Conclusion for war on terror

Many terrorist warriors, today maybe a significant majority, were indoctrinated in Islamic madras’s.  The training concept was allegedly conceived and initiated under the direction of a Pakistani General intent on developing adequate forces to defeat Russia in Afghanistan; a conflict then defined as a long and grueling Jihad.  Over time the concept gained radical Islamic support broadened its definition of the enemy and was adopted internationally by numerous terrorists groups.  Unconfirmed estimates are that a peak number of more than 8,000 such institutions operated worldwide, many established in previously peaceful mosques.  Given years, even decades of operation millions of terrorists warriors were believed to be trained.

Warriors indoctrinated from a very young age in radical madras’s became young men with a radical Islamic ideology of hatred for those not embracing their ideals and deep religious intolerance.  The curriculum included particularly damaging images of Western Culture and a belief that pursuit of the ideology would bring salvation and perhaps martyrdom.  Warriors were taught to be devious and secretive about their basic beliefs.

The possibility of rehabilitating young men exposed to this training, with the goal of making them peaceful tolerant world citizens, is not clear.

Peaceful Westernized nations must address the issue of children being taught hatred and intolerance for other religions, cultures, and races of the world.  If the radical Islamic madras’s teaching children hatred and intolerance are not stopped the creation of new terrorist warriors willing to kill and maim innocents will continue and foment an enduring disruption of peace loving societies throughout the world.

Defining the War on Terrorism

Key questions fundamental to understanding the War on Terrorism are today unanswered by any credible authority in Western Civilizations leaving the political right and left deeply divided and the moderate majority inadequately informed so as to agree on any coordinated policy, plan, philosophy, or principle.

A plethora of issues provide a wide selection for experts and pundits to cite as key to understanding the War on Terrorism.  Positions often include ignoring issues which do not support a specific political agenda regardless how important those omitted issues might be.  For example the extremist experts and pundits cite what they claim to be strategies; the leftist, (immediate Iraq withdrawal, there is no credible enemy, and capture Binladin), or the right wing, (kill all Muslims, and nuke Mecca).  These are not really strategies, rather they are easily visualized tactics that support short sited incomplete political agendas and make good sound bites.

Unambiguous identification of the enemy and an unmistakable vision of victory including an exit strategy yielding acceptable results are, in my humble opinion, the key and fundamental criteria needed to define the War on Terrorism.  Properly framed, I believe these two key positions would survive vigorous and exhaustive debate of facts, principles, and philosophies to form a powerful and sustainable collation of world powers needed to execute the War on Terrorism to an acceptable conclusion.  An acceptable conclusion to the War on Terrorism includes a position somewhere between the extreme leftist and right wing strategies cited above.

I stand ready to debate the following definitions until and unless clearly better alternatives are offered.  First a definition:

Terror – A Definition;  For the purpose of this position paper terror shall be defined as acts by individuals or groups outside established law or universal moral norms executed against other law abiding individuals or enterprises to directly or indirectly achieve political, religious or personal goals.

The Enemy Includes:

those institutions, most being radical Islamic madras’s, who teach the children of the world hatred and intolerance for other cultures, religions, and races,
and
individuals or groups indoctrinated with a philosophy of hatred and intolerance for other cultures, religions, and races willing to engage in or support terrorist activities.

Victory includes:

acceptance and support by the world’s educational institutions to replace teaching hatred and religious intolerance with critical thinking skills, (i.e. our culture and religion is good because),
and,
eradicating, containing, or converting all radical groups and/or individuals willing to use or support terrorists activities.

Implementation

Adoption of the above would require reordering military objectives, international policies, and international economic aid.  Under this concept the War on Terrorism would become a complex mix of efforts including political, diplomatic, intelligence gathering, security, combat, etc., etc., etc. It would be a long war.  If the creation of new terrorist warriors stopped tomorrow, those already indoctrinated will remain vital and active for at least another 20 and possibly as long as 40 years
.Maybe more,but at this very moment in time it is getting on my nerves,people whom I know have died and fought for what?
Live to protect an idea? and idealistic movement,Ah yes a movement,I got it now it's all to do with protecting the money, the money owned and protected by the national banks.

More on this view very soon

The more I delve into the the values of life and warfare in the modern society the more I learn.
Nothing can can prepare you for the truth,it's a value I thought was held by all,apparently not.

We are being taking for a ride and our lives are at stake,to protect the few.
Never in my life will I be on the side of war again.
Gaza opened my eyes to how unjust war really is.
Oh please don't tell me how rockets got fired into Israel
I already know the facts,the real facts.

I am going to tell you the definition of terrorism. It is a misconception to dismiss the concept, claiming that terrorism is a word used to dehumanize people fighting against the norm. It is also not a word used to describe people fighting dirty, against the Geneva Convention, or using sneak attacks. Furthermore, it is not a word being used to describe people who fight using weaker tactics and means. That is a misunderstanding that could possibly reverse the role of terrorism and fighters against terrorism if taken as its full meaning. If today's terrorists fought any less dirty, and with a modern arsenal, they would still be terrorists. If people fighting against terrorists started using similar tactics to fight, they wouldn't suddenly become terrorists, or "the real" terrorists as people like to state. Terrorism is simply a method used in politics, and I will explain further. When I had the meaning explained to me, things around the world made a little more sense. There was still a lot of truth to the misconceptions, but those explanations only dealt with terrorism as a method of fighting, and therefore an incomplete definition. I can only hope to explain this concept as well as I understood it when it first made sense to me. Many will not agree with what I will say, and I probably will disagree with myself in about two days as I witness, hear and read more. Terrorists are first defined as the underdog, meaning that they could not win in arms against their enemy. Being the underdog is a strategic position. Rather than declaring war, fighting against all odds and most likely losing, terrorists will attack their much stronger, peaceful and unsuspecting enemy. They will often go for an easy and non-military target, but the target must be close to the heart for their enemy. Mainly, the attack must be one that is one hundred percent successful, hence the soft target. This is to anger the enemy and instigate a disproportioned war. The terrorists are aware of the cause and result of their attack, and try to cause a situation where their people will be attacked in retaliation, and in larger numbers. When their own people are dying, the terrorists are achieving their goals by creating a cause, gaining recognition, receiving funding or charity, and recruiting more fighters or supporters into their organization. I am not talking about converting people to also hate their enemy, but to recruit people who share that common enemy into or to support their organization, rather than a similar, but less active organization. It is harmful for terrorists to not attack for a long period of time. They must always be or at least seem active. They may never have to destroy their enemy by arms, but only dehumanize them and create political, psychological and economic uncertainty for their population. Destabilizing their government is also a bonus. Many will never agree that terrorists attack to have their own people killed, or that they have anything to gain from death. Many will be offended to hear that terrorists attack first or purposely instigate war from stronger enemies. I already know 85% of readers will disagree with me, and I don't need that reminder. I did my best to leave out any names, and make this as politically correct as possible. I hope I was able to show something from a different angle, even if it is wrong. Sort of an unrelated point, but one of arguments I use with people who wonder what the US did to provoke 9/11, or beseeches us to "understand why" the terrorists hate us is to point out that terrorism is like rape - just as it doesn't matter what a woman was wearing or how she was dancing, there is nothing which makes rape acceptable. Who cares "why" the rapist did it? But in this case, The rapist is going to be caught and severely punished.Hung drawn and quartered for all to see,there entrails shall be laid out for the eagle to devour, and the spoils will be shared.God Bless the Coalition troops and all who defend freedom.No longer shall the west excluding France be a soft target.

