Gates gloats, Americans die

Photos: top to bottom: Spec. Justin D. Ross, Pfc. Michael C. Mahr, Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire and family, Staff Sgt. Mecolus McDaniel, Cpl. Donald R. Mickler, Jr., and Master Sgt. Jamal H. Bowers

Below the story on page A9 in the April 8, 2011 edition of the Washington Post about Defense Secretary Robert Gates making a "valedictory" tour of Iraq where 4,446 American troops and 1,421,933 Iraqis have died, where 33,007 American troops have suffered injuries, and the U.S. price tag of $704 billion (February, 2010) leaps daily to assuage George Bush and friends' "giddy up" mentality now left to Bush taking out his aggression sweeping the bush and brush in Texas, are the latest names of troops who have died in the war in Afghanistan, the next big frontal assault where residents cry out "Leave us alone, Americans! Go home!"

Wherefore they go, Pakistan?

Why do we continue to wage war in a foreign territory not our own, when we cannot take care of our own within our own shores?

Bow your head in shame and praise the dead who gave up their lives for senseless games:

Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Meis, 20, Bennett, CO

Master Sgt. Jamal H. Bowers, 41, Raleigh, N.C.

Pfc. Rudy A. Acosta, 19, Canyon Country, CA

Cpl. Donald R. Mickler Jr., 29, Bucyrus, OH

Staff Sgt. Mecolus McDaniel, 33, Fort Hood, TX

Staff Sgt. James M. Malachowski, 25, Westminster, MD

Petty Officer 1st Class Vincent A. Filpi III, 41, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire, 28, Chillicothe, OH

Pfc. Michael C. Mahr, 26, Homosassa, FL

Spec. Justin D. Ross, 22, Green Bay, WI

86% of American troop deaths in Iraq: non-combat related

The names of seven dead soldiers who were stationed in Iraq are listed on page A13 of the October 4, 2010 edition of the Washington Post.

Pictured are Gebrah Noonan in group photo (courtesy, Patrick Jacques, Jr.), John Carillo Jr. (second row, left), John F. Burner III (second row, right) James A. Hansen (third row, left), Brandon Maggart (third row, right) and Marc C. Whisenant (last row).

Why are we still in Iraq? In Afghanistan? Why are we there for our soldiers to die and be maimed and kill each other?

Sgt. Brandon E. Maggart, 24, of Kirksville, Missouri was killed August 22 at Basra.

The remaining six soldiers died of non-combat wounds.

They are:

Sgt. Ryan J. Hopkins, 21, Livermore, California died January 8 of injuries suffered October 4, 2008 in a motor pool accident

Senior Airman James A. Hansen, 25, Athens, Michigan died September 15 of injuries suffered during a controlled (controlled?) detonation

Sgt. John F. Burner III, 32, of Baltimore died September 16 of noncombat injuries

Spec. John Carrillo Jr., 20, of Stockton, CA and Pfc. Gebrah P. Noonan, 26, of Watertown, CT died September 24 of injuries from a noncombat accident. The Associated Press reported that a soldier in their battalion was being held in pre-trial detention after both soldiers were wounded September 23 after an argument, according to another source. A third soldier was also wounded.

Spec. Marc C. Whisenant, 23, of Holly Hill, FL died September 24 of injuries suffered in a vehicle rollover accident, a training exercise.

Almost 67% of American troop deaths in Iraq from non-combat related causes

The Washington Post recently listed the names of soldiers killed in Iraq, now totaling 4,410.

Pfc. Alvaro Regalado Sessarego, 37, of Virginia Beach, VA, had suffered severe burns in a mess hall fire in April in Dahuk, Iraq. He died of his injuries May 30 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas.

Pvt. Francisco J. Guardado-Ramirez, 21, of Sunland Park, N.M. was in a heavily armored mine resistant ambush protected vehicle when it hit a highway overpass in Baghdad, officials said. He died June 2.

Spc. Christopher W. Opat, 29, of Spencer, Iowa died June 15 in Baquah, Iraq, from injuries in a noncombat incident. Military officials have launched an investigation, but offered no other details.

