"Why Dawn Is The Bird Cleaner Of Choice In Oil Spills" (Elizabeth Shogren, NPR's Morning Edition):
Dawn dishwashing detergent is used to clean up just about anything covered with oil — from birds to sea turtles to human skin. But what makes Dawn so effective?
At a warehouse turned bird bathhouse in Venice, La., dozens of bottles of Dawn stand like soldiers behind a row of deep sinks. It takes three people as much as an hour to get the gooey oil off each pelican. They start by rubbing the bird with cooking oil; veterinarian Heather Nevill says that loosens the sticky petroleum. Then one of the crew sprays it with dish liquid.
"She's scrubbing very vigorously, getting her fingertips under the feathers to really agitate the feathers in the water," Nevill says. "It's that action of getting the detergent into the feathers that really removes the oil."
Early on in the Gulf Disaster, I was listening to a special broadcast on NPR one evening and they were talking about what they washed the oil soaked birds with. I typed here that I thought they said dish washing detergent.
That is what it was.
Seems strange to me, but whatever works.
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Tuesday, June 22, 2010. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq's LGBT community continues to be targeted, the Senate Armed Services Committee explores military suicides (and PTSD and TBI), and more.
"The Committee meets today to recieve testimony on the status of our efforts to prevent military suicides and the challenge in detection, treatment and management of the so-called invisible wounds of war which we consider to include Traumatic Brain Injury, concussive events, Post Traumatic Stress and other combat-related psychological health concerns A hearing on military suicides was requested by Senator [James] Inhofe several weeks ago and we all appreciate that request," Senator Carl Levin declared today bring the Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing to order. Appearing before the Committee was Gen Peter Chiarelli (Army), Adm Jonathan Greenert (Navy), Gen James Amos (Marine Corps), Gen Carrol Chandler (Air Force), and the VA's Dr. Robert Jesse.
Chair Carl Levin: The increase in suicides by military personnel in the last few years is alarming. In 2007, 115 Army soldiers committed suicide; in 2008 the number increased to 140, and to 162 in 2009. Similarly, 33 Marines committed suicides in 2007; 42 in 2008, and 52 in 2009. I understand that there are a number of additional cases where the Armed Forces Medical Examiner has not yet concluded whether the deaths are by suicide, so the 2009 numbers will likely be even higher. These increases indicate that despite the services' efforts, there is still much work to be done. We must improve our suicide prevention efforts to reverse the number of services members taking their own lives. I am greatly concerned about the increasing numbers of troops returning from combat with post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries and the number of those troops who may have experienced concussive injuries that were never diagnosed. Studies indicate that mild traumatic brain injury -- or concussion -- is associated with PTSD, depression and anxiety. These conditions, in turn, may contribute to the increase in the number of suicides. Key to suicide prevention is to make greater efforts to end the stigma that too many perceive attaches when they receive mental health care. Another key, of course, is the proper and timely diagnosis and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress and increasing awareness of and access to mental health care resources as well as leadership support for those seeking such care. We hope to hear from our witnesses today the approach that each service and the Department of Veterans Affairs is taking to help detect, treat and manage psychological health problems to include Post Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury. The numbers of suicides have increased in every service, but significantly more so in the Army and Marine Corps, the two services most heavily engaged in ground combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress has recognized the strain on these ground forces and has over the past several years authorized significant increases in the active duty end strengths for the Army and the Marine Corps.
"The burdens of our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan are tremendous and so are the consequences for those who serve," Ranking Member John McCain stated. "Many of our service members have answered their country's call with multiple deployments to combat and little time for rest and recovery at home."
Chair Carl Levin: A couple of weeks ago, National Public Radio reported that the military is failing to diagnose brain injuries in troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, that the injuries were not documented on the battlefield, that soldiers with TBI don't always get the best medical treatment and interviews with soldiers at Fort Bliss revealed that some soldiers with TBI were crying out for help still had to wait more than a month to see a neurologist. Also they reported that many military doctors have failed to accurately diagnose TBI. Can you give us your response to those reports?
Gen Peter Chiarelli: Mr. Chairman, I prepared a complete response to National Public Radio in which I detailed my problem with the report. I've got three basic problems with the report. Number one, it criticizes the leadership for not caring or not doing anything about it. I think that's far from the truth. I took great exception with the report stating that our doctors seemed to [not] care and are not properly diagnosing these injuries without explaining the real issue here. And you cannot isolate Traumatic Brain Injury without talking about PTS. As I mentioned in my opening statement, the comorbidity of symptoms between these two make it very, very difficult for doctors to make that diagnosis. Of my Army wounded warrior population, this is the most severlyly wounded population I have, with a single disqualify injury of 30% or greater, 60% have either TBI or PTS. 43% PTS, 17% TBI. And I really believe that when you fail to talk about both PTS and TBI and this issue of comorbidity, you're doing a great disservice because to state it flatly: Our science for -- on -- the brain is just not as great as it is in other parts of the body. And researchers are struggling today to-to find the linkages and to learn everything they can about the brain. And because of this, we're going to see some misdiagnosis. I-I can tell you of the folks that the National Public Radio talked about, they had over 200 appointments a piece, uhm, and there's no doubt you could go to anyone of our posts and find soldiers who are struggling because of our inability to nail down and to diagnos exactly what treatment they need for these behavioral health issues but, I promise you, it is not for a lack of trying or real care on the part of our doctors and our leadership is totally committed to working these issues.
Chair Carl Levin: In terms of the wait that one of the soldiers, I guess, claimed of a month or more to see a neurologist?
Gen Peter Chiarelli: I will tell you that a neurologist is not the answer necessarily to these soldiers' issues. I have a total of 52 neurologists in the United States Army. 40 of them are currently practicing. 40. And that's when I include my child neurologist. The team that will work with somebody on any behavioral health issue is -- is a team of a neurologist, possibly a psychatrist, nearest case manager who will look at the entire file or medical record of care given to that-that soldier and work to provide them the best that they can. The -- One of the problems we have here, and I get this from talking to doctors, is even the medications for PTS and TBI are totally different. So if we misdiagnose at the beginning and provide diagnosis of PTS when in reality it's TBI, the medications we're going to put that soldier on are going to be different than what the real problem is and maybe different from another behavioral issue that a soldier may have. Because it's not all TBI and PTS. There's anxiety issues, depression issues, other issues that are the product of the-this-these wars that are causing us so much difficulty in this area. I've got 79% of the psychiatrists currently assigned to the United States based on my authorization prior to 2001. And I know that that authorization is lacking but I only have 79%. And it's not just an Army problem. This, I think you will all agree, is a national problem in a shortage of behavioral health specialists.
Chair Carl Levin: So there are some areas of professional need where we are short. Is this a matter of funding, is this a matter of finding people or what is it?
Gen Peter Chiarelli: No-no, I don't believe it's a matter of funding at all. I think it's a matter of finding folks. Of getting them to move to some of the places where the Army is stationed. When you have shortages, it's much -- You know, I think a psychiatrist might prefer to be in Nashville than in Clarksville, Tennessee. So we have to rely on that TriCare network many times to provide some of the behavioral specialists that we need.
Chair Carl Levin: And in terms of this delay issue, is the delay the result of the lack of resources in the cases that were talked about on NPR or is that a matter of the complexity which you just described.
Gen Peter Chiarelli: I-I-I'd argue it's a case of the complexity. I really would. And I'm not saying in every instance that we're getting soldiers in exactly when we want them to be but when soldiers are assigned to our WTU, they have a primary care manager of a rate of one to two hundred, a primary care manager -- where you or I would have a primary care manager at a ratio of 1 to 12,000 to 15,000. They have a nurse case manager at a ratio of one to twenty. They have a squad leader at a ratio of one to ten or less. So we've done everything we can to focus our resources, our limited resources, in this area but I will tell you, we are short behavioral specialists.
Chair Carl Levin: But again, that's not a funding issue?
Gen Peter Chiarelli: It is not a funding issue.
The general seemed sincere in his first reply to Levin (quoted above). He seemed sincere in his second. But there's a contradiction in the two. In the first, it's concern for the well being of the soldier. In the second, it's woah-ways-me. "A team" of two people? And one is a neurologist that the soldier can't get to see, all he or she is seeing is a case worker and that's supposed to be acceptable? In what world? There's also a shift from the notion that the soldiers deserve the best care (lip service, I know) to 'the best that these overworked doctors and caseworkers can give.' That's a world of difference.
In the second, 'It's woah-ways-me, I only have 40 neurologists.' I'm not seeing and I'm not hearing that supposed real committment to the issue. I'm hear justifications and insults. And that's especially clear when the general decides to speak of "other behavioral issues."
PTSD and TBI are not behavioral issues (I am aware some treat them as if they were, I'm also aware those treatments do not have longterm success rates) and that, after all this time and all this supposed education, a United States general doesn't know that, doesn't grasp that, it's rather telling. And it goes a long way towards explaining the manner in which the second response was delivered which was in a between-you-and-me kind of way and seemed to mock the illnesses. Not behavior issues, illnesses. And the Army would do well to get away from that term as well as to get away from calling medical providers "behavioral specialists." In addition, the 'squad leader' is not part of a medical team. Nor is the 'nurse case manager' that the general blurred all lines of reality on. Yes, he or she has a one to twenty ratio . . . for the designated time that they're responsible for a certain squad (such as an hour each day or a portion of a day). There's a world of difference between that reality and what the general was implying or impLYING. No, for every 20 soldiers on a base, you will not find that there is one nurse case manager. That's not how it works and he knows that. The reality is that a general physician of some sort (and that may be increasing the qualifications of the man or woman) is responsible for all care. And if there are misdiagnosis as the general wants to state, that's all the more reason the soldiers need to be seeing a specialist and not some general practitioner.
As for being 'caused so much difficulty in this area,' the general's 'suffering' is of no concern to most Americans and he needs to climb down from his cross and grasp he has a job to do, one he's paid handsomely for by US tax payers. He's not paid to whine. He's paid to ensure the safety and well being of all those serving under him. That's what he was there to talk about but instead he wanted to play Drama Queen. As his voice rose and rose, what it really came down is he refused to answer direct questions and if you tried to piece together the answer from his many words, what you got was: "I'm offended NPR and ProPublica reported what they did but, yes, it is accurate."
And it's probably a good time to remember Adrienne Kinne's testimony at Winter Soldier in 2008 (see March 25, 2008 snapshot for an overview of all her testimony), specifically her testimony on Friday March 14th at the panel on veterans healthcare. Kinne spoke of after leaving the military and pursuing her education further. She did some college internships at VA hospitals and then was an assistant on a research study. The study was on PTSD and TBI -- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. The group devised a way to screen for TBI, hammered down the details and were ready to proceed.
Adrienne Kinne: And then they went to go to the next step, to actually make this happen. And I was actually on a conference call when someone said, "Wait a second. We can't start this screening process. Do you know that if we start screening for TBI there will be tens of thousands of soldiers who will screen positive and we do not have the resources available that would allow us to take care of these people so we cannot do the screening." And their rationale was that medically, medical ethics say if you know someone has a problem, you have to treat them. So since they didn't have the resources to treat them, they didn't want to know about the problem.
Has a lot really changed? Doesn't appear so from the general's testimony. Picking immediately back up with Levin's questions.
Chair Car Levin: Alright, now, Dr. Jesse, the VA, as I think you've testified, screens all of our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who receive care from the VA for TBI. Does that screening for TBI indicate that there is a routine failure in the military to properly diagnose TBI before you see that veteran, while they're still on active duty?
