Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Cynthia McKinney is right

Agree with Cynthia McKinney 100% on this.


Every one of the 61 Senators who voted against Rand Paul for more war deserves to be defeated in the next...


They should all be voted out if they're in favor of never-ending war.

"Iraq snapshot"  (THE COMMON ILLS):
Wednesday, September 13, 2017.  What does it mean to be "a fierce advocate for women and children," as Hillary Clinton has billed herself?  We spend the snapshot exploring words versus reality.


Hypocrites.

The world's full of them.

Won't somebody think of the CHILDREN OVERBOARD or the thousands of Iraqi children Howard murdered.


John Howard is someone barely known outside of Australia.  British papers, when Howard was prime minister, often wrongly referred to him as John Major.  That's how little he mattered.

But, along with Bully Boy Bush and Tony Blair, he was the true Axis of Evil.

They brought destruction to Iraq.

When he now pretends to care about children, he should be called out for the hypocrite he is.

Other hypocrites should be called out as well.


In last night's "End Hillary's welfare," we noted the Secret Service (several) descending upon conservative journalist Laura Loomer at Hillary Clinton's book stop.  She is on a for-profit tour, the American taxpayer should not be paying to Guard This Tess.  She should be paying it or her publisher should be covering the cost.  The American people are being taxed for Hillary's millions and that's not what the Secret Service is there for.

Mark Z Barabak and Barbara Demick (LOS ANGELES TIMES) report:

Instead, she will embark on a months-long tour — mixing free book signings and paid appearances — that will stretch into mid-December. Her sole California appearance is scheduled for Oct. 9 in Davis.


No event will be free for the American taxpayer who will have to foot the bill for each and every appearance.  Hillary was paid to write that book (well, to put her name to that book that was again ghost written) and she can and should have to pay for security for her book tour.  Every time she gets away with this.  Again, the Secret Service was not created to help her enrich her pockets.  This all goes back to Mary Lincoln -- all the lifelong perks that are now seen as normal.  When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, there was nothing in place for the widow of sitting president.  Bit by bit, over the years, this has been added and that has been added and on and on it goes.

It's pork and it needs to be cut out.

Don't expect CREW to say "boo!" because they've become nothing but an arm of the Democratic Party.  They're not about ethics anymore.  The only way they will say anything is if someone -- Donald Trump -- does the same.  This needs to be stopped for all.  When you are a millionaire and you are on some project to make even more, you should either use private security or reimburse the government for the cost of the Secret Service protecting you.

In the same LOS ANGELS TIMES article, it's noted:

And for those who may wonder, Clinton said, yes, it can be painful to be a public figure so deeply reviled for reasons she still cannot fathom. “For the record,” she wrote, “it hurts to be torn apart.”




Does it hurt Hillary?

To be torn apart?

How many books has she ghost written since entering the Senate?

In neither of them has she mentioned this man.

Steven D. Green



Or what he did.


It hurts her, she whines, this woman who entered the White House having never owned a home but raked in millions.

She's so close to her own feelings, she's molesting them.

But she doesn't have feelings for the people she has harmed.

The man above?

Steven D. Green and, May 7, 2009, he was convicted for his crimes in the  March 12, 2006 gang-rape and murder of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, the murder of her parents and the murder of her five-year-old sister while Green was serving in Iraq. Green was found to have killed all four, to have participated in the gang-rape of Abeer and to have been the ringleader of the conspiracy to commit the crimes and the conspiracy to cover them up. May 21, 2009, the federal jury deadlocked on the death penalty.  (February 15, 2014, he would be found dead in his cell.)

Alsumaria explained of the verdict, "An ex-US soldier was found guilty for raping an Iraqi girl and killing her family in 2006 while he might face death sentence.  . . . Eye witnesses have reported that Green shot dead the girl’s family in a bedroom while two other soldiers were raping her. Then, Green raped her in his turn and put a pillow on her face before shooting her. The soldiers set the body afire to cover their crime traces."