Sgt. Steve M. Theobald, 53, Goose Creek, S.C. who was a motor transport operator, died June 4 from injuries in a military vehicle rollover accident near Kuwait City.

Sgt. Israel P. O'Bryan, 24 of Newbern, TN, and Spec. William C. Yauch, 23, of Batesville, AR, were killed June 11 in Jalula when a suicide car bomb exploded near their patrol.

More than half of U.S. troops in Iraq die from noncombat injuries

In last week's listing in the Washington Post (May 18, 2010, p. A11), seven of 13 of U.S. military deaths were caused by "noncombat injuries."

Why don't we get out sooner rather than later? Barack Obama has been in office almost 18 months. Why do we have to spend American lives and see our soldiers wounded and maimed to ensure George Bush's "democracy" in a nation not our own, where we try to instill our form of government?

Reverse the nations: Consider the U.S. being bombed, attacked, and occupied for seven years by another country on a hunt for "weapons of mass destruction" and finding none, then changing the goal to "let's git 'em" and after "gittin' him," changing the goal once more to "let's set up a theocracy" or whatever.

The listing of troops who died from non-combat injuries in Iraq and the dates of their deaths were:

Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan, 29, Tyler Texas, March 16, 2010
Pfc. Raymond N. Pacleb, 31, Honolulu, March 29
Sgt. Kurt E. Kruize, 35, Hancock, Minn., April 4
Pfc. Charlie C. Antonio, 28, Kahului, Hawaii, April 18
Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Worrell, 35, Virginia Beach, April 22
Staff Sgt. Esau S.A. Gonzales, 30, White Deer, TX, May 3
Sgt. Ralph Mena, 27, Hutchinson, Kansas, May 4

The troops who died from combat-related injuries were:
Spec. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 27, Kenosha, Wis., killed March 18 in Baghdad
Pfc. William A. Blount, 21,Petal, Miss, and 1st Lt. Robert W. Collins, 24 of Tyrone, GA both killed April 7 in Mosul
Staff Sgt. James R. Patton, 23, Fort Benning, GA killed April 18 in Tikrit
Sgt. Keith A. Coe, 30, Auburndale, FL, killed April 27 in Khalis
Sgt. Anthony O. Magee, 29, Hattiesburg, Miss., died April 27 of wounds suffered April 24 in Iskandariyah

Another American soldier died today in Iraq. How long, Mr. President, how long? Are we going to stay in Iraq until no more American troops remain standing?

The number of U.S. troops who have died in Afghanistan has surpassed 1,000, but who is counting?

Mr. President: You are losing your base.

The Post says 4,401 U.S. troops have died in or as a result of the Iraq War including 917 from "non-hostile actions."

When is "too long" long enough?

100% troop deaths: noncombat related

In the May 14, 2009 edition of the Washington Post on page A10, the names of seven dead American troops are listed. They all died as a result of "noncombat injuries."

Five of them were killed by the mentally-ill Army sergeant who shot and killed them May 11 at Camp Liberty in Baghdad.

Why do so many of our troops die from noncombat related reasons?

This morning NPR (and the Post) featured a story on three troop deaths due to electrocutions in "sewage showers." An engineer claimed that 90% of military electrical work done in Iraq was faulty. The inferior work has been attributed to KBR, formerly of Halliburton,Inc. Dick Cheney's old firm, whose public relation officer responded: "Us? No way. We are not to blame."

Is Patrick Tillman's death the only cover-up?

How do these numbers compare to those in other conflicts? Are soldiers rushed into combat so quickly they are not trained sufficiently? Does the Defense Department need numbers so badly that soldiers are sent to harm's way without adequate training about the deadly weapons they carry? The mentally ill carry them!

Does the Defense Department investigate these deaths and the reasons behind them?
What changes has the Defense Department implemented to stop them? Any?

Family members and taxpayers would like to know.

The five soldiers shot by their comrade were:

Spec. Jacob Barton, 20, Lenox, MO

Sgt. Christian Bueno-Galdos, 25, Paterson, NJ

Maj. Matthew Houseal, 54, Amarillo, TX

Navy Cmdr. Charles Springle, 52, Wilmington, NC

Pfc. Michael Yates, Jr., 19, Federalsburg, MD

Two other soldiers are listed in the May 14 paper who died from "noncombat injuries" were:

Pvt. Justin Hartford, 21, Elmira, NY

Spec. Omar Albrak, 21, Chicago

We hang our heads in sorrow.