Dr. Robert Jesse: No-no, sir, I don't -- I don't think we can say that. The problem with TBI is that there-there's no hard, fast diagnostic test. There's not a lab test that you can send off and get an answer back. And the other thing is that of temporal issues -- is that often it takes time to manifest some of the -- some of the effects that would have to show up. So I don't think think that it's a -- it's a failure on the Department of Defense to find these people. I think it's uh, uh, may just be, uh, the complexity of the disease.
Good to know it's no one fault, right? Who pays you, Dr. Jesse? Oh, yeah, perfectly clear now. Tomorrow we may note Senator Daniel Akaka's questioning. He focused on suicides and it's worth noting but, if you can't tell, the general and the doctor disgusted me. And I'm not really big on people attacking the press with bluster with non-specifics. When, for example, Senator Mark Udall spoke to the general (the only one focused on in this snapshot) about a doctor who didn't think it mattered -- put this in writing -- whether or not TBI was properly diagnosed, he did a song and dance and refused to answer. I don't have time to quote his multitude of lies. The NPR and ProPublica report stands. Click here to refer to those reports. Instead of the general's diversions, we'll note this from Senator Akaka's office:
AKAKA INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE VETERANS' DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESSING
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation today to make much-needed improvements to VA's disability claims processing. VA provides disability compensation to approximately 3.1 million veterans across the nation.
"VA's system to provide veterans with disability compensation is well intended, but it is broken. This bill will move the Department closer to fulfilling its obligation to provide every eligible veteran with timely and accurate disability compensation," said Akaka.
As Chairman, Akaka has held a series of hearings on improving the veterans' disability compensation system (to view the Committee's hearings click here). The Committee will hold a hearing to review disability claims processing on July 1, at which time witnesses will testify about Akaka's legislation.
The Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2010 (S.3517) would make various changes to the way VA processes disability compensation claims, including provisions to:
Set up a process to fast-track claims that have been fully developed;
Help veterans with multiple disability claims by allowing VA to provide partial disability ratings; and
Provide that the Department give equal deference to the medical opinions of a veteran's non-VA doctor.
The bill would also establish a test program at several Regional Offices replacing VA's method for identifying musculoskeletal disabilities. Compensation under the pilot would be based on a functional assessment of limitations due to the disability, such as standing, walking or lifting, and would take into account the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms of the disability. To identify disabilities, the pilot would use the common language of the International Classification of Diseases, rather than VA's current Rating Schedule.
To read Senator Akaka's statement in the Congressional Record introducing the bill, click here: LINK
-END-
Kawika Riley
Communications Director
U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), Chairman
http://veterans.senate.gov
We will note today that at the top of the hearing, Senator Carl Levin noted that Senator Akaka served on the Armed Services Committee and this allowed the two committees (ASC and Veterans Affairs) to focus on both the service members and the veterans jointly when addressing issues instead of having to scramble to catch up with one another.
Yesterday in Iraq, Kareem Waheed resigned as the Minister of Electricity following the protests in southern Iraq. Ned Parker (Los Angeles Times) explains, "Waheed weathered four years in his post, picked by the country's then-unified Shiite political coalition for his job in 2006. Billed as a technocrat, Waheed failed to solve the Gordian knot of Iraq's electricity woes. He coped with a faulty power supply, complicated by fuel shortages, poor infrastructure, corruption and the country's rampant violence." Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor and McClatchy Newspapers) adds, "The political vacuum and the violence have been hugely unsettling to Iraqis. With the onset of summer, where temperatures hover close to 150 deegres F., the prospect of continued electricity cuts has plunged many into deeper despair." Leila Fadel (Washington Post) focuses on the human costs of this lack of power by zooming on Maher Abbas who, due to "lack of water and electricity," spends three days a week taking his mother or his two children "to the hospital to be treated for dehydration, stomach bugs or heat exhaustion." And this is in Baghdad, not in Basra. Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor) explains, "The Iraqi government has promised Baghdad residents two hours of electricity out of every six, but even that modest target has fallen far short. The inability of the government to provide reliable electricity seven years after the fall of Saddam is seen as more potentially destabilizing than the continued car bombs and suicide attacks." Fadel explains that Nouri al-Maliki, prime minister and thug of the occupation, said there is someone to blame. Not, you understand, his government. No, the problem is that the Iraqi people are just "consuming too much electricity". Is he sane enough to continue in his post? Does he really think that's going to fly with the Iraqi people? Or did he make that laughable accusation for the benefit of the international community? He's been prime minister for four years --- and wants to continue for at least four more years.
And yet, Al Jazeera reports, "Iraq's prime minister has said that his country faces at least two more years of widespread power shortages like the ones that sparked protests across southern Iraq." What has he accomplished? It gets even more insane. Kim Gamel and Sinan Salaheddin (AP) quote Nouri stating, "We will give priority to the electricity sector in the next government." He failed to keep any of his promises and now he wants people to believe that, magically, he'll get it fixed if he's given four more years. Rania El Gamal (Reuters) reports that Hussain al-Shahristani, Iraq's Minister of Oil, we now also be over electricity.
Today on Morning Edition (NPR), Renee Montagne spoke with Lourdes-Garcia Navarro in Baghdad about the electricity and heat issues:
RENEE MONTAGNE: So big protests over the lack of electricity there. And I guess the lack of the ability to stay cool in the summer.
LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO: Well, Renee, as you mentioned, it's been seven years since we've been talking about electricity in Iraq. And if our listeners are sick of hearing about it, can you imagine what the average Iraqis feel about still dealing with these shortages? There have been protests in the south. The first one was in Basra, the southern oil port city. That turned violent. Yesterday it was in Nasiriyah, Najaf. And cities across the country are planning more. We are not in full-blown summer yet and temperatures in Baghdad are at about 110. That can reach up to 130 degrees in places like Basra - 130 degrees and no electricity; try to imagine that, imagine the frustration that it's engendering.
MONTAGNE: The electricity minister's resignation in response to all this frustration, and really anger, how significant is that?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's not. Minister Karim Waheed offered himself up as a sacrificial lamb in a way. It was, in effect, an empty gesture. Iraq's parties are locked in endless negotiations at the moment over the formation of a new government. And he was unlikely to have kept his job in any case. The move was meant to calm tempers, to make the government look like it was taking action of some sort. But again, it really doesn't solve any of the problems and it was fundamentally a meaningless move.
Everyone's targeted in Iraq. Except the thugs. The thugs rarely even target one another. But they target the women, the religious minorities, they target the LGBT community, they target anyone -- because this is how bullies work -- who is not like them. Taylor Asen and Zach Strassburger (Foreign Policy) write about the crisis for Iraq's LGBT community:
America has a singular responsibility to protect these men. Although homosexuality was by no means permitted under Saddam Hussein's regime, only after the U.S. invasion did widespread anti-gay rhetoric and violence in Iraq reach a crisis point. Indeed, according to a BBC special investigative report, there is general agreement within Iraq's LGBT community that they were better off under the previous regime. While horrible in untold ways, the Hussein regime suppressed the very Shia extremists who are now driving the vast majority of attacks on homosexuals in Iraq. Congress, along with the LGBT and human rights communities, must continue to insist that Secretary Clinton use the power granted to her to ensure that Samir's story of survival becomes the norm, rather than the exception.
American does have an obligation. And the assaults continue and Saturday Iraqi LGBT issued the following press release:There is growing concern that the Iraqi government is stepping up a witch-hunt against gays and lesbians in the country after a police raid on a Karbala safe house.On Tuesday 16th June, twelve police officers burst into the house, then violently beat up, and blindfolded the six occupants sheltering there, before bundling them off in three vans. According to a source who witnessed the raid, the police also confiscated computer equipment before burning down the house.According to reports, one of the arrested people has turned up in hospital. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the other five individuals, which include two gay men, one lesbian and two transgender people. It is feared they may have been taken to the Interior Ministry in Baghdad, where, it is reported, many gay people have been tortured and executed in the last two years.Government forces have previously sized people particularly at roadblocks and handed them to militias who have then tortured them and their bodies have later been found.None of the previous occupying powers have taken any action or delivered any criticism for these atrocities.Iraqi LGBT feel that the reason the British and United States government in particular didn't criticises the Iraqi government is because of the legacy of the occupation.They have criticised the Malawian government and the Ugandan government.In both those countries there is a strong religious opposition to homosexuality -- as there is in Iraq.Since the fall of Saddam, militias loyal to Shi'a clerics Grand Ayatollah al Sistani and Muqtada al Sadr, both of whom have called for homosexuals to be put to death, have been only too keen to carry out their leaders' wishes. Over 720 LGBT people have disappeared or been murdered, many of whom have been tortured to death.There is strong evidence that the government is colluding with these militia groups, by rounding up known homosexual and transgender people. A small number of safe houses, set up for LGBT people to live in relative safety, have been funded by Iraqi LGBT, a London based human rights group. In the current climate, these homes have been life-savers for those taking refuge in them. The house which was raided on Tuesday had been established in January this year.With the arrest and the seizure of computers, it is feared the government will step up efforts to round up more of the country's LGBT population.Ali Hili, who is the leader of Iraqi LGBT, comments: "The UK media and politicians have been too quiet for too long about the violence LGBT people in Iraq. The militia and the powers that be know they can get away with it while that silence continues. It really is time for the Iraqi government to act on this and stop playing the role of guilty bystanders, while our brothers and sisters are murdered in silence"Currently the UK Border Agency is deporting many Iraqis, some who left the country in fear of their lives after death threats from gangsters and religious militia. "The government is grossly underestimating the danger faced by Iraqi refugees." says Ali. "The raid on Tuesday proves for LGBT people especially, Iraq is a no-go zone".
Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing which claimed 2 live and left seven people injured, a second Baghdad roadside bombing wounded eight people, a Falluja sticky bombings wounded three people, a Mosul sticky bombing which claimed 3 lives and, dropping back to last night for both, a Mosul mortar attack which damaged Hadbaa College and 1 person shot dead in Mosul ("on his doorstep").
Monday April 5th, WikiLeaks released US military video of a July 12, 2007 assault in Iraq. 12 people were killed in the assault including two Reuters journalists Namie Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh. Monday June 7th, the US military announced that they had arrested Bradley Manning and he stood accused of being the leaker of the video. Philip Shenon (Daily Beast) reported earlier this month that the US government is attempting to track down WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. Mike Gogulski has started a website entitled Help Bradley Manning. Ian Traynor (Guardian) spoke with Julian Assange:"[US] public statements have all been reasonable. But some statements made in private are a bit more questionable," Assange told the Guardian in Brussels. "Politically it would be a great error for them to act. I feel perfectly safe … but I have been advised by my lawyers not to travel to the US during this period."Assange appeared in public in Brussels for the first time in almost a month to speak at a seminar on freedom of information at the European parliament.He said: "We need support and protection. We have that. More is always helpful. But we believe that the situation is stable and under control. There's no need to be worried. There's a need always to be on the alert."
Chris Vallance (BBC News) adds, "When asked by the BBC whether he was concerned that other people involved with Wikileaks might be vulnerable he said: 'We are concerned to make sure that our volunteers in particular are protected'." Ellen Nakashima (Washington Post) covers the story and notes this of Bradley Manning, "Assange, in his first public appearance since Manning's arrest, voiced concern about Manning's detention without charge and without access to a private lawyer. At a European Parliament panel in Brussels, the Wikileaks founder also took questions about his own security."