 
Tracked by Histats.com

U.S. ties Iran to bombs Nation denies providing Shiites devices blamed in 1 in 3 July troop deaths. August 8, 2007 From Wire Reports. BAGHDAD – Attacks on U.S.-led forces using a lethal type of roadside bomb said to be supplied by Iran reached a new high in July, according to the U.S. military. The devices, known as explosively formed penetrators, were used to carry out 99 attacks last month and accounted for a third of the combat deaths suffered by U.S.-led forces, Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the No. 2 commander in Iraq, said in an interview. Such bombs, which fire a semi-molten copper slug that can penetrate the armor on a Humvee and are among the deadliest weapons used against U.S. forces, are used almost exclusively by Shiite militants. U.S. intelligence officials have presented strong evidence that the weapons come from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, although Iran has repeatedly denied providing lethal assistance to Iraqi groups. In recent weeks, the U.S. military has focused on mounting operations in sanctuaries used by al-Qaeda in Iraq, a Sunni group that is predominantly made up of Iraqis but has foreign leadership. But, as the information provided by Gen. Odierno shows, Shiite militias remain a major long-term worry. In focusing on al-Qaeda in Iraq, the U.S. goal is to reduce the number of car bomb and suicide attacks that have aggravated sectarian tensions, encouraged Shiite retaliation and undermined efforts to encourage political reconciliation. While the group is seen by the U.S. military as the most serious near-term threat, there are other indications that Shiite militias remain active. According to Gen. Odierno, who serves as the day-to-day commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, 73 percent of the attacks that killed or wounded U.S. troops in Baghdad in July were carried out by Shiite militants. One-third of casualties Although explosively formed penetrators account for a small fraction of roadside bomb attacks in Iraq, they cause a disproportionately large number of casualties. Of the 69 U.S.-led troops killed in action in July, the lowest toll in months, 23 died as a result of attacks with the devices, according to data supplied by Gen. Odierno's command. Of the 614 coalition troops who were wounded that month, 89 were hit in penetrator attacks. "July was an all-time high," said Gen. Odierno, referring to strikes with such devices. Penetrator attacks have been a worry for years. In 2005, the United States sent a private diplomatic protest to Tehran complaining that Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah had been training Iraqi Shiite insurgents in Iran and providing them with bomb-making equipment. U.S. intelligence says that its report of Iranian involvement is based on a technical analysis of exploded and captured devices, interrogations of Shiite militants, the interdiction of trucks near Iran's border with Iraq and parallels between the use of the weapons in Iran and in southern Lebanon by Hezbollah. Some critics of Bush administration policy, saying there is no proof that the top echelons of Iran's government are involved, accuse the White House of exaggerating the role of Iran and Syria to divert attention from its own mistakes. According to U.S. military data, penetrator attacks accounted for 18 percent of combat deaths of Americans and allied troops in Iraq in the last quarter of 2006. The number of such attacks declined in January, and some U.S. officials thought at that time that this might be a response to their efforts to publicly highlight the allegations of an Iranian role. But in recent months, such attacks have steadily risen. The July figure is roughly double the number for January. The July total is also 50 percent higher than in April, when there were 65 penetrator attacks, according to U.S. military officials. Many of the penetrators encountered by U.S. forces are difficult to counter. Because they fire from the side of the road, the militants do not need to dig a hole to plant them, making them well suited for urban use. Because they are set off by a passive infrared sensor, they cannot be thwarted by electronic jamming Gen. Odierno said Iran was increasing its support to Shiite militants in Iraq to step up the military pressure on the U.S. at a time when Congress is debating whether to withdraw U.S. troops. "I think it is because the Iranians are surging support to the 'special groups,' " he said, using to the American name for Iranian-backed cells in Iraq. "Over the last three to four months, it has picked up in terms of equipment, training and dollars." "I think they want to influence the decision potentially coming up in September," he added. Gen. Odierno said that Iranians have also provided Shiite groups with 107mm rockets and the launchers for firing them, as well as 122mm mortars. Thwarted attack U.S. forces, he said, recently thwarted an attack at a military base used by forces from the 3rd Infantry Division. Fifty launchers equipped with rockets were discovered within range of the facility and struck by allied aircraft. Serial numbers taken from the rocket launchers, he said, indicated that they were made in Iran. Iranian and U.S. diplomats held talks in Baghdad on Monday related to security in Iraq. Ryan Crocker, the U.S. envoy in Iraq, who led the discussions for the U.S. said there had been "an escalation, not a de-escalation" of Iran's support for militias in Iraq since an earlier May meeting. The Iranians, Mr. Crocker added, maintained their position that they had had "absolutely nothing to do with" the attacks.The lying Bastards.Says anyone who is not seeing the world through rose tinted glasses.Iran has been supporting terrorism for decades,in fact President shite shite is the biggest terrorist they have.he he he.