Code Pink Rallies at the White House on Mother's Day

Emerson, the driver, Joshua, and Julian provided transportation (right)





The handmade banners commemorate the lives of dead soldiers from the Iraq War


To know Code Pink is to love Code Pink, its presence at the Capitol Hill hearings and the pictures and signs members hold aloft behind the heads of the Big Shots testifying as they try to wrangle out of their (mis)deeds or vie for government dollars.

For a small group, Code Pink garners an unusually large amount of media attention. Hurray for Code Pink!

With admiration for its unceasing efforts and always applauding its goals, I joined the group last Sunday at Lafayette Park for a small and sincere rally to stop the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On a gorgeous Mother's Day afternoon we carried the long banner made by women from 20 different countries who sewed more than 4,000 squares in pink of many different shades. We marched in front of the White House chanting "I will not raise my child to kill another mother's child'" which is based upon the 1870 Mother's Day Proclamation composed by Julia Ward Howe

Code Pink leaders charmed the White House police corps which waived an arrest for one Pink member (for what I don’t know), and permitted, after denial, the laying of hundreds of pink, white, and red roses at the base of the White House iron railing.

Sadly, the withering roses represented the brief lives of soldiers and citizens
who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

75% Die in Iraq from Non-Combat Related Causes

The causes of deaths of our soldiers listed in the Washington Post today are: non-combat related (6) and military action (2).

Why are these numbers so high?

Inadequate training? Friendly fire? Suicide?

I have raised the question with the Defense Department which sent me to its Web site and later, did not return a telephone call inquiring about the statistics of the dead.

Is anyone with any power asking these questions?

The names of the dead from non-combat related reasons listed today are:

Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo, Jr., 32, Albuquerque

Staff Sgt. Raphael A. Futrell, 26, Anderson, S.C.

Lance Cpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, 20, Miami

Sgt. Devin C. Poche, 25, Jacksonville, N.C.

Sgt. Daniel J. Beard, 24, Buffalo

Lance Cpt. Stephen F. Dearmon, 21, Crossville, TN

The two soldiers who died from combat-related causes were:

Spec. Gary L. Moore, 25, Del City, OK

Spec. Israel Candelaria Mejias, 28, San Lorenzo, P.R.

The Defense Dept. Answers RE: Non-Combat Related Deaths

(Thanks to Sen. Jim Webb for forwarding my questions to the Department. The main thrust of the DOD letter follows. After studying the numbers and percentages, the question rises: Why have non-hostile deaths of our troops risen 250% from the Korean to the Iraq wars? Look at the numbers at the DOD Web site. Am I figuring incorrectly?)

Dear Patricia,

The Department has a casualty reporting system…and both combat and non-combat related deaths are posted weekly…along with the cause of death…at http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil.

[Click “Personnel,” then “Military Casualty Information.”]

Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom each have a report titled “Casualty Summary by Reason Code” [which] …contain the reasons for all deaths, hostile and non-hostile.

Each Service analyzes the information…and they have safety boards to address deaths as a result of unsafe actions, equipment, etc. to try and prevent any additional harm to Service members….[including] suicide prevention and early detection. All of this information is used by the Department to try and prevent further injuries and deaths. Individual causes…are withheld to protect…privacy….

If you have any questions, please contact Kris Hoffman at 831-583-2500.

Sincerely,

Mary Snavely-Dixon
Director, Human Resources Activity
Defense Manpower Data Center

I appreciate the letter and Sen. Webb’s attention. I will send my computations below to Senator Webb after I receive an answer from Ms. Hoffman about reasons, if any are known, about the leap in non-combat related deaths. I talked with her February 23, 2009.