Last word goes to Military Families Speak Out:
Contact Congress -- no more money for war!
Congress is not expected to vote on the appropriations supplemental until after the 4th of July. There is still time to build on the growing momentum to defund the wars and bring our troops home now!
Please call or email your Representative today. You can call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121. We have recently heard that personalized emails are also an effective way to communicate with your Representative. You can go to www.contactingthecongress.org, find your Representative, and email or call them directly through their individual websites.
Your Message to Congress:
"As your constituent and military family member I urge you to vote against the $33 billion supplementary spending bill to pay for the escalation of troops in Afghanistan and the continuation of this war and occupation!
I also want you to co-sponsor McGovern's H.R. 5015 that is an enforceable start to withdrawal from Afghanistan."
Note: Right now there are 93 co-sponsors, the full text of the bill and list of co-sponsors can be seen here. If your congressperson has co-sponsored H.R. 5015, thank them! Then your message can be:
"Thank you for taking this important stand against funding the war. I hope you are a member of the Out of Afghanistan Caucus as well as the Out of Iraq Caucus. Your commitment to bringing our troops home now and insisting President Obama develop a rapid, real, and complete plan to bring our troops home now is imperative."
Join us in Detroit!
In alliance with Veterans For Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War, we will be presenting a workshop at the US Social Forum, where thousands of activists from across the country will be gathering. Our workshop, Veterans and Military Families: Impact of the Wars; Impact on Movements, is on Friday June 25th in Detroit, and you can find more details here.
We're also looking for volunteers to sit at our information table during the forum. It's a great networking opportunity! To find out more about the veterans encampment we will be supporting or to let us know you will be there, contact National Organizer Nikki Morse at nikki@mfso.org or 347-703-0570.
Charley Richardson Legacy Fund
We are mid-point in reaching our goal for a $5,000 match donation -- can you help us get the rest of the way there? Right now, any gift you give will be doubled!
The Charley Richardson Legacy Fund is a way to honor the contributions of our co-founder, Charley Richardson, and build on his legacy of leadership in the movement to end the wars. Please go to www.mfsotribute.org to read the powerful messages of support and donate to the fund.
iraq
the los angeles timesned parkerthe christian science monitorjane arraf
the washington postleila fadel
mcclatchy newspaperssahar issa
the guardianian traynorbbc newschris vallanceellen nakashima
nprmorning editionrenee montagne
lourdes garcia-navarro
military families speak out
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Music and TV
Kat's review of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Mojo and her review of Sarah McLachlan's Laws of Illusion went up yesterday so please make a point to check out both.
Her thoughts on Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers? Sad to report she's on the money. I love the band but this album is Tom doodling, not writing songs.
It's rare that I buy an album and feel ripped off. In this case, I downloaded it and went from track to track looking for something to justify the purchase. There was nothing. It's not worth owning.
If you're a Petty fan buy or download an older album. Skip this one.
On music, Rebecca asked me to note this interview with songwriter Diane Warren from today's Talk of the Nation (NPR).
"TV: The small screen's biggest gun" (Ava and C.I., The Third Estate Sunday Review):
However, it wouldn't work at all were it not for Timothy Olyphant. Olyphant plays the lead character, federal marshal Raylan Givens. He's got an ex-wife he's not completely over and a girlfriend who shot her husband dead. He's got a father who's tangled up with the criminal element. And, most of all, a hat he's just not going to part with. All of which are interesting details.
But Olyphant himself is the most interesting detail of all. The only man on TV who convincingly embodies the longing and lust Chris Isaak is always singing about, Olyphant's also the only man who ever made Katie Holmes come off as a sexual being in any performance (Doug Liman's Go). If you're looking for The It Boy of 2010 and 2011, look no further than Olyphant.
Justified actually is a good show. A few weeks ago, when they were watching the episodes -- this was probably mid-May or the end of May -- and reading the scripts, Ava and C.I. suggested I check it out and it really is a good show. I'm not a TV person but I did watch it from that point on through to the season finale (first week of June). It's a show that holds your attention, as does Olyphant.
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Her thoughts on Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers? Sad to report she's on the money. I love the band but this album is Tom doodling, not writing songs.
It's rare that I buy an album and feel ripped off. In this case, I downloaded it and went from track to track looking for something to justify the purchase. There was nothing. It's not worth owning.
If you're a Petty fan buy or download an older album. Skip this one.
On music, Rebecca asked me to note this interview with songwriter Diane Warren from today's Talk of the Nation (NPR).
"TV: The small screen's biggest gun" (Ava and C.I., The Third Estate Sunday Review):
However, it wouldn't work at all were it not for Timothy Olyphant. Olyphant plays the lead character, federal marshal Raylan Givens. He's got an ex-wife he's not completely over and a girlfriend who shot her husband dead. He's got a father who's tangled up with the criminal element. And, most of all, a hat he's just not going to part with. All of which are interesting details.
But Olyphant himself is the most interesting detail of all. The only man on TV who convincingly embodies the longing and lust Chris Isaak is always singing about, Olyphant's also the only man who ever made Katie Holmes come off as a sexual being in any performance (Doug Liman's Go). If you're looking for The It Boy of 2010 and 2011, look no further than Olyphant.
Justified actually is a good show. A few weeks ago, when they were watching the episodes -- this was probably mid-May or the end of May -- and reading the scripts, Ava and C.I. suggested I check it out and it really is a good show. I'm not a TV person but I did watch it from that point on through to the season finale (first week of June). It's a show that holds your attention, as does Olyphant.
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Monday, June 21, 2010. Chaos and violence continue, the Iraqi heat continues, protests over the lack of electricity continues, Turkey again sends troops into Iraq, Ayad Allawi talks of assassination plots, and more.
Starting with Bulls**t Artist of the week: Evan McMorris-Santoro. His "S**t My Rand Says: A compendium of Paul's Wacky Quotes" (Google it, no link to the trash) explains everything that's always been wrong with Joshy Micahy Marshy hairy ass blog TPMCDC. Little Evan never got an education, never read a book apparently. He's trashing Rand Paul and throwing everything he can at him? Why? Because TPMCDC isn't a news outlet, isn't a resource, it's just Democratic Party organ. It's the same crap you'd get from Rush Limbaugh but from the Democratic Party. TPMCDC just discovered the Iraq War continues and Evan McMorris-Santoro decided to use it to smear Rand Paul (who is running for the US Senate and the son of Republican Congress member Ron Paul) with comments like "he's claiming he understands the reasoning behind suicide bomb attacks against US forces in Iraq." We're all supposed to recoil in horror over that.
Of course, Rand Paul understands it. Anyone with a brain can follow it. Rand Paul has not justified bombing anyone -- Evan's trying to pimp that Rand's endorsing bombing US troops -- he's merely noted the mind set. And by talking seriously about a serious issue, he's rewarded by the crap that is TPMDC with a partisan trashing. Rand Paul's not the idiot on this one, Evan McMorris-Santoro and TPMDC are the idiots. Little whores who, in 2004, would have bent over backwards (and did) to justify similar comments by Democratic Party presidential candidate John Kerry now rip apart Rand Paul for similar remars because he's 'on the other side.' All little whores like Evan do is make it that much harder to ever have an honest discussion about Iraq. But they're not about honest discussion and they don't give a f**k about Iraq. All the little whores at TPMDC are about is pimping for Democrats, getting them in office and spending post-election time justifying the elected Dems refusal to do a damn thing.
I don't have time of TPM's crap, the world doesn't have time for it. People are dying and we need something more substantial than talking points and half-truths. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. Most of the time, I just ignore the foul stench from TPM but when they want to pretend to care about the Iraq War? Please. (And Josh cheered that war on as much as Judith Miller's bad reporting did though he tries real hard to pretend otherwise today.) If you want information about Rand Paul, check out his campaign site. Getting information on him from TPM is a bit like asking an accountant's angry, bitter ex whether or not you should hire him/her to keep your books.
Turning to Iraq where the sweltering heat means 100 degree days and the lack of electricity means many Iraqis sleep outside (the US military killed a husband and a wife on a rooftop this month and a Sahwa family was killed by unknown assailants last week while sleeping in their garden). The lack of consistent and reliable electricity in the oil-rich country of Iraq is becoming an issue with the citizens. Saturday Aziz Alwan and Leila Fadel (Washington Post) reported, "At least one person was killed and three others were injured Saturday in the southern port city of Basra when police fired into a crowd of unruly protesters who were demanding electricity and potable water to help cope with the blistering summer heat, officials and witnesses said." Jomana Karadsheh (CNN) noted "More than seven years after the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq still suffers from a lack of basic services including water and electricity. The lack of power is especially unnerving during Iraq's searing summers. Temperatures in Basra, one of the hottest places in the country, soared above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday." In a 24 hour period, Basra receives -- on a good day -- six hours of electricity. Karim Jamil (AFP) added, "Thousands had gathered to demand the dismissal of Electricity Minister Karim Wahid and provincial officials over the rationing, which sees residents receive power for just one hour in five in temperatures that hit 54 degrees Celsius (130 Fahrenheit) on Saturday, an AFP correspondent said." Jamil reports signs reading "We don't want oil or medicine, we want water and electricity" and "The people of Basra ask the authorities to provide services for citizens." Aref Mohammed (Reuters) noted, "Demonstrators said the Basra protest was spontaneous. But provincial council officials from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law bloc said the rally had been exploited by Shi'ite political rivals, who want Maliki to give up his bid for a second term in talks on forming a coalition government." Police fired on the demonstrators. Michael Jansen (Irish Times) reports, " On Saturday one man was shot dead by police at a demonstration protesting the lack of electricity, clean water and services in the southern city of Basra, where most of Iraq's oil is exported. During the funeral of the victim, Haidar Salman, a 26-year-old father of three, protesters demanded the resignation of prime minister Nuri al-Maliki and his caretaker administration."
Basra was the location for Saturday's protests, today they were in Nasiriyah. For protest photos click here. Nasiriyah.org reported on the protests in depth noting that "the protesters gathered in different areas of the city of Nasiriyah, and then moved to the main government building of the province of Dhi Qar." They state that riots broke out and, along with police, the Iraq military arrived in a Hummer. Ambulances arrived on the scene and medical sources confirm that several were wounded and transferred to the hospital. A comment left at the site by "I'm Naserya" expresses the sentiment that the people are demanding that the provincial council and governor be dissolved: "And I repeat, I demand nothing less than the dissolution of the provincial council and governor because of their abject failure in the province." The number of wounded eventually reached 17 -- that's the number of wounded who were taken in ambulances. Tear gas was sprayed and authorities, after the demonstration was broken up, arrested a police officer. That arrest is only mentioned once and the province's "Director General of Police," Maj Gen Saeed, is quoted elsewhere claiming that the police "should be regarded by the Iraqi man as the Holy Grail" ("man" is the word used -- don't blame me for the fact that the US put a bunch of sexist thugs in charge of what was an advanced country). Reuters notes that a water cannon was used.