Victims and Heroes who died at World Trade Center Andrew Jay-Hoon Kim Lawrence Don Kim Mary Jo Kimelman Andrew Marshall King Lucille T. King Robert King Lisa M. King-Johnson Takashi Kinoshita Chris Michael Kirby Howard (Barry) Kirschbaum Glenn Davis Kirwin Richard J. Klares Peter A. Klein Alan D. Kleinberg Karen J. Klitzman Ronald Philip Kloepfer Yevgeny Kniazev Thomas Patrick Knox Andrew Knox Rebecca Lee Koborie Deborah Kobus Gary Edward Koecheler Frank J. Koestner Ryan Kohart Vanessa Lynn Kolpak Irina Kolpakova Suzanne Kondratenko Abdoulaye Kone Bon-seok Koo Dorota Kopiczko Scott Kopytko Bojan Kostic Danielle Kousoulis John J. Kren William Krukowski Lyudmila Ksido Shekhar Kumar Kenneth Kumpel Frederick Kuo Patricia Kuras Nauka Kushitani Thomas Joseph Kuveikis Victor Kwarkye Kui Fai Kwok Angela R. Kyte Amarnauth Lachhman Andrew LaCorte Ganesh Ladkat James P. Ladley Daniel M. Van Laere Joseph A. Lafalce Jeanette LaFond-Menichino David LaForge Michael Patrick LaForte Alan Lafrance Juan Lafuente Neil K. Lai Vincent A. Laieta William David Lake Franco Lalama Chow Kwan Lam Stephen LaMantia Amy Hope Lamonsoff Robert T. Lane Brendan M. Lang Rosanne P. Lang Vanessa Langer Mary Lou Langley Peter J. Langone Thomas Langone Michele B. Lanza Ruth Sheila Lapin Carol Ann LaPlante Ingeborg Astrid Desiree Lariby Robin Larkey Christopher Randall Larrabee Hamidou S. Larry Scott Larsen John Adam Larson Gary E. Lasko Nicholas C. Lassman Paul Laszczynski Jeffrey Latouche Cristina de Laura Oscar de Laura Charles Laurencin Stephen James Lauria Maria Lavache Denis F. Lavelle Jeannine M. LaVerde Anna A. Laverty Steven Lawn Robert A. Lawrence Nathaniel Lawson Eugen Lazar James Patrick Leahy Lt. Joseph Gerard Leavey Neil Leavy Leon Lebor Kenneth Charles Ledee Alan J. Lederman Elena Ledesma Alexis Leduc Hyun-joon (Paul) Lee Jong-min Lee Myung-woo Lee David S. Lee Linda C. Lee Gary H. Lee Juanita Lee Lorraine Lee Richard Y.C. Lee Yang Der Lee Kathryn Blair Lee Stuart (Soo-Jin) Lee Stephen Lefkowitz Adriana Legro Edward J. Lehman Eric Andrew Lehrfeld David Ralph Leistman David Prudencio LeMagne Joseph A. Lenihan John J. Lennon John Robinson Lenoir Jorge Luis Leon Matthew Gerard Leonard Michael Lepore Charles Antoine Lesperance Jeffrey Earle LeVeen John D. Levi Neil D. Levin Alisha Caren Levin Robert Levine Robert M. Levine Shai Levinhar Adam J. Lewis Margaret Susan Lewis Ye Wei Liang Orasri Liangthanasarn Daniel F. Libretti Ralph M. Licciardi Edward Lichtschein Steven B. Lillianthal Carlos R. Lillo Craig Damian Lilore Arnold A. Lim Darya Lin Wei Rong Lin Nickie L. Lindo Thomas V. Linehan Robert Thomas Linnane Alan Linton Diane Theresa Lipari Kenneth P. Lira Francisco Alberto Liriano Lorraine Lisi Paul Lisson Vincent Litto Ming-Hao Liu Nancy Liz Harold Lizcano Martin Lizzul George A. Llanes Elizabeth Claire Logler Catherine Lisa Loguidice Jerome Robert Lohez Michael W. Lomax Laura M. Longing Salvatore P. Lopes Luis Lopez Manuel L. Lopez Daniel Lopez George Lopez Joseph Lostrangio Chet Louie Stuart Seid Louis Joseph Lovero Michael W. Lowe Garry Lozier John Peter Lozowsky Charles Peter Lucania Edward (Ted) H. Luckett Mark G. Ludvigsen Lee Charles Ludwig Sean Thomas Lugano Daniel Lugo Marie Lukas William Lum Michael P. Lunden Christopher Lunder Anthony Luparello Gary Lutnick Linda Luzzicone Alexander Lygin James Francis Lynch Farrell Peter Lynch Louise A. Lynch Michael Lynch Michael F. Lynch Michael Francis Lynch Richard Dennis Lynch Robert H. Lynch Sean Patrick Lynch Sean Lynch Monica Lyons Michael J. Lyons Patrick Lyons Robert Francis Mace Jan Maciejewski Catherine Fairfax MacRae Richard B. Madden Simon Maddison Noell Maerz Jeannieann Maffeo Joseph Maffeo Jay Robert Magazine Brian Magee Charles Wilson Magee Joseph Maggitti Ronald E. Magnuson Daniel L. Maher Thomas Anthony Mahon William Mahoney Joseph Maio Takashi Makimoto Abdu Malahi Debora Maldonado Myrna T. Maldonado-Agosto Alfred R. Maler Gregory James Malone Edward Francis (Teddy) Maloney Joseph E. Maloney Gene E. Maloy Christian Maltby Francisco Miguel (Frank) Mancini Joseph Mangano Sara Elizabeth Manley Debra M. Mannetta Terence J. Manning Marion Victoria (vickie) Manning James Maounis Joseph Ross Marchbanks Peter Edward Mardikian Edward Joseph Mardovich Lt. Charles Joseph Margiotta Kenneth Joseph Marino Lester Vincent Marino Vita Marino Kevin D. Marlo Jose J. Marrero John Marshall James Martello Michael A. Marti Lt. Peter Martin William J. Martin Brian E. Martineau Betsy Martinez Edward J. Martinez Jose Angel Martinez Robert Gabriel Martinez Lizie Martinez-Calderon Francis (Frank) Albert De Martini Lt. Paul Richard Martini Joseph A. Mascali Bernard Mascarenhas Stephen F. Masi Nicholas G. Massa Patricia A. Massari Michael Massaroli Philip W. Mastrandrea Rudolph Mastrocinque Joseph Mathai Charles William Mathers William A. Mathesen Marcello Matricciano Margaret Elaine Mattic Robert D. Mattson Walter Matuza Charles A. (Chuck) Mauro Charles J. Mauro Dorothy Mauro Nancy T. Mauro Tyrone May Keithroy Maynard Robert J. Mayo Kathy Nancy Mazza-Delosh Edward Mazzella Jennifer Mazzotta Kaaria Mbaya James J. McAlary Brian McAleese Patricia A. McAneney Colin Richard McArthur John McAvoy Kenneth M. McBrayer Brendan McCabe Michael J. McCabe Thomas McCann Justin McCarthy Kevin M. McCarthy Michael Desmond McCarthy Robert Garvin McCarthy Stanley McCaskill Katie Marie McCloskey Tara McCloud-Gray Charles Austin McCrann Tonyell McDay Matthew T. McDermott Joseph P. McDonald Brian G. McDonnell Michael McDonnell John F. McDowell Eamon J. McEneaney John Thomas McErlean Daniel F. McGinley Mark Ryan McGinly Lt. William E. McGinn Thomas H. McGinnis Michael Gregory McGinty Ann McGovern Scott Martin McGovern William J. McGovern Stacey S. McGowan Francis Noel McGuinn Patrick J. McGuire Thomas M. McHale Keith McHeffey Denis J. McHugh Dennis P. McHugh Michael Edward McHugh Ann M. McHugh Robert G. McIlvaine Donald James McIntyre Stephanie McKenna Barry J. McKeon Evelyn C. McKinnedy Darryl Leron McKinney Robert C. McLaughlin George Patrick McLaughlin Gavin McMahon Robert Dismas McMahon Edmund M. McNally Daniel McNeal Walter Arthur McNeil Jaselliny McNish Christine Sheila McNulty Sean Peter McNulty Robert William McPadden Terence A. McShane Timothy Patrick McSweeney Martin E. McWilliams Rocco A. Medaglia Abigail Medina Ana Iris Medina Deborah Medwig William J. Meehan Damian Meehan Alok Kumar Mehta Raymond Meisenheimer Manuel Emilio Mejia Eskedar Melaku Antonio Melendez Mary Melendez