At the Web site supplied above I discovered approximately 20 percent of the deaths (830 of 4,228)of all troops in Iraq from March 19, 2003 through January 31, 2009 result from nonhostile actions:

20% of Army deaths (613 of 3,072) are from nonhostile actions

35%, Navy (including the Coast Guard) (34 of 97)

16%, Marines (162 of 1,010)

almost 43%, Air Force (21 of 49)

More than 62% (518) of all non-hostile deaths in the Iraq War have resulted from accidents; more than 21% (176), “self-inflicted” causes. You have seen the recent stories about the increase in suicides among veterans and at West Point.

Compare “In-Theatre” deaths of other conflicts (which are not broken down "In Theater" or "Non-Theater" for Iraq casualties):

Gulf War non-hostile deaths: 61.5% (235 of 382)

Vietnam non-hostile deaths: 18.5% (10,786 of 58,220)

Korea non-hostile deaths: 7.75%(2,835 of 36,574)

Why did the percentage of nonhostile deaths increase so dramatically from Korea to Vietnam? Reduced training? Lowered standards? Different measuring means? On Friday at Ft. Campbell, KY, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told soldiers increased suicides among troops may be related to long and repeated deployments.

Many Vietnam troops were drafted and joined the service unwillingly. With economic conditions today and the Army’s lowered standards (accepting felons, more high school dropouts, more with lower intelligence levels) yet with supposedly additional safety measures in place, why has the number increased? Who measures the effects of the Army’s lowered standards? Also, I refer you to this site for casualty count:www.antiwar/com.casualties

Uncover the Coffins

At Monday's press conference the AP reported President Barack Obama said policy change would be considered to possibly end the media ban photographing caskets holding our military dead from Iraq and Afghanistan as they arrive back in the U.S.

In yesterday's Washington Post (p. A-8) Defense Secretary Robert Gates "said he was told that, if media were allowed to cover the fallen service members return to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, many of the service members' families would feel compelled to attend, which would pose a financial hardship for them and slow the return of the remains."

How grotesque: "would feel compelled." And "slow the remains."

What words are there to describe Gates' callousness and total disregard for affected families? He nonchalantly tosses words around with no thought of their impact.

Should not the affected families be allowed to make their own decisions rather than the defense secretary quoting hearsay and making decisions for them?

At this most terrible times of their lives, affected loved ones can stand on their own without the Defense Department exploiting their losses so it can cover up its dead and the 65% who died of "non-combat related" causes. Enough of Defense Department cover-ups!

Would not local communities rush to raise money for Dover expenses for those in need? Those who want to come to praise, salute and honor their war dead? Theirs.

President Obama: Uncover the coverup of the coffins. We want to see them. We want to see how the military treats the return of our human treasures. We want to see the containers holding our dead on their last journey. We want to recognize their bravery and their sacrifices for us. We want to be stung with reality that inside the boxes are remains of troops who lived and whom we glorify.

President Obama: You said "change." The Bush/Cheney regime ended, praise God, on January 20, 2009. Please bring change.

Shoes for Bush in Washington, D.C.

As I approached the scene 20 minutes past the 11 o'clock hour in front of the White House Wednesday, the atmosphere of the Code Pink rally to memorialize Sunday's shoe throwing incident at George Bush was almost that of a garden party on pavement. The press vastly outnumbered the few activists who showed up, and together they stood around laughing, smiling, talking on a cloudy, cool day.

Some of the 20 activists threw shoes at the weaving, unsteady "George Bush" life-sized bobblehead dressed in mask and prison garb and holding "dollar bills" which he periodically offered to those nearby. An abundant but permissive, polite police force stood back, under worked by the small crowd.

Attending were Dana Milbank with photographer in tow, and David Swanson of AfterDowningStreet.org who graciously consented to yet another interview when approached by an Arabic cameraman and a reporter. A girl, about 8, dressed in pink, explained her presence at the rally to a television crew.

Was the Christmas message affecting everyone?

I added my old shoes to a small pile in front of "Bush" and sadly took note of the rows of shoes with widows' and orphans' names attached, like headstones at a cemetery.

A likely Code Pink representative "rescued" Bush when a senior citizen with a long grey beard beat the bobblehead with several shoes which were scattered hither and yon on the street, much like the bodies of the the injured and the dead from a bombing in Baghdad today.

The Book: What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception by Scott McClellan

We read so you don't have to but you'll want to

The critics fuss about the lack of “new stuff,” but for political junkies like me it’s loaded.