The two protests struck a nerve in an otherwise unresponsive government or 'government.' Assad Abboud (AFP) reported mid-day that Karim Wahid, the country's Minister of Electricity, was offering to resign on Iraqi state television. Faced with the offer of resignation, Nouri al-Maliki demonstrated the same paralysis that has always characterized his tenure as prime minister. His spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh told the press that "Maliki would take no decision on Wahid's resignation offer until after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday." Nouri froze. And later today when the resignation was accepted -- as everyone knew it would be -- Nouri looked yet again like the village idiot. Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) reports the resignation was accepted and, "The crisis has raised concerns that growin unrest over the lack of basic services could jeopardize efforts to stabilize Iraq even as security improves. It also has put a new dent in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's image as a provider of law and order as he battles to keep his job after inconclusive national elections." Yacoub quotes Wahid announcing ("with courage") his resignation and notes that Nouri's office could not be reached for comment. Al Jazeera adds, "Many parts of southern Iraq receive just six hours of electricity per day, and tempers have flared as an early-summer heat wave in the Gulf pushes temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius."
A new dent in Nouri's image? Try another -- more than any bodyshop could handle. March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. Three months and two days later, still no government. 163 seats are needed to form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance. Together, the two still lack four seats necessary (or so it is thought) to form the government.
"Despite denial and protestation by Iraqi politicians," Jasim Azawi explained on the lastest Inside Iraq (Al Jazeera, began airing Friday), "the decision as to who should govern Iraqi is made as much in Tehran, Damascus and Washington as by Iraqi voters." Last Monday, the Parliament finally met for the first time and for less than 20 minutes. This was the topic Jasim and his guests -- Iraqi National Alliance's Al-Aharif bin al-Hussein and Iraqiya's Mustafa al-Hiti -- explored.
Jasim Azawi: Now that the federal court has sanctioned the results of the March election, the real political horse trading has just started and most likely it is going to continue for some months to come. Al-Aharif bin al-Hussein, what does Iraqiya want exactly from Ayad Allawi?
Al-Aharif bin al-Hussein: Well I think, first of all, we have to all agree that the Constitution states that the largest political bloc has the right to present a candidate for the prime ministership. It doesn't say that the largest winning -- that the largest list -- electoral list --has the right, it says the largest parliamentary bloc and that is the National Alliance. So first we need them to accept that and then we can move on to the second stage which is deciding on who -- which candidate is the most likely to achieve a majority in Parliament. A great deal of the discussion revolves around some -- which party has the right to form the government. That isn't really what's under discussion. What's under discussion should be who is most capable -- able -- to get a majority in Parliament. And from what we see, that at the moment, the two leading candidates, the two front runners, are having a great deal of difficulty. That's Dr. Ayad Allawi --
Jasim Azawi: Until that difficulty is resolved, let me seek the judgment and the wisdom of Mustafa al-Hiti who is a leading figure of al-Iraqiya, headed by Ayad Allawi. Have you in Iraqiya considered the first point and that is: The largest bloc entering the Parliament is going to form the government or the largest winner in the election?
Mustafa al-Hiti: Well I think both from the Constitution and from the call of the Constitutional Court, it is not a Constitutional one, it is the federal one which was formed at least, maybe one year before, we had the Constitution. So this court says it is form both, it is okay. But if we go back to the election law and we define it and we find that any coalition should be formed before the day of election and then closed all, what we call it, the coalition along time before the 7th of March so anything related to this matter, I think, when they said it could be before and after, we don't accept it.
Jasim Azawi: Judging by what you said and what Al-Sharif bin al-Hussein said, it seems to me as well as observers of Iraqi situation, this period between the first session of Parliament and until the next Iraqi government is sworn in, it is going to take perhaps months and some people say even perhaps next year. So Al-Shair bin al-Hussein, let me ask the question in a different manner, what will it take for al-Maliki, for instance, who is currently perhaps your candidate in the Iraqi National Alliance to get the consent of al-Iraqiya? Is there some kind of a sweetner? Is there something you can give him? Because Ayad Allawi is adamant that it his right, that he should be called upon when the Iraqi president is elected -- and most likely that is going to be Jalal Talabani -- that he should be called upon to form the new government.
Al-Aharif bin al-Hussein: Of-of-of course National Alliance hasn't agreed yet on-on a candidate. Uh, but we expect that to happen in the next few weeks. I think --
Jasim Azawi: That's what you said a few weeks ago and that did not happen. It looks like it's quite possible that even this alliance between al-Maliki and [Ammar] al-Hakeem is going to fracture and perhaps they will find, I don't know, a compromise candidate?
Al-Aharif bin al-Hussein: I mean the compromise candidate is always hanging in the wings -- depending upon whether you consider that to be an alternative to Dr. Allawi or Dr. al-Maliki, Mr. Maliki. But going back to your first point, I think what we need from Iraqiya is-is to deal with political realities. The political reality is the National Alliance is now the largest Constitutional bloc. The political reality is that we are very close to the Kurdish bloc in Parliament and that it is very likely that we will reach agreement over the government program in the next four years. At that point, Iraqiya has to make a serious discussion. Will they accept working with us to agree on a candidate which is put forward by the National Alliance or not? It is all well and fine over the last three months that they have been taking this negotiating position and insisting on Dr. Ayad Allawi becoming prime minister, being prime minister, but the political realities are that it is very unlikely that he will be able to form a majority in Parliament.
Jasim floats the idea that the Iraqi government might not be formed until next year. Lourdes Garcia-Navarro (NPR's All Things Considered) reports on the rising anxiety among Iraqis with the political stalemate and the US drawdown.
Meanwhile Ned Parker (Los Angeles Times) reports Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi has stated that unnamed persons in the current Iraqi government are devising a plan to assassinate him:
Allawi first spoke publically of the alleged assassination plot at a public gathering Saturday after the pan-Arab newspaper Al Sharq al Awsat published a report about the threat, citing unnamed security sources. He said a sniper planned to shoot him on the road to the Baghdad airport or inside the compound.
Allawi said Sunday that he was warned that the plot would be preceded by a government order barring all politicians from flying into and out of the Muthanna airfield, a restricted military base in Baghdad from which Allawi had traveled exclusively since 2004. The order came down last week.
Parker also notes that the US military put in writing (last April -- and Parker saw it and the military confirmed it to him) that they had heard reports that there would be an attempt on Allawi's life. Oliver August (Times of London via the Australian -- Rupert, work on your firewalls) reminds, "Members of Mr Allawi's Iraqiya bloc has been the target of repeated assassination attempts since the March election" and he quotes Allawi stating, "When they want to assassinate a person they have different ways. I was told there are reasons to believe there is a plan to assassinate me by sticking a bomb in my car at a checkpoint, perhaps a temporary one that is set up illegally." UAE's National Newspaper adds, "The Iraqi government will be the first to be held accountable in the event of a security shortfall, for the safety of party leaders remains the government's responsibility. That was basically Mr Allawi's message: the Iraqi government isn't doing enough to protect the Iraqi people's choice."
Allawi first spoke publically of the alleged assassination plot at a public gathering Saturday after the pan-Arab newspaper Al Sharq al Awsat published a report about the threat, citing unnamed security sources. He said a sniper planned to shoot him on the road to the Baghdad airport or inside the compound.
Allawi said Sunday that he was warned that the plot would be preceded by a government order barring all politicians from flying into and out of the Muthanna airfield, a restricted military base in Baghdad from which Allawi had traveled exclusively since 2004. The order came down last week.
Parker also notes that the US military put in writing (last April -- and Parker saw it and the military confirmed it to him) that they had heard reports that there would be an attempt on Allawi's life. Oliver August (Times of London via the Australian -- Rupert, work on your firewalls) reminds, "Members of Mr Allawi's Iraqiya bloc has been the target of repeated assassination attempts since the March election" and he quotes Allawi stating, "When they want to assassinate a person they have different ways. I was told there are reasons to believe there is a plan to assassinate me by sticking a bomb in my car at a checkpoint, perhaps a temporary one that is set up illegally." UAE's National Newspaper adds, "The Iraqi government will be the first to be held accountable in the event of a security shortfall, for the safety of party leaders remains the government's responsibility. That was basically Mr Allawi's message: the Iraqi government isn't doing enough to protect the Iraqi people's choice."
Turning to violence. Last week both Iran and Turkey continued shelling Iraq's northern region. Turkey sent 800 ground troops into northern Iraq and made a big to-do over pulling them out. The violence continued over the weekend. Saturday, Turkish military planes again bombed northern Iraq as the struggle between the Turkish military and the PKK continued. The PKK has bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. They advocate for a Kurdish homeland (and a bit more but that's their overall goal). They are seen as terrorists by a number of governments including Turkey, the US, the UK and by the European Union. Sebnem Arsu (New York Times) reported that the PKK launched an attack Saturday which resulted in 8 Turkish soldiers being killed and fourteen more injured leading to the Turkish bombings. (Saturday's death toll for Turkish soldiers would rise to 11.) The call-and-response of the activities may cover Saturday, but this back-and-forth has been going on for years. BBC News traces this week's exchanges between the two groups and also goes back a bit further. Turkish planes continued bombing on Sunday and among the dead was a teenage Kurdish girl, said to be "the first reported civilian death," according to Selcan Hacoglu (AP) who noted her three-year-old brother was injured in the assualt as was the children's mother. Sify puts the girl's age at 11. AFP states the girl was 15 and reports, "By Sunday morning, the [Turksih ground] troops had advanced 10km into Iraqi territory in the Qandil mountains where the rebels maintain a network of rear bases in their 26-year-old armed campaign for self-rule in south-eastern Turkey, the Iraqi Kurdish security official said." Hoshyar Zebar, Iraq's Foreign Minister stated, "No country should resort to unilateral action." Today Reuters reports that Turkish helicopters have also been deployed and "Elite troops rappelled down from helicopters and poured out of mechanised infantry units to surround Kurdish rebels in an opeartion along the Iraqi border, security sources said" while Turkey's President Abdullah Gul met with his cabinet for "an emergency security meeting." AFP adds that Turkey is using drones -- made in Israel -- to fly over and monitor northern Iraq. (On the topic of drones, AP's Chet Brokaw reports that the 'home' for the US squadrons operating the US drones in Iraq and Afghanistan will be South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base.)
As this continues to heat up, it's a good thing that PBS' NewsHour didn't recently have the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on as a guest and 'forget' to ask him about the PKK and about the meeting between the KRG's President Massud Barzani and the Turkish president. Oh wait, The NewsHour did 'forget.' And in the process not only wasted everyone's time, missed the opportunity to inform which is supposed to be its role and is, in fact, why it gets grants and, yes, tax payer dollars. If you're late to the party, refer to the June 2nd snapshot. Semih Idiz (Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News) offers this analysis of the conflict:
Most of the anger on the Turkish side is being directed at the Erdoğan government, whose so called "Kurdish Opening," many believe, is at the bottom of this turmoil. That contention is true to a large extent, except that the name is wrong. It was never a "Kurdish opening" as such, but in fact a "PKK opening" which, in the end, was totally mismanaged and inevitably went awry.
Many Turks believe that the government caved to the PKK – which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, as well as the United States and the European Union – as a result of this "opening." This feeling was heightened after last year's scenes at the Habur border gate with northern Iraq, when PKK militants giving themselves up were greeted by Turkish officials. The idea was that those militants would be arrested but given the full leniency of the law, with the understanding that, if they showed a degree of repentance, they would be allowed to go free.
Here we go again. Another regime under the influence of the military opting to continue a violent solution that has already cost thousands of lives.
Turkey is repeating its big mistake as just Iraq and Sudan did. Turkey, like Saddam Hussein's Iraq previously, should learn that you cannot deny people their basic human rights. What are the Kurds in Turkey and for that matter the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) are asking for is only basic recognition of the fact that they are a people who are different and want to enjoy their cultural identity.