Yelena Melnichenko Stuart Todd Meltzer Diarelia Jovannah Mena Charles Mendez Lizette Mendoza Shevonne Mentis Steve Mercado Wesley Mercer Ralph Joseph Mercurio Alan H. Merdinger George C. Merino Yamel Merino George Merkouris Deborah Merrick Raymond J. Metz Jill A. Metzler David Robert Meyer Nurul Huq Miah William Edward Micciulli Martin Paul Michelstein Luis Clodoaldo Revilla Mier Peter T. Milano Gregory Milanowycz Lukasz T. Milewski Corey Peter Miller Henry Miller Phillip D. Miller Craig James Miller Douglas C. Miller Michael Matthew Miller Robert C. Miller Robert Alan Miller Joel Miller Benjamin Millman Charles M. Mills Ronald Keith Milstein Robert Minara William G. Minardi Louis Joseph Minervino Thomas Mingione Wilbert Miraille Domenick Mircovich Rajesh A. Mirpuri Joseph Mistrulli Susan Miszkowicz Lt. Paul Thomas Mitchell Richard Miuccio Frank V. Moccia Capt. Louis Joseph Modafferi Boyie Mohammed Lt. Dennis Mojica Manuel Mojica Manuel Dejesus Molina Fernando Jimenez Molina Kleber Rolando Molina Carl Molinaro Justin J. Molisani Brian Patrick Monaghan Franklin Monahan John Gerard Monahan Kristen Montanaro Craig D. Montano Michael Montesi Cheryl Ann Monyak Capt. Thomas Moody Sharon Moore Krishna Moorthy Paula Morales Abner Morales Carlos Morales Luis Morales John Moran John Christopher Moran Kathleen Moran Lindsay S. Morehouse George Morell Steven P. Morello Vincent S. Morello Arturo Alva Moreno Yvette Nicole Moreno Dorothy Morgan Richard Morgan Nancy Morgenstern Sanae Mori Blanca Morocho Leonel Morocho Dennis G. Moroney Lynne Irene Morris Seth A. Morris Stephen Philip Morris Christopher M. Morrison Ferdinand V. Morrone William David Moskal Manuel Da Mota Marco Motroni Iouri A. Mouchinski Jude J. Moussa Peter C. Moutos Damion Mowatt Christopher Mozzillo Stephen V. Mulderry Richard Muldowney Michael D. Mullan Dennis Michael Mulligan Peter James Mulligan Michael Joseph Mullin James Donald Munhall Nancy Muniz Carlos Mario Munoz Francisco Munoz Theresa (Terry) Munson Robert M. Murach Cesar Augusto Murillo Marc A. Murolo Robert Eddie Murphy Brian Joseph Murphy Christopher W. Murphy Edward C. Murphy James F. Murphy James Thomas Murphy Kevin James Murphy Patrick Sean Murphy Lt. Raymond E. Murphy Charles Murphy Susan D. Murray John Joseph Murray John Joseph Murray Valerie Victoria Murray Richard Todd Myhre Lt. Robert B. Nagel Takuya Nakamura Alexander J.R. Napier Frank Joseph Naples John Napolitano Catherine A. Nardella Mario Nardone Manika Narula Narender Nath Karen S. Navarro Joseph M. Navas Francis J. Nazario Glenroy Neblett Marcus R. Neblett Jerome O. Nedd Laurence Nedell Luke G. Nee Pete Negron Ann Nicole Nelson David William Nelson James Nelson Michele Ann Nelson Peter Allen Nelson Oscar Nesbitt Gerard Terence Nevins Christopher Newton-Carter Kapinga Ngalula Nancy Yuen Ngo Jody Tepedino Nichilo Martin Niederer Alfonse J. Niedermeyer Frank John Niestadt Gloria Nieves Juan Nieves Troy Edward Nilsen Paul R. Nimbley John Ballantine Niven Katherine (Katie) McGarry Noack Curtis Terrence Noel Daniel R. Nolan Robert Walter Noonan Daniela R. Notaro Brian Novotny Soichi Numata Jose R. Nunez Brian Felix Nunez Jeffrey Nussbaum James A. Oakley Dennis O'Berg Timothy Michael O'Brien James P. O'Brien Scott J. O'Brien Michael O'Brien Lt. Daniel O'Callaghan Richard J. O'Connor Dennis J. O'Connor Diana J. O'Connor Keith K. O'Connor Amy O'Doherty Marni Pont O'Doherty Douglas Oelschlager Takashi Ogawa Albert Ogletree Philip Paul Ognibene James Andrew O'Grady Joseph J. Ogren Lt. Thomas O'Hagan Samuel Oitice Patrick O'Keefe Capt. William O'Keefe Gerald Michael Olcott Gerald O'Leary Christine Anne Olender Elsy Carolina Osorio Oliva Linda Mary Oliva Edward K. Oliver Leah E. Oliver Eric T. Olsen Jeffrey James Olsen Steven John Olson Maureen L. Olson Matthew Timothy O'Mahony Toshihiro Onda Seamus L. Oneal John P. O'Neill Sean Gordon Corbett O'Neill Peter J. O'Neill Michael C. Opperman Christopher Orgielewicz Margaret Orloske Virginia A. Ormiston Kevin O'Rourke Juan Romero Orozco Ronald Orsini Peter K. Ortale Emilio (Peter) Ortiz Pablo Ortiz David Ortiz Paul Ortiz Sonia Ortiz Alexander Ortiz Masaru Ose Robert W. O'Shea Patrick J. O'Shea James Robert Ostrowski Timothy O'Sullivan Jason Douglas Oswald Michael Otten Victims and Heroes who died at World Trade Center Isidro Ottenwalder Michael Chung Ou Todd Joseph Ouida Jesus Ovalles Peter J. Owens Adianes Oyola Angel M. Pabon Israel Pabon Roland Pacheco Michael Benjamin Packer Deepa K. Pakkala Jeffrey Matthew Palazzo Thomas Anthony Palazzo Richard (Rico) Palazzolo Orio Joseph Palmer Frank A. Palombo Alan N. Palumbo Christopher M. Panatier Dominique Pandolfo Paul Pansini John M. Paolillo Edward J. Papa Salvatore Papasso James N. Pappageorge Vinod K. Parakat Vijayashanker Paramsothy Nitin Ramesh Parandkar Hardai (Casey) Parbhu James Wendell Parham Debra (Debbie) Paris George Paris Gye-Hyong Park Philip L. Parker Michael A. Parkes Robert Emmett Parks Hasmukhrai Chuckulal Parmar Robert Parro Diane Marie Moore Parsons Leobardo Lopez Pascual Michael J. Pascuma Jerrold H. Paskins Horace Robert Passananti Suzanne H. Passaro Victor Antonio Martinez Pastrana Manish K. Patel Avnish Ramanbhai Patel Dipti Patel Steven B. Paterson James Matthew Patrick Manuel Patrocino Bernard E. Patterson Cira Marie Patti Robert Edward Pattison James R. Paul Patrice Paz Sharon Cristina Millan Paz Victor Paz-Gutierrez Stacey L. Peak Richard Allen Pearlman Durrell Pearsall Thomas E. Pedicini Todd D. Pelino Michel Adrian Pelletier Anthony Peluso Angel Ramon Pena Richard Al Penny Salvatore F. Pepe Carl Allen Peralta Robert David Peraza Jon A. Perconti Alejo Perez Angela Susan Perez Angel Perez Ivan Perez Nancy E. Perez Anthony Perez Joseph John Perroncino Edward J. Perrotta Lt. Glenn C. Perry Emelda Perry John William Perry Franklin Allan Pershep Daniel Pesce Michael J. Pescherine Davin Peterson William Russel Peterson Mark Petrocelli Lt. Philip S. Petti Glen Kerrin Pettit Dominick Pezzulo Kaleen E. Pezzuti Lt. Kevin Pfeifer Tu-Anh Pham Lt. Kenneth John Phelan Michael V. San Phillip Eugenia Piantieri Ludwig John Picarro Matthew Picerno Joseph O. Pick Christopher Pickford Dennis J. Pierce Joseph A. Della Pietra Bernard T. Pietronico Nicholas P. Pietrunti Theodoros Pigis Susan Elizabeth Ancona Pinto Joseph Piskadlo Christopher Todd Pitman Josh Michael Piver Joseph Plumitallo John M. Pocher William Howard Pohlmann Laurence M. Polatsch Thomas H. Polhemus Steve Pollicino Susan M. Pollio Joshua