Evan Bright reported on the verdict:


As the jury entered the court room, Green(red sweater vest) let out a large sigh, not of relief, but seemingly of anxiety, knowing the weight of the words to come. As Judge Thomas Russell stated "The court will now publish the verdict," Green interlaced his fingers and clasped them over his chin. Russell read the verdict flatly and absolutely. Green went from looking down at each "guilty" to eyeing the jury. His shoulders dropped as he was convicted of count #11, aggravated sexual abuse, realizing what this means. A paralegal at the defense table consoled Green by patting him on his back, even herself breaking down crying at the end of the verdicts.
After Russell finished reading the verdicts, he begged questions of the respective attorneys. Wendelsdorf, intending to ensure the absolution of the verdict, requested the jury be polled. Honorable Judge Russell asked each juror if they agreed with these verdicts, receiving a simple-but-sufficient yes from all jurors. Green watched the jury flatly.


From the September 4th, 2009 snapshot:


Turning to the United States and what may be the only accountability for the crimes in Iraq.  May 7th Steven D. Green (pictured above) was convicted for his crimes in March 12, 2006 gang-rape and murder of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, the murder of her parents and the murder of her five-year-old sister while Green was serving in Iraq. Green was found to have killed all four, to have participated in the gang-rape of Abeer and to have been the ringleader of the conspiracy to commit the crimes and the conspiracy to cover them up. May 21st, the federal jury deadlocked on the death penalty and instead kicking in sentence to life in prison. Today, Green stood before US District Judge Thomas B. Russell for sentencing. Kim Landers (Australia's ABC) quotes Judge Russell telling Green his actions were "horrifying and inexcusable."  Not noted in any of the links in this snapshot (it comes from a friend present in the court), Steven Dale Green has dropped his efforts to appear waif-ish in a coltish Julia Roberts circa the 1990s manner.  Green showed up a good twenty pounds heavier than he appeared when on trial, back when the defense emphasized his 'lanky' image by dressing him in oversized clothes.  Having been found guilty last spring, there was apparently no concern that he appear frail anymore. 
Italy's AGI reports, "Green was recognised as the leader of a group of five soldiers who committed the massacre on September 12 2006 at the Mahmudiyah check point in the south of Baghdad. The story inspired the 2007 masterpiece by Brian De Palma 'Redacted'."  BBC adds, "Judge Thomas Russell confirmed Green would serve five consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole."  Deborah Yetter (Courier-Journal) explains, "Friday's federal court hearing was devoted mostly to discussion of technical issues related to Green's sentencing report, although it did not change Green's sentence. He was convicted in May of raping and murdering Abeer al-Janabi, 14, and murdering her parents, Kassem and Fakhriya, and her sister, Hadeel, 6, at their home outside Baghdad."
Green was tried in civilian court because he had already been discharged before the War Crimes were discovered.  Following the gang-rape and murders, US soldiers attempted to set fire to Abeer's body to destroy the evidence and attempted to blame the crimes on "insurgents."  In real time, when the bodies were discovered, the New York Times was among the outlets that ran with "insurgents."  Green didn't decide he wanted to be in the military on his own.  It was only after his most recent arrest -- after a long string of juvenile arrests -- while sitting in jail and fearing what sentence he would face, that Green decided the US Army was just the place he wanted to be.  