Turkey is repeating its big mistake as just Iraq and Sudan did. Turkey, like Saddam Hussein's Iraq previously, should learn that you cannot deny people their basic human rights. What are the Kurds in Turkey and for that matter the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) are asking for is only basic recognition of the fact that they are a people who are different and want to enjoy their cultural identity.
It is ridiculous that Turkey only until recently would not even recognise the existence of the Kurds in Turkey. So why is this mighty unholy alliance of all the major powers ganging up against a few hundred PKKs?
In other news, the mass bombings in Iraq are not over. Sunday demonstrated that yet again. Liz Sly and Usama Redha (Los Angeles Times) report a Baghdad "double suicide bombing" outside -- guess where. What was last Sunday's target? A bank. Right. THis was outside a government bank. They count 27 dead and fifty-seven injured. Khalid D. Ali and Timothy Williams (New York Times) add, "The twin blasts near Nisour Square, which was crowded with people at the start of the workweek here, were powerful enough to toss several cars onto nearby rooftops, witnesses said, and turned the area into a scene reminiscent of the worst days of the war, with white sheets covering the dead, body parts littering the ground and people with shrapnel wounds wandering dazed, asking for water." Al Jazeera notes:
Al Jazeera's Omar al-Saleh, reporting from Baghdad, said the location of the attack would be viewed as another sign that the Iraqi army and police are struggling to provide basic security.
"If you walk 150 metres, you will have an Iraqi army checkpoint there," he said. "So it's kind of a blow to the security forces."
Kim Gamel (AP) reports, "Hours later, a man wearing an explosives vest blew himself up as police and onlookers responded to a roadside bomb apparently set as a trap in the northern city of Tikrit. At least five people were killed and 12 wounded in the late night attack, according to police and hospital officials."
In other violence today, Reuters notes a Baiji motorcycle bombing injured six people, a Shirqat suicide bomber took his/her own life and claimed the lives of 8 other people (with ten more wounded), 1 person shot dead in Mosul and, dropping back to last night, a Mosul roadside bombing which left three police officers injured.
Al Jazeera's Omar al-Saleh, reporting from Baghdad, said the location of the attack would be viewed as another sign that the Iraqi army and police are struggling to provide basic security.
"If you walk 150 metres, you will have an Iraqi army checkpoint there," he said. "So it's kind of a blow to the security forces."
Kim Gamel (AP) reports, "Hours later, a man wearing an explosives vest blew himself up as police and onlookers responded to a roadside bomb apparently set as a trap in the northern city of Tikrit. At least five people were killed and 12 wounded in the late night attack, according to police and hospital officials."
In other violence today, Reuters notes a Baiji motorcycle bombing injured six people, a Shirqat suicide bomber took his/her own life and claimed the lives of 8 other people (with ten more wounded), 1 person shot dead in Mosul and, dropping back to last night, a Mosul roadside bombing which left three police officers injured.
Moving over to the finanical cost of war, at the start of this month, the Institute for Public Accuracy offered a dollar amount for the financial costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars: $1 trillion dollars. BBC notes that the costs for the UK government in fighting the two wars has surpassed the 20 billion pound mark -- which would be approximately 29.7 billion US dollars. They go on to note, "Critics questioned why the UK was spending so much on conflict when public finances were in a dire state." The US has spent much, much more than that but ask yourself when you ever heard the anchor of the ABC, CBS or NBC news note that anyone might wonder why, when the US' economy is "in a dire state," the government was spending so much money on war? Carl Ramey (North Carolina's Pilot) notes, "Amazing, isn't it? We can talk endlessly about the nation's debt crisis and rampant spending, but nary a word about two wars that are costing us more than $12 billion every single month, and whose cumulative costs, over the past eight years, have already surpassed $1 trillion."
Last week, the Washington Post offered an editorial (noted in Friday's snapshot) asserting the US Senate Armed Services Committee was acting irresponsibly, Senator Carl Levin, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, responds:
The Post's recent editorial on U.S. funding for Iraq's defense ministry ["Poor transition," June 18] accused the Senate Armed Services Committee of ignoring "a few facts" in trimming $1 billion from the administration's request of $2 billion for Iraq security funding. That's funny, because The Post ignored plenty of facts in its editorial.
The Post made two arguments: that Iraq's budget is in such terrible shape that it can't make up the funding difference on its own and that the cut sends a message "that the long-term strategic partnership" between our two nations "is likely to be barren." Both arguments are wrong.
The case that Iraq's budget is in worse shape than our own, and therefore the country is unable to provide funding for its own defense, is simply false. The Post ignored the fact that just this month, Iraq's finance minister reported that the budget has a $10 billion surplus, thanks to rising oil prices, and that projections for future deficits have fallen. At the same time that oil prices are bringing a budget windfall, Iraq is slashing spending on its security.
Even with our approved cut, U.S. taxpayers will contribute $1 billion next year directly to building Iraq's military, in addition to the cost of maintaining our troop presence. I doubt American taxpayers see that as a "barren" commitment.
Supporters of the Iraq war downplayed or ignored the costs in advocating invasion. Those costs now total more than $800 billion. The American taxpayer can't ignore those costs, and neither can we in Congress.
Carl Levin, Washington
Wednesday the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing which is covered in Wednesday's snapshot and Friday's snapshot. Alaska's Senator Mark Begich did the bulk of the questioning in the first panel and chaired the second panel. His office notes:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Julie Hasquet, Press Secretary
(907) 258-9304 office
(907) 350-4846 cell
June 16, 2010
2010-120
U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, chairing a hearing of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today secured a commitment from the Veterans Administration (VA) to a high level meeting in the next three months with officials from the Indian Health Services (IHS) to focus on ways to improve care for rural veterans.
The topic of the hearing was VA Health Care in Rural Areas and included testimony from three Alaska witnesses directly involved in health care delivery to Alaska's veterans.
"I am pleased the VA recognizes the challenges faced by Alaska's veterans, particularly in rural areas, in accessing affordable and easily available health care services," Begich said. "The more we can coordinate and find ways to improve the system, the better off Alaska's veterans will be."
The committee heard testimony from Dan Winkelman, Vice President and General Counsel at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation; Brigadier General Deborah McManus, Assistant Adjutant General and Commander, Alaska National Guard; and Verdie Bowen, Director, Office of Veterans Affairs, Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
All of the Alaska witnesses testified about the difficulty in providing efficient services for veterans in rural parts of the state.
Winkelman testified that high energy, food and personnel costs add to the enormous disparity rural veterans have in accessing health care, a problem compounded by the fact there are few veterans health facilities in rural areas.
"To lack access upon their return from duty to culturally appropriate and quality health care services by the VA is a shame," Winkelman said.
Witnesses talked about the possibility and need for allowing rural veterans to access care at IHS funded facilities and have the VA reimburse the provider later, in many cases saving money and time by not forcing veterans to travel to Alaska's larger cities where VA facilities are located.
In response to the testimony and under questioning from Sen. Begich, VA Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management, William Schoenhard agreed to organize a high level meeting between VA and IHS officials in the next few months.
"We should collaborate. I would certainly welcome how we can better serve and get veterans engaged with IHS," Schoenhard testified.
Schoenhard admitted the VA doesn't have a thorough understanding of some of the obstacles faced by rural veterans and is looking at ways to revitalize the Rural Pilot Project, an outreach program designed to enroll more rural Alaska veterans in the VA health system.
And finally, David Bacon offers photos of a San Francisco demonstration "Afternoon Unloading of Israeli Ship at Oakland Port Canceled after Morning Protest" (Berkeley Daily Planet):
"Hundreds of demonstrators from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area set up early morning picketlines in front of four gates into the SSA terminal in the Port of Oakland, as a ship carrying Israeli cargo was preparing to dock. Demonstrators were protesting the Israeli attack on the flotilla that sought to break the blockade of Gaza, in which Israeli troops killed nine people. In response to the picketline, members of Local 10 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union decided not to go into the terminal and unload the cargo. In the afternoon, with picketlines again in front of the gate, the stevedoring company decided not to ask for a crew of longshosre workers to unload the ship, in the expectation that the crew would again not enter the terminal."
David Bacon's latest book is Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press) which won the CLR James Award. Bacon can be heard on KPFA's The Morning Show (over the airwaves in the Bay Area, streaming online) each Wednesday morning (begins airing at 7:00 am PST).
"Hundreds of demonstrators from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area set up early morning picketlines in front of four gates into the SSA terminal in the Port of Oakland, as a ship carrying Israeli cargo was preparing to dock. Demonstrators were protesting the Israeli attack on the flotilla that sought to break the blockade of Gaza, in which Israeli troops killed nine people. In response to the picketline, members of Local 10 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union decided not to go into the terminal and unload the cargo. In the afternoon, with picketlines again in front of the gate, the stevedoring company decided not to ask for a crew of longshosre workers to unload the ship, in the expectation that the crew would again not enter the terminal."
David Bacon's latest book is Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press) which won the CLR James Award. Bacon can be heard on KPFA's The Morning Show (over the airwaves in the Bay Area, streaming online) each Wednesday morning (begins airing at 7:00 am PST).
iraq
the washington post
aziz alwan
leila fadel
cnn
jomana karadsheh
afp
karim jamil
the new york times
sebnem arsu
reuters
aref mohammed
the washington post
aziz alwan
leila fadel
cnn
jomana karadsheh
afp
karim jamil
the new york times
sebnem arsu
reuters
aref mohammed
Friday, June 18, 2010
Clarifing
Just a little hint: Don't send me your anti-Zionist tracts. I'm really not interested. I think you make yourself look ridiculous as you invent these fantasies. There are plenty of real problems with the government in Israel without you inventing conspiracies.
I've had 12 different articles about the 'Zionist conspiracy' that took down Helen Thomas sent to my inbox. That's not what took down Helen Thomas. You can drink the crazy, you cut lines of it and snort the crazy, but don't invite me to have a toke because I don't want it.
Think also what it says about the people writing these pieces. It's not just that they believe in a Zionist conspiracy (Zionism exists, I'm not speaking of that, I'm speaking of conspiracy talk that's really revolting), it's that they think it's so much more powerful. They're basically saying that it has the world's ear and their own position (pro-Palestinian for the Z.C.s -- not all pro-Palestinians are Z.C.s) is so lowly that they can't compete.
They live to play the victim.
The press turned on Helen. They attacked her. They did so because she showed them up. They did so because they were encouraged to and rewarded for doing it.
This is how the media system works.
If you're lost, go read "Media: Let's Kill Helen!" and hopefully that will clear it up for you.
But stop sending me this garbage. I'm not interested in. It feeds on itself and quickly turns into hate speech thereby neutralizing any real critiques it might have contained.
Today is Day 59 of the Gulf Disaster. I have no idea how many days it is of the economic disaster. On the latter, Sunny and I were discussing an article at lunch today.
"Unemployment Sets More Traps for Transgender People" (Megan Carpentier, Women's eNews):
As the recession takes a deeper toll on jobs, income and wages, more Americans are filling out forms for jobs, unemployment insurance, Medicaid and food stamps.
It's a labyrinthine process for anyone. But for transgender people, it often comes with a particularly upsetting price: outing themselves.
Riley, a 28-year-old transman working as a teacher's aide in New York, who asked that his last name be kept private, began his on-the-job transition without any grand announcement.
He simply turned up for his first day of work at school looking, he thought, like a man.