He has lots of detail and background on scenes, like what the White House was doing exactly where and when Katrina struck, the setup and disagreement over The Famous Silhouette Shot of George Bush from the plane overlooking New Orleans.

Like what went on behind the scenes on September 11, 2001.

I've always heard it's a sign of good writing when you can write like you speak. You can hear Scott McClellan's voice echo every single word. He speaks from the heart, thoroughly disillusioned and honest.

He was floored by the discovery Karl Rove had lied to him, and so did Bush resulting in McClellan's realization that McClellan had misrepresented truth to the media.

As much as I loathe him, George Bush does come off as more of a person with perhaps a smidgen of feelings for those he has caused to die and wound. He visits Walter Reed sometimes, and is upset by the mayhem and destruction he encounters, surprisingly.

He is still hardhearted George, unable to accept or hear any opinion which may be different from his which led to his downfall. He is driven to establish democracy in the Middle East. (Why? In his simplistic way, did he think he was playing little boys games, that it would be easy to crash and burn a land, kill residents, set up a new way to govern and think citizens would like you? Why is his way "the best way"? Who appointed George Bush, God? But I digress.)

Like the Emperor With No Clothes, Bush has his circle filled with "yes people" who came to believe in the mission and never questioned it. (Or if they did, they kept mum.) (Hello, President-Elect Obama: Reminder!)

McClellan faults the "perpetual campaign" begun by Clinton aides for creating the monster Washington has become: Always spinning. Always vying for the goal for the team at the cost of cohesive victory. The selling of the Iraq War is described. Colin Powell was the only one of the leadership team who tried to slow down the attack on Iraq. (Only 4,207 American soldiers now dead, 30,832 wounded "officially," more than 100,000 "unofficially," and 1,288,426 Iraqis have died as a result of Bush's invasion, but this is not in the book.)

As it dozes with the bailouts, the press fell asleep at the wheel before the Iraq War began, accepting in a baby spoon whatever the Bush administration fed it, McClellan says.

On pages 157-158 he sings the praises of the "liberal media" (or what's left of it), that it works for the common good of the minority, seeking to represent it unlike the centrist, conservatives presidents and congresses who, beginning more or less with Gerald Ford, have presided with their pro-business and narrow minded methods and legislation.

Karl Rove is portrayed as the Machiavellian monster that we abhor and admire. Cheney is his secretive self, sometimes "off message." Only all good things said about Andy Card.

A highly recommended book. Where is Scott McClellan now? I know he makes a mother proud.

80% of the Deaths: "Noncombat Related"

Eighty percent (that's right: 80%) of the deaths of our soldiers in Iraq listed in Wednesday's Washington Post (p. A14) were caused by "noncombat related" reasons.

Why?
How?
Accidents?
Illness?
Heart attacks?
Suicides?
Are soldiers shooting soldiers in "friendly fire"?
Are guns going off inside tents?
Food poisoning?
More of the poisonous showers we heard about last winter?

We should be outraged!

In June, 2007 when I inquired about these "noncombat related" deaths from Mary Hadar, the Post's editor of "Faces of the Fallen" which, sadly, run too often, she wrote me that the Defense Department frequently spends six months investigating "noncombat related" deaths, and reasons for them are seldom supplied quickly. The Post tracks them in local newspapers to try and determine why and how soldiers die.

Who tracks these "noncombat related" deaths cumulatively and the causes? Anyone? Does anyone care? Hello! Hello! Anyone there?

Certainly it seems that some of the causes of "noncombat related" deaths would help to prevent others. Does the Defense Department try to cover them up to spare embarrassment? Dereliction of duty?

We taxpayers and families demand to know. We are footing the bill not only in dollars but, more importantly, in lives, past and present.

Names of the soldiers listed November 12, 2008 in the Post who died for "noncombat related" reasons are:

Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman, 24, Martinsville, Virginia

Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf, 36, Framingham, Massachusetts

Spec. Adam M. Wenger, 27, Waterford, Michigan

Pfc. Theron V. Hobbs, 22, Albany, Georgia

and Staff Sgt. Timothy H. Walker, 38, Franklin, Tennessee was killed November 8 in Baghdad.