Had he been imprisoned instead or had the US military followed rules and guidelines, Green wouldn't have gotten in on a waiver.  Somehow his history was supposed to translate into "He's the victim!!!!"  As if he (and the others) didn't know rape was a crime, as if he (and the others) didn't know that murder was considered wrong.  Green attempted to climb up on the cross again today.  AP's Brett Barrouguere quotes the 'victim' Green insisting at today's hearing, "You can act like I'm a sociopath.  You can act like I'm a sex offender or whatever.  If I had not joined the Army, if I had not gone to Iraq, I would not have got caught up in anything."  Climb down the cross, drama queen.  Your entire life was about leading up to a moment like that.  You are a sociopath.  You stalked a 14-year-old Iraqi girl while you were stationed at a checkpoint in her neighborhood.  You made her uncomfortable and nervous, you stroked her face.  She ran to her parents who made arrangements for her to go live with others just to get her away from you, the man the army put there to protect her and the rest of the neighborhood.  You are one sick f**k and you deserve what you got.  Green play drama queen and insist "you can act like I'm a sex offender" -- he took part in and organized a gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl.  That's a sex offender.  In fact, "sex offender" is a mild term for what Green is.
Steven D. Green made the decision to sign up for the US military.  He was facing criminal punishment for his latest crimes, but he made the decision.  Once in the military, despite his long history of arrests, he didn't see it as a chance to get a fresh start.  He saw it as a passport for even more crimes.  What he did was disgusting and vile and it is War Crimes and by doing that he disgraced himself and the US military.  His refusal to take accountability today just demonstrates the realities all along which was Green did what he wanted and Green has no remorse.  He sullied the name of the US military, he sullied the name of the US.  As a member of the army, it was his job to follow the rules and the laws and he didn't do so.  And, as a result, a retaliation kidnapping of US soldiers took place in the spring of 2006 and those soldiers were strung up and gutted.  That should weigh heavily on Steven D. Green but there's no appearance that he's ever thought of anyone but himself.  He wants to act as if the problem was the US military which requires that you then argue that anyone serving in Iraq could have and would have done what he did.  That is not reality.  He does not represent the average soldier and he needs to step down from the cross already.
 AFP notes, "During closing arguments at his sentencing, Green was described alternately as 'criminal and perverse' and deserving of the death penalty, and as a 'broken warrior" whose life should be spared'."  Brett Barrouquere (AP) has been covering the story for years now.  He notes that Patrick Bouldin (defense) attempted to paint Green as the victim as well by annoucing that Green wanted to take responsibility "twice" before but that Assistant US Attorney Marisa Ford explained that was right before jury selection began and in the midst of jury selection.  In other words, when confronted with the reality that he would be going to trial, Steven D. Green had a panic moment and attempted to make a deal with the prosecution.  (The offer was twice rejected because the 'life in prison' offer included the defense wanting Green to have possible parole.)  Steve Robrahn, Andrew Stern and Paul Simao (Reuters) quote US Brig Gen Rodney Johnson ("Commanding General of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command") stating, "We sincerely hope that today's sentencing helps to bring the loved ones of this Iraqi family some semblance of closure and comfort after this horrific and senseless act."