Poptean Giovanna Porras Anthony Portillo James Edward Potorti Daphne Pouletsos Stephen E. Poulos Richard Poulos Shawn Edward Powell Brandon Jerome Powell Tony Pratt Gregory M. Preziose Wanda Ivelisse Prince Vincent Princiotta Kevin Prior Everett Martin (Marty) Proctor Carrie B. Progen David Lee Pruim Richard Prunty John F. Puckett Robert D. Pugliese Edward F. Pullis Patricia Ann Puma Hemanth Kumar Puttur Edward R. Pykon Christopher Quackenbush Lars Peter Qualben Lincoln Quappe Beth Ann Quigley Lt. Michael Quilty Ricardo Quinn James Francis Quinn Carol Rabalais Christopher Peter A. Racaniello Leonard Ragaglia Eugene J. Raggio Laura Marie Ragonese-Snik Michael Ragusa Peter F. Raimondi Harry A. Raines Ehtesham U. Raja Valsa Raju Edward Rall Lukas (Luke) Rambousek Julio Fernandez Ramirez Maria Isabel Ramirez Harry Ramos Vishnoo Ramsaroop Lorenzo Ramzey A. Todd Rancke Adam David Rand Jonathan C. Randall Srinivasa Shreyas Ranganath Anne Rose T. Ransom Faina Rapoport Robert Arthur Rasmussen Amenia Rasool Roger Mark Rasweiler David Alan James Rathkey William Ralph Raub Gerard Rauzi Alexey Razuvaev Gregory Reda Sarah Prothero Redheffer Michele Reed Judith A. Reese Donald J. Regan Lt. Robert M. Regan Thomas M. Regan Christian Michael Otto Regenhard Howard Reich Gregg Reidy Kevin O. Reilly James Brian Reilly Timothy E. Reilly Joseph Reina Thomas Barnes Reinig Frank B. Reisman Joshua Scott Reiss Karen Renda John Armand Reo Richard Rescorla John Thomas Resta Sylvia San Pio Resta Eduvigis (Eddie) Reyes Bruce A. Reynolds John Frederick Rhodes Francis S. Riccardelli Rudolph N. Riccio AnnMarie (Davi) Riccoboni David Rice Eileen Mary Rice Kenneth F. Rice Lt. Vernon Allan Richard Michael Richards Claude D. Richards Gregory Richards Venesha O. Richards James C. Riches Alan Jay Richman John M. Rigo Theresa (Ginger) Risco Rose Mary Riso Moises N. Rivas Joseph Rivelli Isaias Rivera Linda Rivera Juan William Rivera Carmen A. Rivera David E. Rivers Joseph R. Riverso Paul Rizza John Frank Rizzo Stephen Louis Roach Joseph Roberto Leo A. Roberts Michael Roberts Michael Edward Roberts Donald Walter Robertson Jeffrey Robinson Catherina Robinson Michell Lee Robotham Donald Robson Antonio Augusto Tome Rocha Raymond J. Rocha Laura Rockefeller John M. Rodak Antonio Jose Carrusca Rodrigues Carmen Milagros Rodriguez Anthony Rodriguez Marsha A. Rodriguez Richard Rodriguez Gregory E. Rodriguez David B. Rodriguez-Vargas Matthew Rogan Karlie Barbara Rogers Scott Rohner Keith Roma Joseph M. Romagnolo Elvin Santiago Romero Efrain Franco Romero James A. Romito Sean Rooney Eric Thomas Ropiteau Aida Rosario Angela Rosario Fitzroy St. Rose Mark H. Rosen Brooke David Rosenbaum Linda Rosenbaum Sheryl Lynn Rosenbaum Lloyd D. Rosenberg Mark Louis Rosenberg Andrew I. Rosenblum Joshua M. Rosenblum Joshua A. Rosenthal Richard David Rosenthal Daniel Rossetti Norman Rossinow Nicholas P. Rossomando Michael Craig Rothberg Donna Marie Rothenberg Nick Rowe Timothy A. Roy Paul G. Ruback Ronald J. Ruben Joanne Rubino David Michael Ruddle Bart Joseph Ruggiere Susan Ann Ruggiero Adam K. Ruhalter Gilbert Ruiz Stephen P. Russell Steven Harris Russin Lt. Michael Thomas Russo Wayne Alan Russo Edward Ryan John J. Ryan Jonathan Stephan Ryan Matthew Lancelot Ryan Kristin A. Irvine Ryan Tatiana Ryjova Christina Sunga Ryook Thierry Saada Jason E. Sabbag Thomas E. Sabella Scott Saber Joseph Sacerdote Mohammad Ali Sadeque Francis J. Sadocha Jude Elias Safi Brock Joel Safronoff Edward Saiya John Patrick Salamone Hernando R. Salas Juan Salas Esmerlin Salcedo John Salvatore Salerno Richard L. Salinardi Wayne John Saloman Nolbert Salomon Catherine Patricia Salter Frank Salvaterra Paul R. Salvio Samuel R. Salvo Carlos Samaniego Rena Sam-Dinnoo James Kenneth Samuel Hugo Sanay-Perafiel Alva Jeffries Sanchez Erick Sanchez Jacquelyn P. Sanchez Eric Sand Stacey Leigh Sanders Herman Sandler James Sands Ayleen J. Santiago Kirsten Santiago Maria Theresa Santillan Susan G. Santo Christopher Santora John Santore Mario L. Santoro Rafael Humberto Santos Rufino Conrado F. (Roy) Santos Kalyan K. Sarkar Chapelle Sarker Paul F. Sarle Deepika Kumar Sattaluri Gregory Thomas Saucedo Susan Sauer Anthony Savas Vladimir Savinkin John Sbarbaro Robert L. Scandole Michelle Scarpitta Dennis Scauso John A. Schardt John G. Scharf Fred Claude Scheffold Angela Susan Scheinberg Scott M. Schertzer Sean Schielke Steven Francis Schlag Jon S. Schlissel Karen Helene Schmidt Ian Schneider Thomas G. Schoales Marisa Di Nardo Schorpp Frank G. Schott Gerard P. Schrang Jeffrey Schreier John T. Schroeder Susan Lee Kennedy Schuler Edward W. Schunk Mark E. Schurmeier John Schwartz Clarin Shellie Schwartz Mark Schwartz Adriane Victoria Scibetta Raphael Scorca Randolph Scott Christopher J. Scudder Arthur Warren Scullin Michael Seaman Margaret Seeliger Carlos Segarra Anthony Segarra Jason Sekzer Matthew Carmen Sellitto Howard Selwyn Larry John Senko Arturo Angelo Sereno Frankie Serrano Alena Sesinova Adele Sessa Sita Nermalla Sewnarine Karen Lynn Seymour-Dietrich Davis (Deeg) Sezna Thomas Joseph Sgroi Jayesh Shah Khalid M. Shahid Mohammed Shajahan Gary Shamay Earl Richard Shanahan Shiv Shankar Neil G. Shastri Kathryn Anne Shatzoff Barbara A. Shaw Jeffrey J. Shaw Robert J. Shay Daniel James Shea Joseph Patrick Shea Linda Sheehan Hagay Shefi John Anthony Sherry Atsushi Shiratori Thomas Shubert Mark Shulman See-Wong Shum Allan Shwartzstein Johanna Sigmund Dianne T. Signer Gregory Sikorsky Stephen Gerard Siller David Silver Craig A. Silverstein Nasima H. Simjee Bruce Edward Simmons Arthur Simon Paul Joseph Simon Kenneth Alan Simon Michael John Simon Marianne Simone Barry Simowitz Jeff Simpson Roshan R. (Sean) Singh Khamladai K. (Khami) Singh Thomas E. Sinton Peter A. Siracuse Muriel F. Siskopoulos Joseph M. Sisolak John P. Skala Francis J. Skidmore Toyena Corliss Skinner Paul A. Skrzypek Christopher Paul Slattery Vincent R. Slavin Robert Sliwak Paul K. Sloan Stanley S. Smagala Wendy L. Small Catherine T. Smith Karl Trumbull Smith Daniel Laurence Smith George Eric Smith James G. Smith Joyce Smith Kevin Smith Leon Smith Moira Smith Rosemary A. Smith Sandra Fajardo Smith Jeffrey Randall Smith Bonnie S. Smithwick Rochelle Monique Snell Leonard J. Snyder Astrid Elizabeth Sohan Sushil Solanki Ruben Solares Naomi Leah Solomon Daniel W. Song Michael C. Sorresse Fabian Soto Timothy P. Soulas Gregory T. Spagnoletti Donald F. Spampinato Thomas Sparacio John Anthony Spataro Robert W. Spear Maynard S. Spence