For what did they die?

Letter from Sen. Jim Webb

(My letter to Sen. Webb (posted on July 21, 2008), included one paragraph about Iraq. It began with a query about Sen Webb's endorsement of FISA and my inability to understand his reasoning for voting for it, and my letter described an entirely different subject, also: my suggestion for a new law, the Airport/Airline Recycling Act. I suppose the letter templates his staff uses only address one subject. What's a body to do when multiple subjects are included? Anyway, Iraq, at least, is "on his mind" (maybe). It's the subject of many letters I have written to Congressional members.)

September 26, 2008

Dear Patricia:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the U.S. presence in Iraq. I believe that we must move forward to end our military involvement there.

The invasion and occupation of Iraq began in the absence of a clearly articulated strategy that should have defined our national objectives as well as the circumstances that would bring about an end point to our military presence in that country. Five years later, the American people are still waiting for the kind of political and diplomatic leadership that will end the occupation, stabilize the region, and allow our country to focus on other, vital strategic challenges around the world.

The U.S. occupation has tied down our military forces on the streets of Iraq's cities while the forces of international terrorism are still at large. Only when our political leadership matches the high quality of our military performance will we be able to resolve our current occupation of Iraq. And it is clear that we are not going to see that kind of leadership from the Bush administration. It is imperative that the next administration place great emphasis on robust diplomacy in the region to a degree that allows us to reduce our presence in Iraq and increase stability in the region.

In the coming months we must guard against allowing this Administration to position the next President into a situation where we have agreed to support a long-term military presence in Iraq. For more than six years, the administration has been less than open with the American public or Congress about its long-term intentions in Iraq. We must ensure that the future military presence in Iraq is decided not behind closed doors, but through the open air of free debate, including congressional consent.

As the debate on U.S. involvement in Iraq continues, Congress must protect the welfare of our troops and their families. For this reason, I introduced an amendment in 2007 to the defense authorization bill to require that active-duty service members and units have at least the same amount of time at home as the length of their previous deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. National Guard and Reserve units and members would have a minimum of three years at home for every year that they are deployed and would not be mobilized for longer than one year. These adjustments in today's rotational cycles would have eased the strain that our service members and families now experience. Repeated deployments with inadequate dwell time are taking their toll. The Army's active-component suicide rates, for example, have doubled from 9.8 per 100,000 in 2001 to 19.7 per 100,000 in 2007-an all-time high.

The Senate voted on my dwell-time amendment in July and September of 2007. Unfortunately, passage of this amendment also was prevented by a filibuster on both occasions, although the amendment was supported by a majority of the Senate.

On June 30, 2008, the President signed the FY 2008 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act into law, which included about $162 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This funding is necessary to provide our troops with essential protection and equipment to carry out their mission. In addition, this law included landmark legislation I introduced to provide post-9/11 veterans with comprehensive educational benefits. This bill properly provides a modern and fair educational benefit to address the needs of those who answered the call of duty to our country, often at great sacrifice.

As a combat veteran and as a member of both the Senate Committees on Armed Services and Foreign Relations, I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns on this important matter. As the Senate continues to debate the United States' involvement in Iraq, be assured that I will continue to pursue responsible policies that are fair to our troops and will ultimately enable American forces to leave Iraq.

Thank you once again for your correspondence on this matter. Please be assured that your views are very helpful to me and my staff. I hope you continue to share your views with us in the years ahead.

I would also invite you to visit my website at www.webb.senate.gov for regular updates about my activities and positions on matters that are important to Virginia and our nation.

Sincerely,

Jim Webb
United States Senator

Asleep at 10 p.m.: The Washington Post

Letter sent to the Post's Ombudsman, Deborah Howell, September 18, 2008

Dear Ms. Howell,

Did the Post close early last night which may offer explanation for the reasoning behind placing a feature today on the deaths of two 90-year-olds on the front page and leaving the helicopter crash which killed seven of our soldiers for page 15?

With its placement, lack of coverage and six paragraphs, the Post says to its readers that four nonagenarians out on a date and featured in 33 paragraphs with three pictures are more important than the deaths of seven of our soldiers in Iraq. Astonishing.