The children agreed, but the teacher under whom he was working kept calling him "she." Having to explain to his adult boss something the children understood instinctively was just the start of the small humiliations.
Unemployment brought new ones, when he had to appear in person to apply for his card for Medicaid. His paperwork was inconsistent.
He had recently updated his New York State license to identify him as male, but his Social Security card identified him as female. That's because he didn't meet the federal requirement of having undergone permanent surgery.
His birth certificate also said he was female because his home state of Georgia won't allow him to change it under any circumstances.
That is really unsettling and there are so many things that the transgendered community has to go through on a daily basis. I think the transgendered persons are where gays and lesbians were in the late sixties early seventies. Meaning that it is better in pockets of the US but there is not the understanding or acceptance that is needed. In part, that results from the fact that there's not a great deal (outside of trash TV) of attention to the issue from the mainstream. When there is attention, it tends to portray the transgendered as a psycho. (For every The Crying Game, there ae twenty Dressed To Kill's.)
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Friday, June 10, 2010. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq's border problems now include the one they share with Syria, Allawi says Iraq needs help to end the political stalemate that has gripped the country, and more.
We'll start with this by Iraq Veterans Against the War's Adrienne Kinne:
The US Social Forum is taking place in Detroit, MI from June 22-26, 2010 and IVAW will be there!
1) IVAW will be leading a GI Resistance Workshop. Iraq and Afghanistan War Resisters will testify to the struggle and value of resisting militarism and discuss what support is needed to build the GI Movement. http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/building-gi-resistance-movement
2) Building a Military Resistance Movement: Veterans, Service Members & Allies Organizing Together. This workshop, lead by IVAW and Civilian- Soldier Alliance will be an introductory training on supporting war resisters and being a strong and accountable ally to veterans and service-members organizing for change. http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/building-military-resistance-movement-ve...
3) Veterans and Military Families: Impact of the Wars; Impact on Movements. An exploration of how veterans and military families use their unique voices and perspectives to end wars and promote peace and social change. http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/veterans-and-military-families-impact-wa...
In the US, the morning began with AFP reporting a car bombing in Baquba today has resulted in at least thirty-two people injured. BBC News explains the bombing targeted a police officer's home and that a Tuz Khormato car bombing which claimed 7 lives and left at least fifty injured in a bombing targeting a Shia Turkmen councillor. Tim Arango (New York Times) reports the death toll has risen to 9 for the Tuz Khomato bombing. DPA notes a Baghdad home invasion in which a Water Resources Ministry worker, his wife and their two sons were all shot dead. Of the Baghdad home invasion and that the wife was pregnant while adding that Hossam al-Majmaai ("chief of the Awakening Councils tribal security force in Diayala province") survived an assassination attempt.
As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Turkey and Iran continue to shell northern Iraq. Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) explains today, "The Turkish military today said that they had killed over 100 Kurdish rebels in the past month of attacks on northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, including 20 in the past week. Most of the deaths came in air strikes against the region, but earlier this week hundreds of Turkish soldiers also briefly marched into Iraqi Kurdistan in 'hot pursuit' of rebels, sparking a multi-hour gunbattle." Iraq shares borders with Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria. Two of those borders -- Iran and Turkey -- are now sources of violence. A third may be emerging. Tim Arango (New York Times) reports 7 Iraqi soldiers were killed near the shared border with Syria today by unknown assailants.
In addition, Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports Baghdad International Airport was shelled with mortars Friday afternoon, a Thursday night Babuba police station bombing claimed the live of 2 police officers with three more wounded and, dropping back to Wednesday, a Mosul sticky bombing which clamed the life of 1 police officer. Reuters notes a US interpreter, Hameed al-Daraji, was shot dead last night in his home by his son and his nephew due to being seen as a collaborator and traitor to Iraq.
Today the Washington Post offers an editorial entitled "The Senate picks a bad time to slash funds for Iraq" and it's a notion that we disagree with. But we'll pan for gold and ignore the alleged calamity that may result/is resulting from the Senate halfing Barack's request for $2 billion for the Iraq War to $1 billion. The board thinks it's a good thing that Iraq's spending so much on their security forces that that they have "needed bailouts from both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to fund its budget" and even more so that US Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill and Gen Ray Odierno have written a letter about how Iraq (quoting letter) "will have to issue new debt to cover its budget deficit in 2010." Note where the money goes, note where it doesn't go. Note also that 'security forces' have not stopped the violence (though they've frequently actively contributed to it).
March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. Three months and two days later, still no government. 163 seats are needed to form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance. Together, the two still lack four seats necessary (or so it is thought) to form the government.CNN interviewed Ayad Allawi and they report he states that the stalemate will continue and the country "needs a lot of support to get out of this bottleneck and to secure its borders, to secure its stability, and to form a government." Meanwhile Jeffrey Feltman, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, is in Iraq in an attempt to minimize the damage Chris Hill's doing. Liz Sly (Los Angeles Times) interviews him:Q: Do you feel there's a risk of another sectarian war, or has that danger passed?
I don't think anyone should be complacent. There is a history here. But in general Iraqis have turned to politics rather than violence as reflected in the political spectrum, as reflected in the elections and these are encouraging signs.
Q: What is the worst-case scenario for the road ahead, and what is the best?
I think that right now a worst-case scenario is that the government formation process be deadlocked to the point where institutions stop functioning. I don't see that happening, but one has to keep that in mind that that could happen. There are just a number of scenarios that are positive scenarios.… I would say an Iraq that is sovereign and self-reliant, that integrates into the region, where Iraq's communities feel their interests are represented.
In a new UN PSA, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie notes, "Having a home, a place where we feel safe, is something most of us take for granted. Yet those who flee from conflict and persecution no longer have a home. And it will be years before they can even return. In fact, many may never go home again. On this day, World Refugee Day, please remember the millions of people around the world forced from their homes whose only hope of returning is to not be forgotten." World Refugee Day is this Sunday (June 20th). In 'honor' of that, England, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands have been doing forced deportations of Iraqi refugees. Jim Muir (BBC News) reports that the UNHCR has started an investgation into whether or not British Border Agency employees beat Iraqi refugees, "The UKBA declined to comment on the specific allegations, but said minimum force would only be used as a last resort." Apparently grasping that their 'heartwarming' statement would not go over well, the UKBA sent David Wood out to make the press rounds. Tom Pugh (Press Association) quotes him stating, "We reject all allegations that Iraqi returnees removed from the UK were mistreated by our staff. We can confirm that 43 Iraqi nationals were removed on a chartered flight to Baghdad on Wednesday 16 June." Owen Bowcott and Sam Jones (Guardian) add, "Iraqi officials were alleged to have boarded the flight when it touched down early yesterday to help security staff employed by the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) punch and drag reluctant failed asylum seekers off the plane." What a great way for Great Britian to kick off World Refugee Day.
Let's switch over to the US. Senator Daniel Akaka is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. His office notes:
AKAKA AND BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS URGE INCREASED VA/DOD COORDINATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Senators call for specific actions from Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to the secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs sent yesterday, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and a bipartisan group of Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services committee members urged stronger coordination and better follow up on traumatic brain injury (TBI).
"For the past nine years we have been a nation at war, and traumatic brain injury has become the signature wound. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have taken commendable steps to understand and treat TBI, but they must improve collaboration and share what they have learned. Veterans and their families should not have to wait nearly a decade for the government to adapt to the needs of the wounded," said Akaka.
The Senators called for specific improvements from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, including:
Prompt action to finalize and implement DOD's draft policy mandating evaluation and rest periods for individuals with TBI, and to ensure that existing policies are being adhered to by each military service branch;
Action to ensure documentation of TBI and follow-up during Post-Deployment Health Assessments and Reassessments;
Expedited establishment of DOD centers of excellence for military eye injuries, and for hearing loss and amputations;
Quicker progress to make VA/DOD collaboration and data transfers more robust, comprehensive, and seamless; and
Making full use of authority granted by Congress for VA to partner with state, local, and community providers to improve access to care and reduce the burden on veterans receiving treatment for TBI, and their family members.
Last month, the Veterans' Affairs Committee held an oversight hearing on the state of care for troops and veterans suffering from TBI. In January 2008, Congress passed provisions authored by Chairman Akaka and approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee to reform VA/DOD collaboration and care related to TBI as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Akaka continues to work with committee members and others to ensure effective implementation.
To view the letter, click here: LINK
-END-
Kawika Riley
Communications Director and Legislative Assistant
U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), Chairman
http://veterans.senate.gov In addition, Wednesday the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing which Chair Akaka brought to order noting, "Today we will discuss VA health care in rural areas. Rural settings are some of the most difficult for VA and other government agencies to deliver care. I beieve, and I know many of my colleagues on this Committee share the view, that we must utilize all the tools at our disposal in order to provice access to care and services for veterans in rural and remote locations." We covered the first panel in Wednesday's snapshot and we'll grab the second panel now. The second panel was made up of Brig Gen Deborah McManus, Yuckon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation's Dan Winkelman, the VA's William Schoenhard, the VA's Verdie Bowen and Dr. Robert Jesse (Dr. Jesse also appeared on the first panel). This section of the hearing was chaired by Alaska Senator Mark Begich. Verdie Bowen explained that it could be difficult getting veterans to register for the programs and Dan Wikelman noted obstacles for rural areas including access to basic services and the cost of them. As Brig Gen McManus noted, there are areas in Alaska that, forget the internet, do not even have phone service.
Chair Mark Begich: [. . .] General, I know you with your work with women veterans -- and I know the coordination that you're doing there -- even within women veterans, it's a small, I want to say it's about a third of them are signed up or taking advantadge. Can you elaborate a little on what you think and maybe following up a little bit on Mr. Bowen's comments regarding how hard it is to register. What are you finding specifically in the area with women veterans? I know it's a concern for me, I know it's a concern for Senator [Patty] Murray. Give me a little bit of thought on that.
Brig Gen Deborah McManus: Well when we look at our women -- female -- women veteran population, a lot of them are from the older wars and I think there's a cultural issue there. Many of them, they were in subordinate roles or support roles and their service was not greatly appreciated when they returned to the States. And also, a lot of them experienced Military Sexual Trauma whether its rape, sexual assault or harassment and so there was a fear of seeking help through the system so a lot of them just faded away. However, I think, it's different with our current OEF/OIF veterans. There are mechanisms so that they can report it and receive help. And a lot of times women do not recognize they're veterans and women have traditionally been in a caregiver role so I think there's a cultural issue but there's an education issue and when we did that veterans -- women veterans outreach campaign in November of '09 last year, we did see an increase in enrollment and use of services. 300 women additionally enrolled and 400 seeking services. So I think it's a routine, education system, let women know, they are vets too, they have earned these rights and these are their benefits. And a lot of them have female specific health care needs. So now they understand that the VA facilities can provide services in those areas as well.
Chair Mark Begich: Very good. Let me, if I can move over to this side, to either one of you who'd answer, is there more that the VA can do? And as an example was just given, how the outreach was done to increase the amount of women who recognized that they have benefits available to them but not be taking them for a variety of reasons as just described. Do you have any thoughts on that, Dr. -- Dr. Jesse then?
Dr. Robert Jesse: Mmm. A couple of things. I think the issues that have been brought up are really important. We've historically, in the health care side, measured access by wait times to clinic visits or wait times --
Chair Mark Begich: How many came through? How long they waited?