George E. Spencer Robert Andrew Spencer Mary Rubina Sperando Frank J. Spinelli William E. Spitz Joseph P. Spor Klaus Johannes Sprockamp Saranya Srinuan Michael F. Stabile Lawrence T. Stack Capt. Timothy Stackpole Richard James Stadelberger Eric A. Stahlman Gregory M. Stajk Corina Stan Alexandru Liviu Stan Mary D. Stanley Joyce Stanton Patricia Stanton Anthony M. Starita Jeffrey Stark Derek James Statkevicus Craig William Staub William V. Steckman Eric Thomas Steen William R. Steiner Alexander Robbins Steinman Andrew Stergiopoulos Andrew Stern Martha Jane Stevens Richard H. Stewart Michael James Stewart Sanford M. Stoller Lonny J. Stone Jimmy Nevill Storey Timothy Stout Thomas S. Strada James J. Straine Edward W. Straub George Strauch Edward T. Strauss Steven R. Strauss Steven F. Strobert Walwyn W. Stuart Benjamin Suarez David S. Suarez Ramon Suarez Yoichi Sugiyama William Christopher Sugra Daniel Suhr David Marc Sullins Lt. Christopher P. Sullivan Patrick Sullivan Thomas Sullivan Hilario Soriano (Larry) Sumaya James Joseph Suozzo Colleen Supinski Robert Sutcliffe Selina Sutter Claudia Suzette Sutton John F. Swaine Kristine M. Swearson Brian Edward Sweeney Kenneth J. Swensen Thomas F. Swift Derek O. Sword Kevin T. Szocik Gina Sztejnberg Norbert P. Szurkowski Harry Taback Joann Tabeek Norma C. Taddei Michael Taddonio Keiji Takahashi Keiichiro Takahashi Phyllis Gail Talbot Robert R. Talhami Sean Patrick Tallon Paul Talty Maurita Tam Rachel Tamares Hector Tamayo Michael Andrew Tamuccio Kenichiro Tanaka Rhondelle Cherie Tankard Michael Anthony Tanner Dennis Gerard Taormina Kenneth Joseph Tarantino Allan Tarasiewicz Ronald Tartaro Darryl Taylor Donnie Brooks Taylor Lorisa Ceylon Taylor Michael M. Taylor Paul A. Tegtmeier Yeshavant Moreshwar Tembe Anthony Tempesta Dorothy Temple Stanley L. Temple David Tengelin Brian J. Terrenzi Lisa Marie Terry Goumatie T. Thackurdeen Harshad Sham Thatte Thomas F. Theurkauf Lesley Anne Thomas Brian T. Thompson Clive Thompson Glenn Thompson Perry Anthony Thompson Vanavah Alexi Thompson Capt. William Harry Thompson Nigel Bruce Thompson Eric Raymond Thorpe Nichola A. Thorpe Sal Tieri John Patrick Tierney Mary Ellen Tiesi William R. Tieste Kenneth F. Tietjen Stephen Edward Tighe Scott C. Timmes Michael E. Tinley Jennifer M. Tino Victims and Heroes who died at World Trade Center Robert Frank Tipaldi John J. Tipping David Tirado Hector Luis Tirado Michelle Titolo John J. Tobin Richard J. Todisco Vladimir Tomasevic Stephen K. Tompsett Thomas Tong Azucena de la Torre Luis Eduardo Torres Doris Torres Amy E. Toyen Christopher M. Traina Daniel Patrick Trant Abdoul Karim Traore Walter (Wally) P. Travers Glenn J. Travers Felicia Traylor-Bass Lisa L. Trerotola Karamo Trerra Michael Trinidad Francis Joseph Trombino Gregory J. Trost William Tselepis Zhanetta Tsoy Michael Patrick Tucker Lance Richard Tumulty Ching Ping Tung Simon James Turner Donald Joseph Tuzio Robert T. Twomey Jennifer Tzemis John G. Ueltzhoeffer Tyler V. Ugolyn Michael A. Uliano Jonathan J. Uman Anil Shivhari Umarkar Allen V. Upton Diane Maria Urban John Damien Vaccacio Bradley H. Vadas William Valcarcel Mayra Valdes-Rodriguez Ivan Vale Felix Antonio Vale Santos Valentin Benito Valentin Manuel Del Valle Carlton Francis Valvo Edward Raymond Vanacore Jon C. Vandevander Frederick T. Varacchi Gopalakrishnan Varadhan David Vargas Scott C. Vasel Santos Vasquez Azael Ismael Vasquez Arcangel Vazquez Peter Anthony Vega Sankara S. Velamuri Jorge Velazquez Lawrence Veling Anthony M. Ventura David Vera Loretta A Vero Christopher Vialonga Matthew Gilbert Vianna Robert A. Vicario Celeste Torres Victoria Joanna Vidal John T. Vigiano Joseph Vincent Vigiano Frank J. Vignola Joseph B. Vilardo Sergio Villanueva Chantal Vincelli Melissa Vincent Francine A. Virgilio Lawrence Virgilio Joseph G. Visciano Joshua S. Vitale Maria Percoco Vola Lynette D. Vosges Garo H. Voskerijian Alfred Vukosa Gregory Wachtler Gabriela Waisman Wendy Alice Rosario Wakeford Courtney Wainsworth Walcott Victor Wald Benjamin Walker Glen J. Wall Peter G. Wallace Mitchel Scott Wallace Lt. Robert F. Wallace Roy Michael Wallace Jean Marie Wallendorf Matthew Blake Wallens John Wallice Barbara P. Walsh James Walsh Jeffrey Patrick Walz Ching H. Wang Weibin Wang Lt. Michael Warchola Stephen Gordon Ward James A. Waring Brian G. Warner Derrick Washington Charles Waters James Thomas (Muddy) Waters Capt. Patrick J. Waters Kenneth Watson Michael H. Waye Walter E. Weaver Todd C. Weaver Nathaniel Webb Dinah Webster Joanne Flora Weil Steven Weinberg Michael Weinberg Scott Jeffrey Weingard Steven Weinstein Simon Weiser David T. Weiss David M. Weiss Vincent Michael Wells Timothy Matthew Welty Christian Hans Rudolf Wemmers Ssu-Hui (Vanessa) Wen Oleh D. Wengerchuk Peter M. West Whitfield West Meredith Lynn Whalen Eugene Whelan John S. White Leonard Anthony White Edward James White James Patrick White Kenneth W. White Malissa White Wayne White Adam S. White Leanne Marie Whiteside Mark Whitford Michael T. Wholey Mary Lenz Wieman Jeffrey David Wiener William J. Wik Alison Marie Wildman Lt. Glenn Wilkinson John C. Willett Crossley Williams Louie Anthony Williams Brian Patrick Williams David Williams Deborah Lynn Williams Kevin Michael Williams Louis Calvin Williams Lt. John Williamson Cynthia Wilson Donna Wilson William E. Wilson David H. Winton Glenn J. Winuk Thomas Francis Wise Frank T. Wisniewski Alan L. Wisniewski David Wiswall Sigrid Charlotte Wiswe Michael R. Wittenstein Christopher W. Wodenshek Martin P. Wohlforth Katherine S. Wolf Jenny Seu Kueng Low Wong Yuk Ping Wong Jennifer Y. Wong Siucheung Steve Wong Yin Ping (Steven) Wong Brent James Woodall James J. Woods Patrick Woods Richard Herron Woodwell Capt. David Terence Wooley John Bentley Works Martin Michael Wortley Rodney James Wotton William Wren John Wright Neil R. Wright Sandra Wright Jupiter Yambem Suresh Yanamadala Matthew David Yarnell Myrna Yaskulka Shakila Yasmin Olabisi L. Yee Edward P. York Kevin Patrick York Raymond York Suzanne Youmans Jacqueline (Jakki) Young Barrington L. Young Elkin Yuen Joseph Zaccoli Adel Agayby Zakhary Arkady Zaltsman Edwin J. Zambrana Robert Alan Zampieri Mark Zangrilli Ira Zaslow Kenneth Albert Zelman Abraham J. Zelmanowitz Martin Morales Zempoaltecatl Zhe (Zack) Zeng Marc Scott Zeplin Jie Yao Justin Zhao Ivelin Ziminski Michael Joseph Zinzi Charles A. Zion Julie Lynne Zipper Salvatore J. Zisa Prokopios Paul Zois Joseph J. Zuccala Andrew Steven Zucker Igor Zukelman