Would not this feature of celebration of the couples out having dinner have been more appropriate as the weekly obituary story?

Why are paragraphs devoted to ketchup and chicken more important than a small story in "Around the World" about our soldiers who died giving up their lives for us? I fail to understand.

Yahoo had a lengthy story about the helicopter crash before midnight last night.

Is the Post so immune to the Iraqi conflict and deaths of our troops that it fails to understand the significance and meaning of it all?

Had the editor left post before 10:30 p.m.? The page was already made up? There was no one on hand with the desire or energy to change makeup for another helicopter crash?

I hope you are able to provide me with a reasonable explanation, none of which are listed here.

Sincerely,

On Vacation: The Washington Post and 99 Words: Continuing Failure of Iraq War Coverage

Letter sent to the Washington Post's Ombudsman, Deborah Howell, August 21, 2008


Dear Ms. Howell,

On a day when the New York Times carries four major stories on Iraq in its front section, when the Wall Street Journal carries a story about Iraq on p. 1 above the fold, when Yahoo News lists Iraq among its Top Five stories at midnight this morning, the Washington Post has three paragraphs about Iraq. Why is that?

Once again, I hope I am wrong and that I overlooked your Iraq story, but flipping the pages twice, I am unable to locate anything more than 99 words in two of your editions today.

Sincerely,

PatriciaDC

Buzh Bully Buzh

Is it not ironic that the World's Biggest Bully accuses another country of the same? Is this not a laughable offense?

Bear with me and insert different words where the Biggest Bully has directed verbiage at Russia:

Quoting from the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune, August 15, 2008 with editorial changes:

Buzh (Putin) , reminding Russia (the U.S.) that "the Cold War is over,'' called on Russian leaders (Buzh; no reason to cite "other leaders" in the U.S. since there are none in Congress) today to withdraw military forces from Georgia (Iraq).

Russia (the U.S.) has "damaged its credibility,'' Buzh (Putin) said, accusing the Russians (the U.S.) of "bullying'' their neighbors (countries which have oil).

"Unfortunately Russia has tended to view (my) spread of freedom and democracy as opposed to its interests.'' (Reader, can you imagine not supporting the practices of a bully? The audacity!)

Warning that Russia (the U.S.) stands to isolate itself from the modern world if it cannot respect the autonomy of free neighbors, Buzh (Putin) contends that the Russians (the U.S.) will face consequences for the invasion of Georgia (Iraq).

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, attempting to secure the framework of a cease fire. Rice will join Buzh at his ranch outside Crawford, Texas, on Saturday, to play the piano and lull Buzh to sleep for his afternoon nap after he has been thrashing about all day in the brush at his Texas ranch where he fled to recover from the hazardous duty of watching the Olympics for 15 days straight, frolicking with bikini-clad women on Beijing's sandy shores, among other responsibilities.

"She will bring me up to date on what she has seen and heard, in Georgia as well as Paris,'' said Buzh. "I mean France, she did not go to Paris." (Actual quote.)

Bullying: A Handbook for Educators and Parents by Ian Rivers, Neil Duncan, and Valerie Besaq was published last year by Praeger.

The bully learns it is possible to gain emotional, social or monetary benefit from the bullying , so their (sic) modus operandi may become habitual. They learn they can use dominance for their own purposes...(p. 29).

A lot of bullying...contains an element of fun and entertainment for the attackers. The public humiliation of their victim adds to their attacks... Boys who bully are often school leaders begging the question, why do they do it? "They are bullying, autocratic leaders rather than benign democratic ones." They lead and bully for their own purposes rather than for those of the group. (pp. 16-18).

Perpetrators of bullying are more likely to have been convicted of crimes in adulthood compared to peers and have a 1 in 4 chance of having a criminal record before age 30 (p. 136). Perpetrators often have parents who push them to excel beyond what is normal at the expense of others, if necessary (p. 19).

Characteristics of whom?

Failure of Iraq Coverage in Washington Post

Letter sent to the Washington Post August 14, 2008


Dear Editor,

I hope you are able to correct my oversight and tell me where among the WASHINGTON POST pages today is a story about Iraq. I am unable to find one, even a short paragraph in your "Around the World" summaries.