Dr. Robert Jesse: How long they waited. And-and all that's irrelevant if they don't know that they are entitled to services, they can't access those services, uh, they can't get to us, we're not connected to them in one way or another. And particularly as we move to our new models of care if you will where, uh, we're not talking about episodic access as a driving function but actually connectivity, that front end engagement becomes absolutely crucial. And we-we have an awful lot of effort going on trying to understand this now. Why don't people declare themselves as veterans on forms? Why-why can we repeatedly send people information and they just don't act upon it? Our assumption is, "Well, we sent it to you and you should have acted on it." And the simple answer is peope should probably be enrolled when they swear into the military. I mean we talk about seemless transition and there is a lot of discussion going on with -- between VA and Department of Defense, how do we best effect that? And I can only say that, again, this is the Secretary's, one of his top priorities and he understands these issues probably better than-than any of our leadership in prior years. So we are trying to understand this. We are trying to make it easier. But there are complex issues here. In terms of the women's issues, this gets, again, really interesting because historically we measure what we do in health care statistically, we look at quality statistically. But whenever we try and look at women's health issues, the numbers aren't big enough to make sense of the statistics and what we've really learned from this is we-we have to treat each individual as a [. . . "end"?] of one and try and understand how we can manage their health care needs in much more specific manner. And so the VA in the past several of years has done a lot of that, every VA facility now has women's health coordinators. We do have an office for women's issues that's very proactive in-in-in trying to develop these -- The issue of Military Sexual Trauma are extremely complex. Just to get them coming forward, I think, is, uhm, is happening because the discussion is coming out into the open. And again, we're-we're-we're willing to accept any help, any advice and we see these as very important issues and are trying to deal with them.
Chair Mark Begich: Do you -- So obviously for, if the General has some ideas, she'll be able to share them with you and you'll? That's good. I'll leave that to you two to go forward. Let me kind of narrow down if I can on one and that's the Rural Health Project. Mr. Winkleman laid out some concerns and I know you've heard from me more than once on this issue. The idea, and I think you had three suggestions, but I want to take it to a little broader and maybe, Dr. Schoenhard, if you could respond to this and that is, maybe be a little bold here, the effort and the idea is good. I don't think anybody disagrees with that. The implementation is the struggle. And it sounds like, based on the testimony, there might have been some linkages in the front end that might not have been put together as well and now we're trying to kind of patch it as we go along. I'm wondering if it's better to kind of freeze frame for a second on it and say, "Okay, let's sit down with our rural health care providers who've been in the business for years and have figured out how to deliver to the most remote areas of the world, in a lot of ways, health care and how to restart it"; rather than I think what's happening, the sense I get, I may be wrong about this but I hear from so many different people, it's almost like we are trying to patch a little issue here and patch a little issue when really maybe what we really need is to freeze frame it, stop it, step back, what's the right approach? Bring some of the people who've been in the field say what's the should we do differently? Just the fact that you have to go get -- opt in through another type of system before you're really in? You know, I can only tell you from my experience and Dan [Winkelman] has much more experience around this for rural individuals who live in rural areas for most of their life, that's just another piece of paper they're not going to read. They're just -- I don't want to say they give up, but they do less. Is there -- Is that too bold of an opportunity? I'm just trying to -- It seems like every time I talk about this issue it's like almost starting a knot and moving the knot . Give me your thoughts on that.
William Schoenhard: Yes, Senator. I think the numbers on that speak for themselves. We obviously are struggling with getting veterans to sign up for this program. At this point, only 21% in the pilot have signed up and, of that, very few have asked for primary care authorization or mental health consulations. So I think the numbers speak for themselves. We need to improve. We have hired a
company to do a focus group to understand better why we haven't had more success in enrolling veterans but we welcome what Mr. Winkelman, Mr. Bowman have shared today. I think we need to sit down and understand together because IHS has assets on the ground, they are in the communities. They understand well what is needed there much better than anyone else that would be in a distant location with VA or anywhere else. And we should collaborate. And I think your suggestion that we freeze frame, we were talking a lit bit during the break, during the recess --
[Laughing] That was strategically done, you know that.
Yes, sir. We had good conversation and I welcome undertaking the discussion of the three recomendations that were shared and see how to better serve and better get veterans engaged with IHS in these locations.
Turning from veterans to service members, from Wednesday's snapshot: "For the month of April, the US Army announced yesterday, they can confirm 4 suicides among active-duty service memberrs with six still being investigated and there are nine ongoing investigations into May deaths. For the reserves, the US Army said there 7 suicides in April and 2 in May with ten more still being investigated." Jaime Tarabay reported yesterday on army suicides for Morning Edition (NPR -- link has text and audio):Mr. EDWARD COLLEY: I'm Ed Colley. I'm the father of Stephen Colley, Private First Class, United States Army. Stephen committed suicide three years ago in May of 2007.
TARABAY: The last time Colley saw his son was at a family gathering in April 2007. Stephen, a helicopter mechanic, had been back in the country for about five months since a tour in Iraq. Colley says Stephen was detached. He spent the days watching cartoons. He fought with his wife.
TARABAY: From there it was a downhill stumble, struggling in a work environment an Army investigation later called hostile. On May 16, 2007, home alone, Stephen Colley argued with his wife through text messages. Edward Colley says at one point his son asked her if there was rope in the storage shed.Mr. COLLEY: He had texted his wife that suicide was an option. She immediately called the appropriate folks at the base, but Stephen - unfortunately in this case, Stephen was a very, very smart boy. And he had figured out how to make sure that nobody else would interfere with his plan.TARABAY: The plan was to overdose on medication and then hang himself from a tree. He was 22 years old. The military ruled his death a suicide. But for Edward Colley the hardest thing about his son's death is he believes it could've been prevented. The day before he killed himself, Stephen Colley took an Army mental health assessment - multiple choice questions, including some about intent to harm yourself. There were four possible answers.Mr. COLLEY: And he picked the most severe, that he was thinking about committing suicide more than half the time.TARABAY: And instead of acting on that information, the social worker who did Stephen Colley's assessment put him down for a sleep study in three weeks' time. The Army's own investigation said the established procedures failed to address his mental condition.
Monday April 5th, WikiLeaks released US military video of a July 12, 2007 assault in Iraq. 12 people were killed in the assault including two Reuters journalists Namie Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh. Monday June 7th, the US military announced that they had arrested Bradley Manning and he stood accused of being the leaker of the video. Philip Shenon (Daily Beast) reported Friday that the US government is attempting to track down WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. Mike Gogulski has started a website entitled Help Bradley Manning. Simon Lauder (Australia's ABC News) provides this update: It has since been reported that American officials are searching for Mr Assange to pressure him not to publish the cables. But an unnamed source in the Obama administration has told Newsweek that the US government is not trying to convince Mr Assange not to release the cables, but it is trying to contact him. The World Today has also received an email from Mr Assange which says: "Due to present circumstances, I am not able to easily conduct interviews".In an email to supporters this week, Mr Assange denies Wikileaks has 260,000 classified US department cables. But he confirms the website has a video of a US air strike on a village in western Afghanistan in May last year. The Afghan government said at the time of the attack that 140 civilians died.
TV notes. On PBS' Washington Week, Charles Babington (AP), Joan Biskupic (USA Today), Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) and Doyle McManus (Los Angeles Times) join Gwen around the table. Gwen's column is "Covering the oil disaster." This week, Bonnie Erbe will sit down with Jehan Harney, Melinda Henneberger, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Tara Setmayer and Genevieve Wood on the latest broadcast of PBS' To The Contrary to discuss the week's events. And at the website each week, there's an extra just for the web from the previous week's show and this week's online bonus is a discussion on the press' latest attempt to start Mommy Wars. And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers:
Assault on PelindabaScott Pelley investigates the boldest assault ever on a facility containing weapons-grade uranium, a still-unsolved crime that could have had calamitous consequences had it been successful. Watch Video
The LiquidatorThe man in charge of recovering assets from Ponzi scheme king Bernard Madoff says there is about 18 billion still out there that he hopes to recover for victims of the scam. But it won't be easy. Morley Safer reports. Watch Video
A Living For The DeadMarilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis are dead and now, so is Michael Jackson. But as Steve Kroft reports, they are very much alive when it comes to earning money for their estates. Watch Video
60 Minutes, Sunday, June 20, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
iraq
antiwarjason ditz
the new york timestim arango
mcclatchy newspaperssahar issa
bbc newsjim muir
the guardian
owen bowcott
sam jones
the washington postcnnmike mount
the los angeles timesliz sly
nprmorning editionjamie tarabay
60 minutescbs newsto the contrarybonnie erbe
washington week
I've had 12 different articles about the 'Zionist conspiracy' that took down Helen Thomas sent to my inbox. That's not what took down Helen Thomas. You can drink the crazy, you cut lines of it and snort the crazy, but don't invite me to have a toke because I don't want it.
Think also what it says about the people writing these pieces. It's not just that they believe in a Zionist conspiracy (Zionism exists, I'm not speaking of that, I'm speaking of conspiracy talk that's really revolting), it's that they think it's so much more powerful. They're basically saying that it has the world's ear and their own position (pro-Palestinian for the Z.C.s -- not all pro-Palestinians are Z.C.s) is so lowly that they can't compete.
They live to play the victim.
The press turned on Helen. They attacked her. They did so because she showed them up. They did so because they were encouraged to and rewarded for doing it.
This is how the media system works.
If you're lost, go read "Media: Let's Kill Helen!" and hopefully that will clear it up for you.
But stop sending me this garbage. I'm not interested in. It feeds on itself and quickly turns into hate speech thereby neutralizing any real critiques it might have contained.
Today is Day 59 of the Gulf Disaster. I have no idea how many days it is of the economic disaster. On the latter, Sunny and I were discussing an article at lunch today.
"Unemployment Sets More Traps for Transgender People" (Megan Carpentier, Women's eNews):
As the recession takes a deeper toll on jobs, income and wages, more Americans are filling out forms for jobs, unemployment insurance, Medicaid and food stamps.
It's a labyrinthine process for anyone. But for transgender people, it often comes with a particularly upsetting price: outing themselves.
Riley, a 28-year-old transman working as a teacher's aide in New York, who asked that his last name be kept private, began his on-the-job transition without any grand announcement.
He simply turned up for his first day of work at school looking, he thought, like a man.
The children agreed, but the teacher under whom he was working kept calling him "she." Having to explain to his adult boss something the children understood instinctively was just the start of the small humiliations.
Unemployment brought new ones, when he had to appear in person to apply for his card for Medicaid. His paperwork was inconsistent.
He had recently updated his New York State license to identify him as male, but his Social Security card identified him as female. That's because he didn't meet the federal requirement of having undergone permanent surgery.
His birth certificate also said he was female because his home state of Georgia won't allow him to change it under any circumstances.
That is really unsettling and there are so many things that the transgendered community has to go through on a daily basis. I think the transgendered persons are where gays and lesbians were in the late sixties early seventies. Meaning that it is better in pockets of the US but there is not the understanding or acceptance that is needed. In part, that results from the fact that there's not a great deal (outside of trash TV) of attention to the issue from the mainstream. When there is attention, it tends to portray the transgendered as a psycho. (For every The Crying Game, there ae twenty Dressed To Kill's.)
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Friday, June 10, 2010. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq's border problems now include the one they share with Syria, Allawi says Iraq needs help to end the political stalemate that has gripped the country, and more.