D.C. elites want you to shush on Iraq The United States is now well into the fifth year of a war in Iraq that has, at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars, managed to get more Americans killed than 9/11 while alienating global opinion, undermining our strategic posture around the world, arguably speeding nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran and detracting from American efforts against Al Qaeda. The nation's elites, ever vigilant, have located the source of the problem: Public outrage over the sorry situation. Washington Post foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius, for instance, wrote on Sunday that "a good start" in finding an exit from Iraq "would be for Washington partisans to take deep breaths and lower the volume." That same day, Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean of Princeton's prestigious Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, argued in the Post that, in the foreign policy realm, "the fiercest battle is no longer between the left and the right but between partisanship and bipartisanship." The former, with its hard-right hawks and strident antiwar types, is bad, of course. Given that the initial authority to use military force in Iraq was a completely bipartisan affair, with backing from the then-leaders of the House and Senate Democratic caucuses, plus the two men who would eventually make up the party's 2004 presidential ticket, and also the woman who's currently the front-runner for the 2008 nomination, one might wonder when, exactly, this partisan tussle was so fierce. To Slaughter, though, criticizing people for collaborating in policy fiascoes is part of the problem, not the solution. "In the blogosphere," she complained, "pillorying Hillary Clinton is a full-time sport." What's more, "[Barack] Obama has come in for his share of abuse as well." It's true. I, for example, write a blog where I have criticized Clinton frequently and Obama on occasion, just as Slaughter warns. But what of it? There's a presidential campaign underway, and they're both running. What better time is there to pillory someone than when they say something you think is wrong? The urge to urge calm is hardly limited to the Washington Post. Monday saw a perfect storm of anti-partisan elites, as Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, both scholars at the liberalish Brookings Institution, complained in the New York Times that "the political debate in Washington is surreal" and that "the administration's critics" -- who, unlike Pollack and O'Hanlon, have not had the privilege of recently taking a guided tour of Iraq organized by the very officials conducting the policy the two scholars are defending -- "seem unaware of the significant changes taking place" there. O'Hanlon and Pollack are both Democrats, so their endorsement of current policy and "sustaining the effort" in Iraq indefinitely are examples of the sort of razor-sharp thinking we can expect from Washington if we all just stop and submit ourselves to soothing bipartisanship. Of course, those of us who read Pollack's celebrated 2002 book, "The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq," and became convinced as a result that the United States needed to, well, invade Iraq in order to dismantle Saddam Hussein's advanced nuclear weapons program (the one he didn't actually have) might feel a little too bitter to once again defer to our betters. Meanwhile, the very elites we're supposed to trust can't seem to get their stories straight. Ignatius says everyone's looking for the exits in Iraq, and we should just calm down. O'Hanlon and Pollack want us to stay put. And as TPM Media's Greg Sargent pointed out Monday, the optimism of O'Hanlon and Pollack is at odds with the conclusions of Brookings' own Iraq Index project. It reported July 23 that "violence nationwide has failed to improve measurably over the past two-plus months," and that -- contrary to their enthusiasm about the provision of electricity and other essentials -- "the average person in Baghdad can count on only one or two hours of electricity per day," far less than they had under Hussein. More ironically still, the person in charge of the Iraq Index is none other than Michael O'Hanlon! Citizens who have come to fear letting the powers-that-be sort things out from above have some sound basis for their anxiety -- the bipartisan elite turns out to have a fairly awful track record on Iraq. Indeed, one might begin to suspect that the real agenda here is to try to stifle political debate lest it risk displacing current elites from their cozy positions in favor of some new experts who've shown better judgment. That, though, would be shrill and partisan. Better to not complain and just assume it'll all turn out for the best. Source L.A. Times.August 2, 2007

