

Senator, Historian Question Conduct of Army Commanders Before Afghan Attack

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an Army historian are raising serious questions about the performance of Army commanders prior to an assault that killed nine U.S. soldiers at a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan last July.........

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

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by: jimstaro @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 18:04:09 PM CDT

A Chronology of Mideast Pro-Peace Action (0.00 / 0)

The Obama Administration and the 111th Congress

"The U.S. administration has issued a stiff warning to Israel not to build in the area known as E-1, which lies between Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim. Any change ...

From:

Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
11 E. Adams Street, Suite 707
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (312) 341-1205
Fax: (312) 341-1206
info@btvshalom.org
www.btvshalom.org

And:

We've Got Your Back, Mr President

Tell A Friend: Use these resources to tell your family, Facebook friends, and blog readers about your support for President Obama!

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

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by: jimstaro @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 18:04:23 PM CDT

Landmine Beauty Pageant (0.00 / 0)

Miss Landmine Beauty Pageant to Begin in Cambodia

The first Miss Landmine beauty pageant in Cambodia is set to begin in August.  This pageant follows a successful but highly controversial contest in Angola last year where the world's first Miss Landmine was crowned.  The goal of the pageant organizers is to bring attention to the tens of thousands of people worldwide who have lost limbs because of landmines.  To this day, countless mines -- many of which are American -- remain unaccounted for.........

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

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by: jimstaro @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 18:04:39 PM CDT

Pfc Bowe Bergdahl (0.00 / 0)

Where's the uproar over this?

http://theworldofhowey.wordpre...

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by: Howey @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 19:06:53 PM CDT

There Is (0.00 / 0)

When coming in contact with not only the stupidity of the remarks against this soldier, no matter how this went down, and nobody knows for sure, it's been said a number of times even the reports from the Army sound like those confusing and coverup ones from the Tillman incident, as well as others.

If these clowns falling for the simplistic asinine winger speak are soldiers or vets themselves they're 'spitting' on a brother as have many done to us 'Nam Vets because we don't allow ourselves to be led around and we Support our Brothers and Sisters, as well as the Oath we all took to Country and Constitution!!  

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

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by: jimstaro @ Sat Jul 25, 2009 at 06:49:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

PO2 charged in shooting death of SN at Pendelton (0.00 / 0)

http://www3.signonsandiego.com...

Military claims it was not a 'hate' crime.

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by: deMeme @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 20:42:36 PM CDT

VietVet saved sponge cake in a can from his C Rations to open (4.00 / 1)

at his retirement party. Col Henry Moak said it still tasted good.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/...

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by: deMeme @ Sat Jul 25, 2009 at 01:32:42 AM CDT

Nuclear Balance (0.00 / 0)

Indian Navy's nuclear sub and China's encirclement

This is a recent Real News Network Video, not up on YouTube yet!
While the leaders? ramp up the rhetoric about Iran, our Friend India Expands The Nuclear Defense Of!!

An NDTV panel in India discusses the launch Sunday of lndia's nuclear ballistic submarine INS Arihant

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

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by: jimstaro @ Sun Jul 26, 2009 at 13:26:49 PM CDT

Despite Obama's appeal, Saudis unlikely to push Mideast talks (0.00 / 0)

http://www.miamiherald.com/691...

Without even going into the article, the mere title left me with the impression that this whole peace idea is dumb beyond belief. But here we go anyways....

"The ambition to bring the Saudis on board has been disappointed," said one Western diplomat based in Riyadh, who asked not to be identified because of the delicate nature of the debate. "I think it would be quite difficult for the Saudis to lead the way the U.S. is hoping, because any warmth towards Israel would be deeply unpopular with its public."

Newsflash. Saudi Arabia is by far the most anti-Jewish country in the Middle East. Note I didn't say anti-Israel, I said anti-Jewish. Say what you will about Iran, Iran actually allows Jews to live there.

During his hurriedly arranged visit to Saudi Arabia last month, Obama asked King Abdullah to try to broker a new Palestinian unity government, to revamp his 2002 peace initiative and to consider some good-faith gestures to Israel, officials in Riyadh said.

You mean like a Sunni Islamist government that resembles the Taliban or AQI? What an ingenious, breakthrough idea. NOT!
But asking the Saudis to create a new Palestinian government is unlikely to produce anything other than a radical Sunni Islamist/Wahhabi government.

To jump-start Arab-Israeli peace talks, Obama has called for a complete halt to Israeli construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Israel has rebuffed the U.S., however, creating festering divisions between the countries as they try to fashion a compromise.

Now were this to be purely about Israel and Palestine, I might be inclined to say a settlement freeze is actually a good idea. But since it seems to be about Arab-Israeli peace, I find this whole ordeal to be an exercise in utter stupidity and do not blame the Israelis one bit for rebuffing the US. I mean, when have the Saudis ever been a reliable partner in anything, much less peacemaking?

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by: FredUSMC @ Sun Jul 26, 2009 at 15:26:13 PM CDT

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it will bomb Israel's nuke sites (0.00 / 0)

if Israel attacks:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/...

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by: deMeme @ Sun Jul 26, 2009 at 16:28:18 PM CDT

Iraq neighbours undermining border fight -minister (0.00 / 0)

http://www.reuters.com/article...

"The cooperation between Iraq and neighbouring nations in securing common borders is weak, with the exception of Kuwait," he told Reuters.

Khafaji said the number of foreign fighters entering Iraq through Saudi Arabia had dropped substantially -- but only when the Saudi government boosted security in order to halt the flow of drugs being trafficked through Iraq into Saudi Arabia.

Rather typical of the Saudis, isn't it? Although I think even here the Saudis are being given too much credit. I have seen evidence indicating that the Saudis have used certain other routes to smuggle fighters in. They also had a major hand in creating AQI.

Khafaji ascribed the lack of cooperation largely to sectarian agendas in other capitals where some officials see the rise of a Shi'ite-led Iraq as a threat.

"They don't like the idea of Shi'ites ruling this country. But Shi'ites did not get into power by using tanks ... Our (democracy) has brought Shi'ites and Kurds to power," he said.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Although unlike the Saudi agenda, which is clearly anti-Iraq, anti-Shiite, and anti-democracy, the Syrian agenda strikes me as being a bit more perplexing.

Asked how Iraq might improve border cooperation, Khafaji said he hoped Iraq, whose army and police have been rebuilt from the ground up since 2003 and are only now taking over security from U.S. forces, needed to flex its muscles.

Now that is exactly what needs to happen here. Of course it would be nice if the politico crowd finally decides to go out and get a clue regarding Iraq's neighbors.  

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by: FredUSMC @ Sun Jul 26, 2009 at 22:08:16 PM CDT

WTF!!!! RIP Brother James! (0.00 / 0)

DEAD VET ROTTED IN HIS ROOM

A Vietnam veteran was found dead in his Brooklyn home yesterday -- months after neighbors began complaining to the city about an unbearable smell coming from the apartment.

James Gales, 62, was often seen pushing himself around in his wheelchair at the Breukelen Houses in Canarsie, where he lived for 17 years, until late January when he mysteriously disappeared, neighbors said...............

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

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by: jimstaro @ Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 10:53:18 AM CDT

De-Miners....... (0.00 / 0)

The women who clear Sudan's minefields

Jamba Besta had planned to be a secretary, hoping to find work in an office as her homeland of South Sudan emerged out of a 22-year long civil war.

Instead, the pregnant mother heads an all-female team of de-miners, removing dangerous explosives from former battlefields.

Snip

"The women do a great job - and we don't have problems of fighting or drinking," he said........

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

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by: jimstaro @ Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 14:09:38 PM CDT