With 140,000 of our troops stationed in Iraq and a soldier's death reported last night on Yahoo, surely the POST has not abandoned Iraq to carry a story (on the front page) about ping pong in China or a long diatribe in the latest book attack on Barack Obama or a long story about a "religious center" in China for the Beijing athletes, has it?

With the POST continuing to ignore the seemingly ceaseless tragedy in Iraq, it is no wonder that our troops feel little, if any, support from home. "Why are we here?" must be a constant refrain heard in the barracks. Gone, and they are forgotten.

Sincerely,

Patriciadc

Celebrate Iraq! Dance to the Music!

Buzh celebrated today the declining numbers of deaths of our troops in Iraq.

Bring out the champagne and cake! What, still below 5,000? Let's clink our glasses. Yahoo! Jump up and down. What an achievement, Mr. Buzh.

What? To celebrate, will you call up Cheneygang and plan a party?

Oh! Ambassador Ryan Crocker was "able to walk through Sadr City" last week? Marvelous! It only took the lives of 4,122 of our soldiers, the malicious wounding of 30,409 other American troops and the deaths of almost 95,000 Iraqi civilians, only 95,000, to afford Crocker a nice little walk. How sweet it is.

Thank you, Mr. Prezident. Will you, please, walk through Baghdad today?

(You would think the CNN scribes could at least list the number of deaths in this story, but that would be too much trouble and cause them to veer too much from Buzh's mouth release.)

CNN = Children's Naughty Network

If you click on the tab for "Iraq War" at CNN.com, you are taken to a site where the most recent story, "Iraq Troop Surge Ends; 150,000 Left" was filed "4 hours and 19 minutes ago" at the time I looked today.

Beyond that, the most recent story filed under "Iraq War" was dated July 10, 2008 ("Senate Okays Petraeus as head of Mideast forces") six days ago. Before that, June 24, 2008 ("Iraqi military to take control of Anbar province") 16 days before July 10.

Did the war stop? Has CNN pulled its staff out of Iraq to focus on more important issues like the color of Britney's underpants today or where Paris was taking her dog for lunch?

On the list of ten "most popular viewed" stories of the hour was one about a rapper (#4) and another, about a "boy band promoter" (#5). Britney and Paris each has her own tab among CNN's "top (10) people."

And the war is a "forgotten war." Why is that?

No wonder it's all right for John McCain to send more troops into Iraq. No wonder it's all right for John McCain to pledge the children of the middle and lower-income to a forgotten war. They have no voice. But the salaries paid by the military to lure the family members of those who are not wealthy to its wares are enticing.

How many of our troops in Iraq and in Afghanistan are sons and daughters of parents in top income brackets? Hey, Defense Department: You got a study on that? Yeah, I didn't think so.

"You can take my money, but leave my children at home!" is the silent mantra of the Top Tier Whiners. "Let them fight my battles! Who cares?" Well, certainly not the decision-makers, the "deciders" at CNN.

I checked casualty figures for the days CNN failed to make an entry about the Iraq War:

On June 24, 2008 five American soldiers were killed in Iraq. Between June 24 and July 10 when CNN had no coverage of the Iraq War, 14 American troops died in Iraq. Between July 10 and July 16 three American soldiers died in Iraq. I haven't included the number of those injured. I guess these numbers are not high enough to compete with Paris' lipstick choice today.

Does not the "news" business demand some accountability of itself, some level of sophistication, responsibility, and professionalism? Must it continually serve up garbage to attract those with no more depth than a sponge, those who have never registered to vote, those whose only care is what kind of fluff can I wear today, those who have never had to provide, those who are unable to read more than a paragraph on a cereal box, those who are unable to compose a letter demanding coverage of world events?

Rather than a news source, CNN has become the channel for teenagers who are enamored by Hollywood types with empty heads and empty voices, rather like the heads of CNN's management.

Actually, it's surprising CNN even carries a tab for "Iraq War." I doubt its viewers click on that tab much or even know where Iraq is. Let us be thankful for small things. At least, Fox makes noise.