   

MySpace Codes for Images at OurSpace.biz

 
Iraq War Music Video - Click here for the funniest movie of the week Email  del.icio.us  Digg  Furl  Slashdot

The Great Wall of Segregation... …Which is the wall the current Iraqi government is building (with the support and guidance of the Americans). It's a wall that is intended to separate and isolate what is now considered the largest 'Sunni' area in Baghdad- let no one say the Americans are not building anything. According to plans the Iraqi puppets and Americans cooked up, it will 'protect' A'adhamiya, a residential/mercantile area that the current Iraqi government and their death squads couldn't empty of Sunnis. The wall, of course, will protect no one. I sometimes wonder if this is how the concentration camps began in Europe. The Nazi government probably said, "Oh look- we're just going to protect the Jews with this little wall here- it will be difficult for people to get into their special area to hurt them!" And yet, it will also be difficult to get out. The Wall is the latest effort to further break Iraqi society apart. Promoting and supporting civil war isn't enough, apparently- Iraqis have generally proven to be more tenacious and tolerant than their mullahs, ayatollahs, and Vichy leaders. It's time for America to physically divide and conquer- like Berlin before the wall came down or Palestine today. This way, they can continue chasing Sunnis out of "Shia areas" and Shia out of "Sunni areas". I always hear the Iraqi pro-war crowd interviewed on television from foreign capitals (they can only appear on television from the safety of foreign capitals because I defy anyone to be publicly pro-war in Iraq). They refuse to believe that their religiously inclined, sectarian political parties fueled this whole Sunni/Shia conflict. They refuse to acknowledge that this situation is a direct result of the war and occupation. They go on and on about Iraq's history and how Sunnis and Shia were always in conflict and I hate that. I hate that a handful of expats who haven't been to the country in decades pretend to know more about it than people actually living there. I remember Baghdad before the war- one could live anywhere. We didn't know what our neighbors were- we didn't care. No one asked about religion or sect. No one bothered with what was considered a trivial topic: are you Sunni or Shia? You only asked something like that if you were uncouth and backward. Our lives revolve around it now. Our existence depends on hiding it or highlighting it- depending on the group of masked men who stop you or raid your home in the middle of the night. On a personal note, we've finally decided to leave. I guess I've known we would be leaving for a while now. We discussed it as a family dozens of times. At first, someone would suggest it tentatively because, it was just a preposterous idea- leaving ones home and extended family- leaving ones country- and to what? To where? Since last summer, we had been discussing it more and more. It was only a matter of time before what began as a suggestion- a last case scenario- soon took on solidity and developed into a plan. For the last couple of months, it has only been a matter of logistics. Plane or car? Jordan or Syria? Will we all leave together as a family? Or will it be only my brother and I at first? After Jordan or Syria- where then? Obviously, either of those countries is going to be a transit to something else. They are both overflowing with Iraqi refugees, and every single Iraqi living in either country is complaining of the fact that work is difficult to come by, and getting a residency is even more difficult. There is also the little problem of being turned back at the border. Thousands of Iraqis aren't being let into Syria or Jordan- and there are no definite criteria for entry, the decision is based on the whim of the border patrol guard checking your passport. An airplane isn't necessarily safer, as the trip to Baghdad International Airport is in itself risky and travelers are just as likely to be refused permission to enter the country (Syria and Jordan) if they arrive by airplane. And if you're wondering why Syria or Jordan, because they are the only two countries that will let Iraqis in without a visa. Following up visa issues with the few functioning embassies or consulates in Baghdad is next to impossible. So we've been busy. Busy trying to decide what part of our lives to leave behind. Which memories are dispensable? We, like many Iraqis, are not the classic refugees- the ones with only the clothes on their backs and no choice. We are choosing to leave because the other option is simply a continuation of what has been one long nightmare- stay and wait and try to survive. On the one hand, I know that leaving the country and starting a new life somewhere else- as yet unknown- is such a huge thing that it should dwarf every trivial concern. The funny thing is that it’s the trivial that seems to occupy our lives. We discuss whether to take photo albums or leave them behind. Can I bring along a stuffed animal I've had since the age of four? Is there room for E.'s guitar? What clothes do we take? Summer clothes? The winter clothes too? What about my books? What about the CDs, the baby pictures? The problem is that we don't even know if we'll ever see this stuff again. We don't know if whatever we leave, including the house, will be available when and if we come back. There are moments when the injustice of having to leave your country, simply because an imbecile got it into his head to invade it, is overwhelming. It is unfair that in order to survive and live normally, we have to leave our home and what remains of family and friends… And to what? It's difficult to decide which is more frightening- car bombs and militias, or having to leave everything you know and love, to some unspecified place for a future where nothing is certain. Email  del.icio.us  Digg  Furl  Slashdot 

ERIC RYDBOM MAJ, ENGINEER Deputy Division Engineer 4th Infantry Division It has been a while since I have written to my friends about what's really going on here in Iraq. The news you watch on TV is exaggerated, sensationalized and selective. Good news doesn't sell. The stuff you don't hear about? Let's start with Electrical Power production in Iraq. The day after the war was declared over, there was nearly 0 power being generated in Iraq. 45 days later, in a partnership between the Army, the Iraqi people and some private companies, there are now 3200 mega watts (Mw) of power being produced daily, 1/3 of the total national potential of 8000 Mw. Downed power lines (big stuff, 400 Kilovolt (Kv) and 132 Kv) are being repaired and are about 70% complete. Then there is water purification. In central Iraq between Baghdad and Mosul, home of the 4th Infantry Division, Water treatment was spotty at best. The facilities existed, but the controls were never implemented. Simple chemicals like Chlorine for purification and Alum (Aluminum Sulfate) for sediment settling (The Tigris River is about as clear as the Mississippi River) were in short supply or not used at all and when chlorine was used, it was metered by the scientific method of guessing. So some people got pool water and some people got water with lots of little things moving in it. We are slowly but surely solving that. Contracts for repairs to facilities that are only 50% or less operational are being let, chemicals are being delivered, although we don't have the metering problem solved yet (It's only been 45 days). How about oil and fuel? Well, the war was all about oil wasn't it? You bet it was. It was all about oil for the Iraqi people because they have no other income, they produce nothing else. Oil is 95% of the Iraqi GNP. For this nation to survive, it must sell oil. The Refinery at Bayji is at 75% of capacity producing gasoline. The crude pipeline between Kirkuk (Oil Central) and Bayji will be repaired by tomorrow (2 June). LPG, what all Iraqis use to cook and heat with, is at 103% of normal production and we, the US ARMY, at least 4th ID, are insuring it is being distributed fairly to all Iraqis. You have to remember that 3 months ago, all these things were used as weapons against the population to keep them in line. If a town misbehaved, gasoline shipments, LPG pipelines and trucks stopped, water was turned off, power was turned off. Now, until exports start, every drop of gasoline produced goes to the Iraqi people, crude oil is being stored, the country is at 75% capacity now, they need to export or stop pumping soon, thank the UN for the delay. All LPG goes to the Iraqi people everywhere. Water is being purified as best they can, but at least it's running all the time to everyone. Are we still getting shot at? Yep. Are American Soldiers still dying? Yep, about 1 a day from the 4th ID, most in accidents, but dead is dead. If we are doing all this for the Iraqis, why are they shooting at us? The general population isn't. There are still bad guys who won't let go of the old regime. They are Ba'ath party members (Read Nazi Party, but not as nice) who know nothing but the regime. They were thugs for the regime that caused many to disappear in the night and they have no other skills. At least the Nazis had jobs they could go back to after the war as plumbers, managers, engineers, etc...these people have no skills but terror. They are simply applying their skills....and we are applying ours. There is no Christian way to say they must be eliminated and we are doing so with all the efficiency we can muster. Our troops are shot at literally every day by small arms and RPGs. We respond 100% of the time and the Ba'ath party guys come out with the short end of the stick. The most amazing thing to me is that they don't realize that if they stopped shooting at us, we would focus on fixing things and leave. The more they shoot at us, the longer we will stay. Lastly, realize that 90% the damage you see on TV was caused by Iraqis, not the war. Sure, we took out a few bridges from military necessity, we took out a few power and phone lines to disrupt communications, sure we drilled a few palaces and government headquarters buildings with 2000 lb laser-guided bombs (I work 100 yards from where two hit the Tikrit Palace); he had plenty to spare. But, any damage you see to schools, hospitals, power generation facilities, refineries, pipelines, was all caused either by the Iraqi Army in its death throes or Iraqi civilians looting the places. Could the army have prevented it? Nope. We can and do now, but 45 days ago the average soldier was lucky to know what town he was in much less know who owned what or have the power to stop 1,000 people from looting a building by himself. The United States and Britain are doing a very noble thing here. We stuck our necks out on the world chopping block to free a people. I've already talked the weapons of mass destruction thing to death. Bottom line, who cares, this country was one big conventional weapons ammo dump anyway. We have probably destroyed more weapons and ammo in the last 30 days than the US Army has ever fired in the last 30 years (Remember, this is a country the size of Texas), so drop the WMD argument as the reason we came here; if we find it, great. If we don't, so what? I'm living in a "guest palace" on a 500 acre compound with 20 palaces with facilities built in half a dozen towns all over Iraq that were built for one man. Drive down the street and out into the countryside 5 miles away (I have) and see a family of 10 living in a mud hut herding two dozen sheep. Then tell me why you think we are here. Respectfully, ERIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please forward this to as many as you can. If our news media won't print the truth then maybe we can do their job and get the news out thru email. Let the people of the U.S. and the world know just what our men and woman are doing in Iraq. I couldn't live like those people do and I don't think 98% of the people in the US could either. Note: The Liberal Media in the U.S. only has the defeat of President Bush on its agenda. To report any favorable news from Iraq would be counter to their agenda. Why is the Liberal media against traditional American values? Email  del.icio.us  Digg  Furl  Slashdot