Green went into the military to avoid criminal charges on another issue.  He was one of many that the military lowered the standards for.

May 28, 2009, the family of Abeer gave their statements to the court before leaving to return to Iraq. WHAS11 (text and video) reported on the court proceedings:


Gary Roedemeier: Crimes were horrific. A band of soldiers convicted of planning an attack against an Iraqi girl and her family.

Melissa Swan: The only soldier tried in civilian court is Steven Green. The Fort Campbell soldier was in federal court in Louisville this morning, facing the victims' family and WHAS's Renee Murphy was in that courtroom this morning. She joins us live with the information and also more on that heart wrenching scene of when these family members faced the man who killed their family.


Renee Murphy: I mean, they came face to face with the killer. Once again, the only thing different about this time was that they were able to speak with him and they had an exchange of dialogue and the family is here from Iraq and they got to ask Steven Green all the questions they wanted answered. They looked each other in the eye. Green appeared calm and casual in court. The victims' family, though, outraged, emotional and distraught. Now cameras were not allowed in the courtroom so we can't show video of today's hearing but here's an account of what happened. (Video begins] This is a cousin of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl raped and killed by Steven Green. He and other family members in this SUV were able to confront Green in federal court this morning. Their words were stinging and came from sheer grief. Former Fort Campbell soldier Steven Green was convicted of killing an Iraqi mother, father and their young daughter. He then raped their 14-year-old daughter, shot her in the head and set her body on fire. Today the victim's family was able to give an impact statement at the federal court house the young sons of the victims asked Green why he killed their father. an aunt told the court that "wounds are still eating at our heart" and probably the most compelling statements were from the girls' grandmother who sobbed from the stand and demanded an explanation from Green. Green apologized to the family saying that he did evil things but he is not an evil person. He says that he was drunk the night of the crimes in 2006 and he was following the orders of his commanding officers. In his statement, Green said if it would bring these people back to life I would do everything I could to make them execute me. His statement goes on to say, "Before I went to Iraq, I never thought I would intentionally kill a civilian. When I was in Iraq, something happened to me that I can only explain by saying I lost my mind. I stopped seeing Iraqis as good and bad, as men, women and children. I started seeing them all as one, and evil, and less than human." Green didn't act alone. His codefendants were court-martialed and received lesser sentences. Green will be formally sentenced to life in prison in September. [End of videotape.] The answers that Green gave were not good enough for some of the family members. at one point today, the grandmother of the young girls who were killed left the podium and started walking towards Green as he sat at the defendant's table shouting "Why!" She was forcibly then escorted to the back of the court room by US Marshalls. She then fell to the ground and buried her face in her hands and began to cry again. The family pleaded with the court for the death sentence for Green. but you can see Green's entire statement to the court on our website whas11.com and coming up tonight at six o'clock, we're going to hear from Green's attorneys.


Steven D. Green was convicted of War Crimes.

Others should have been as well.  The fact that others were not does not make Green any less of a War Criminal.

He killed an entire family and Abeer could hear her parents and sister being killed in the other room as she was gang-raped.  Then Green came in and took his turn in the gang-rape before killing her.  14-years-old and she's gang-raped as she hears her family killed and then she's killed herself at the end of it.

At which point, Green attempted to set Abeer's body on fire to destroy the evidence.

It was originally reported as an act of 'terrorism' and blamed on Iraqis.

Green was in Iraq because Hillary voted for the Iraq War.

Green took part in the gang-rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl.

What is Hillary?

According to her personal Twitter account:

Hillary ClintonVerified account

@HillaryClinton

Wife, mom, grandma, women+kids advocate, FLOTUS, Senator, SecState, hair icon, pantsuit aficionado, 2016 presidential candidate.


Women and kids advocate?

She made time to slime Chelsea Manning and Ed Snowden for whistle-blowing.

But she never said a word -- not in a book, not in a speech, not in an interview -- about the gang-rape and murder of Abeer, the murder of Abeer's mother and/or the murder of Abeer's younger sister.

That's a "women + kids advocate"?

In what world?

What about this

 From Justice for the Babies of Fallujah:


Another male born in FGH 2 days ago with multiple gross congenital anomalies in addition to CHD , he is the 1st baby to 2 young healthy couples with no previous history of any anomaly
Another male born in FGH with multiple gross congenital anomalies in addition to CHD , he is the 1st baby to 2 young healthy couples with no previous history of any anomaly


When has the champion of women and children spoken about the birth defects resulting from chemical weapons used by the US and other foreign forces in Iraq?

Again from JUSTICE FOR THE BABIES OF FALLUJA:


Another update from the Birth Defects in Fallujah Facebook page.  Look at this precious baby’s hands and feet.
And this beatiful boy’s legs
So many children born in Fallujah in July of this year with birth defects, and that’s just one month. This is not right. The US needs to take responsibilty for this.  Our weapons did this. It’s just not right.
















So many children born in Fallujah in July of this year with birth defects, and that’s just one month. This is not right. The US needs to take responsibilty for this.  Our weapons did this. It’s just not right.



Hillary's never commented on these children.  Some advocate.

Whenever we cover this, we get some e-mails from people insisting they shouldn't have to see this.  I'm sorry, it's reality.  How fortunate you are to be able to choose whether or not to see it.  Many families in Iraq do not have that luxury and these children's suffering are suffering because of the Iraq War and the weapons used in it.  I'll leave it at the photos above but if you really want to face reality (and maybe cry, the way I did this morning), check out this Twitter feed which contains many more photos of reality for Iraqi children.

Hillary can't fathom why she's disliked?  It hurts her to be torn apart?

Poor baby.

Poor stupid baby.

And she is stupid.  She's friend with Madeline Albright.  Mad Maddie who said the deaths of half a million Iraqi children were "worth it."


It's strange that Lesley Stahl could ask a serious question of Albright but Hillary's currently doing non-stop interviews to enrich her own pockets and all she's getting is fluff.  No one wants to ask serious questions.

No one wants to ask how she's an advocate for women and children when her actions have destroyed the lives of so many women and children.


 From the July 9, 2016 "Iraq snapshot:"



Trashy Hillary Clinton could pimp Iraq as a business opportunity.



But the alleged 'feminist' couldn't and wouldn't do a damn thing for Iraqi women.


This is most obvious in the e-mails WikiLeaks published this week.



Melanne Verveer e-mails Hillary on December 11, 2011:


We attempted to raise the issue of women's participation in the Iraq government, in their economy and more broadly when Biden was just in Baghdad.  Jeff Feltman was trying to get it into the conversations there.
You will recall the comments of the Iraqi who participated in the NGO meeting with you in Doha about how the door has been closed to women in the government.  We have had many discussions with impressive Iraqi women over the last couple years, and to a person they describe their fate as worse now than years ago.  Yet without them it will be even harder for Iraq to move forward.  To that end, we have been working with post on a action plan along the lines of the National Action Plan on women, peace and security, you will launch next week.
I hope you will find a way to raise the "women's issue" in your discussion tom'w.


And what does the 'great feminist' of all time, the woman with the highest cabinet position in the administration respond:

I raised women's issue w Maliki and Zebari.  Can't say either of them seemed interested.  But, we'll keep trying -- as always!


What a brave feminist Hillary I'm It For Myself Clinton is.

Verveer, at the time she e-mailed Hillary, was the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues.  She had previously, in the 90s, served as First Lady Hillary's Chief of staff, and, in 2001, she and Hillary created the Vital Voices Global Parternship.


Hillary never used her platform as Secretary of State to publicly encourage Nouri al-Maliki or Hoshyar Zebari (her Iraqi equivalent at the time, Foreign Minister).  Nor did she use her platform to publicly shame either man.


She did, however, use her platform to repeatedly praise Zebari -- a man whose actions never warranted much praise at all.


Well, Verveer mentions an upcoming event, right?



To that end, we have been working with post on a action plan along the lines of the National Action Plan on women, peace and security, you will launch next week.



That's a reference to Hillary's December 19, 2011 speech entitled "Remarks on Women, Peace, and Security."

In that speech, she name checks Ireland, Liberia, Egypt, Senegal, Darfur, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Chile, Kosovo, Yemen and Nepal.

But she never mentions Iraq.

In her approximately 4,500 word speech, she never once mentions Iraq.

Helping the women of Iraq didn't, she believed, help her.

And like so many faux feminists, What's In It For Me Hillary has always defined her own self-interest as feminism.



Her record is a disaster.


And people need to refer to Scott Beauchamp's "Why Clinton's Iraq Apology Still Isn't Enough: On Wednesday, the Democratic nominee stressed the importance of learning from her vote for the war.  But she won't say what that means" (THE ATLANTIC).


In her new book, Hillary's ghost writer reveals Hillary -- unlike the Pope -- won't be granting "absolution" to those women who didn't vote for.  But the whole world's supposed to look the other way for this woman who destroyed Iraq (starting with her vote for war but not ending there) and harmed so many women and children there?  (Not to mention in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Palestine . . .)

She chose to be the focus of media circus, it's the media's job to make this more than an infomercial to sell her book.  She needs to be asked hard questions.  Real questions.  And the media needs to stop turning itself into a joke with their puff pieces on her.




The following community sites -- plus NPR, Great Britain's SOCIALIST WORKER and Latino USA -- updated:













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