We'll start with this by Iraq Veterans Against the War's Adrienne Kinne:
The US Social Forum is taking place in Detroit, MI from June 22-26, 2010 and IVAW will be there!
1) IVAW will be leading a GI Resistance Workshop. Iraq and Afghanistan War Resisters will testify to the struggle and value of resisting militarism and discuss what support is needed to build the GI Movement. http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/building-gi-resistance-movement
2) Building a Military Resistance Movement: Veterans, Service Members & Allies Organizing Together. This workshop, lead by IVAW and Civilian- Soldier Alliance will be an introductory training on supporting war resisters and being a strong and accountable ally to veterans and service-members organizing for change. http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/building-military-resistance-movement-ve...
3) Veterans and Military Families: Impact of the Wars; Impact on Movements. An exploration of how veterans and military families use their unique voices and perspectives to end wars and promote peace and social change. http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/veterans-and-military-families-impact-wa...
In the US, the morning began with AFP reporting a car bombing in Baquba today has resulted in at least thirty-two people injured. BBC News explains the bombing targeted a police officer's home and that a Tuz Khormato car bombing which claimed 7 lives and left at least fifty injured in a bombing targeting a Shia Turkmen councillor. Tim Arango (New York Times) reports the death toll has risen to 9 for the Tuz Khomato bombing. DPA notes a Baghdad home invasion in which a Water Resources Ministry worker, his wife and their two sons were all shot dead. Of the Baghdad home invasion and that the wife was pregnant while adding that Hossam al-Majmaai ("chief of the Awakening Councils tribal security force in Diayala province") survived an assassination attempt.
As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Turkey and Iran continue to shell northern Iraq. Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) explains today, "The Turkish military today said that they had killed over 100 Kurdish rebels in the past month of attacks on northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, including 20 in the past week. Most of the deaths came in air strikes against the region, but earlier this week hundreds of Turkish soldiers also briefly marched into Iraqi Kurdistan in 'hot pursuit' of rebels, sparking a multi-hour gunbattle." Iraq shares borders with Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria. Two of those borders -- Iran and Turkey -- are now sources of violence. A third may be emerging. Tim Arango (New York Times) reports 7 Iraqi soldiers were killed near the shared border with Syria today by unknown assailants.
In addition, Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports Baghdad International Airport was shelled with mortars Friday afternoon, a Thursday night Babuba police station bombing claimed the live of 2 police officers with three more wounded and, dropping back to Wednesday, a Mosul sticky bombing which clamed the life of 1 police officer. Reuters notes a US interpreter, Hameed al-Daraji, was shot dead last night in his home by his son and his nephew due to being seen as a collaborator and traitor to Iraq.
Today the Washington Post offers an editorial entitled "The Senate picks a bad time to slash funds for Iraq" and it's a notion that we disagree with. But we'll pan for gold and ignore the alleged calamity that may result/is resulting from the Senate halfing Barack's request for $2 billion for the Iraq War to $1 billion. The board thinks it's a good thing that Iraq's spending so much on their security forces that that they have "needed bailouts from both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to fund its budget" and even more so that US Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill and Gen Ray Odierno have written a letter about how Iraq (quoting letter) "will have to issue new debt to cover its budget deficit in 2010." Note where the money goes, note where it doesn't go. Note also that 'security forces' have not stopped the violence (though they've frequently actively contributed to it).
March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. Three months and two days later, still no government. 163 seats are needed to form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance. Together, the two still lack four seats necessary (or so it is thought) to form the government.CNN interviewed Ayad Allawi and they report he states that the stalemate will continue and the country "needs a lot of support to get out of this bottleneck and to secure its borders, to secure its stability, and to form a government." Meanwhile Jeffrey Feltman, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, is in Iraq in an attempt to minimize the damage Chris Hill's doing. Liz Sly (Los Angeles Times) interviews him:Q: Do you feel there's a risk of another sectarian war, or has that danger passed?
I don't think anyone should be complacent. There is a history here. But in general Iraqis have turned to politics rather than violence as reflected in the political spectrum, as reflected in the elections and these are encouraging signs.
Q: What is the worst-case scenario for the road ahead, and what is the best?
I think that right now a worst-case scenario is that the government formation process be deadlocked to the point where institutions stop functioning. I don't see that happening, but one has to keep that in mind that that could happen. There are just a number of scenarios that are positive scenarios.… I would say an Iraq that is sovereign and self-reliant, that integrates into the region, where Iraq's communities feel their interests are represented.
In a new UN PSA, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie notes, "Having a home, a place where we feel safe, is something most of us take for granted. Yet those who flee from conflict and persecution no longer have a home. And it will be years before they can even return. In fact, many may never go home again. On this day, World Refugee Day, please remember the millions of people around the world forced from their homes whose only hope of returning is to not be forgotten." World Refugee Day is this Sunday (June 20th). In 'honor' of that, England, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands have been doing forced deportations of Iraqi refugees. Jim Muir (BBC News) reports that the UNHCR has started an investgation into whether or not British Border Agency employees beat Iraqi refugees, "The UKBA declined to comment on the specific allegations, but said minimum force would only be used as a last resort." Apparently grasping that their 'heartwarming' statement would not go over well, the UKBA sent David Wood out to make the press rounds. Tom Pugh (Press Association) quotes him stating, "We reject all allegations that Iraqi returnees removed from the UK were mistreated by our staff. We can confirm that 43 Iraqi nationals were removed on a chartered flight to Baghdad on Wednesday 16 June." Owen Bowcott and Sam Jones (Guardian) add, "Iraqi officials were alleged to have boarded the flight when it touched down early yesterday to help security staff employed by the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) punch and drag reluctant failed asylum seekers off the plane." What a great way for Great Britian to kick off World Refugee Day.
Let's switch over to the US. Senator Daniel Akaka is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. His office notes:
AKAKA AND BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS URGE INCREASED VA/DOD COORDINATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Senators call for specific actions from Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to the secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs sent yesterday, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and a bipartisan group of Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services committee members urged stronger coordination and better follow up on traumatic brain injury (TBI).
"For the past nine years we have been a nation at war, and traumatic brain injury has become the signature wound. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have taken commendable steps to understand and treat TBI, but they must improve collaboration and share what they have learned. Veterans and their families should not have to wait nearly a decade for the government to adapt to the needs of the wounded," said Akaka.
The Senators called for specific improvements from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, including:
Prompt action to finalize and implement DOD's draft policy mandating evaluation and rest periods for individuals with TBI, and to ensure that existing policies are being adhered to by each military service branch;
Action to ensure documentation of TBI and follow-up during Post-Deployment Health Assessments and Reassessments;
Expedited establishment of DOD centers of excellence for military eye injuries, and for hearing loss and amputations;
Quicker progress to make VA/DOD collaboration and data transfers more robust, comprehensive, and seamless; and
Making full use of authority granted by Congress for VA to partner with state, local, and community providers to improve access to care and reduce the burden on veterans receiving treatment for TBI, and their family members.
Last month, the Veterans' Affairs Committee held an oversight hearing on the state of care for troops and veterans suffering from TBI. In January 2008, Congress passed provisions authored by Chairman Akaka and approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee to reform VA/DOD collaboration and care related to TBI as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Akaka continues to work with committee members and others to ensure effective implementation.
To view the letter, click here: LINK
-END-
Kawika Riley
Communications Director and Legislative Assistant
U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), Chairman
http://veterans.senate.gov In addition, Wednesday the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing which Chair Akaka brought to order noting, "Today we will discuss VA health care in rural areas. Rural settings are some of the most difficult for VA and other government agencies to deliver care. I beieve, and I know many of my colleagues on this Committee share the view, that we must utilize all the tools at our disposal in order to provice access to care and services for veterans in rural and remote locations." We covered the first panel in Wednesday's snapshot and we'll grab the second panel now. The second panel was made up of Brig Gen Deborah McManus, Yuckon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation's Dan Winkelman, the VA's William Schoenhard, the VA's Verdie Bowen and Dr. Robert Jesse (Dr. Jesse also appeared on the first panel). This section of the hearing was chaired by Alaska Senator Mark Begich. Verdie Bowen explained that it could be difficult getting veterans to register for the programs and Dan Wikelman noted obstacles for rural areas including access to basic services and the cost of them. As Brig Gen McManus noted, there are areas in Alaska that, forget the internet, do not even have phone service.
Chair Mark Begich: [. . .] General, I know you with your work with women veterans -- and I know the coordination that you're doing there -- even within women veterans, it's a small, I want to say it's about a third of them are signed up or taking advantadge. Can you elaborate a little on what you think and maybe following up a little bit on Mr. Bowen's comments regarding how hard it is to register. What are you finding specifically in the area with women veterans? I know it's a concern for me, I know it's a concern for Senator [Patty] Murray. Give me a little bit of thought on that.
Brig Gen Deborah McManus: Well when we look at our women -- female -- women veteran population, a lot of them are from the older wars and I think there's a cultural issue there. Many of them, they were in subordinate roles or support roles and their service was not greatly appreciated when they returned to the States. And also, a lot of them experienced Military Sexual Trauma whether its rape, sexual assault or harassment and so there was a fear of seeking help through the system so a lot of them just faded away. However, I think, it's different with our current OEF/OIF veterans. There are mechanisms so that they can report it and receive help. And a lot of times women do not recognize they're veterans and women have traditionally been in a caregiver role so I think there's a cultural issue but there's an education issue and when we did that veterans -- women veterans outreach campaign in November of '09 last year, we did see an increase in enrollment and use of services. 300 women additionally enrolled and 400 seeking services. So I think it's a routine, education system, let women know, they are vets too, they have earned these rights and these are their benefits. And a lot of them have female specific health care needs. So now they understand that the VA facilities can provide services in those areas as well.
Chair Mark Begich: Very good. Let me, if I can move over to this side, to either one of you who'd answer, is there more that the VA can do? And as an example was just given, how the outreach was done to increase the amount of women who recognized that they have benefits available to them but not be taking them for a variety of reasons as just described. Do you have any thoughts on that, Dr. -- Dr. Jesse then?
Dr. Robert Jesse: Mmm. A couple of things. I think the issues that have been brought up are really important. We've historically, in the health care side, measured access by wait times to clinic visits or wait times --
Chair Mark Begich: How many came through? How long they waited?
Dr. Robert Jesse: How long they waited. And-and all that's irrelevant if they don't know that they are entitled to services, they can't access those services, uh, they can't get to us, we're not connected to them in one way or another. And particularly as we move to our new models of care if you will where, uh, we're not talking about episodic access as a driving function but actually connectivity, that front end engagement becomes absolutely crucial. And we-we have an awful lot of effort going on trying to understand this now. Why don't people declare themselves as veterans on forms? Why-why can we repeatedly send people information and they just don't act upon it? Our assumption is, "Well, we sent it to you and you should have acted on it." And the simple answer is peope should probably be enrolled when they swear into the military. I mean we talk about seemless transition and there is a lot of discussion going on with -- between VA and Department of Defense, how do we best effect that? And I can only say that, again, this is the Secretary's, one of his top priorities and he understands these issues probably better than-than any of our leadership in prior years. So we are trying to understand this. We are trying to make it easier. But there are complex issues here. In terms of the women's issues, this gets, again, really interesting because historically we measure what we do in health care statistically, we look at quality statistically. But whenever we try and look at women's health issues, the numbers aren't big enough to make sense of the statistics and what we've really learned from this is we-we have to treat each individual as a [. . . "end"?] of one and try and understand how we can manage their health care needs in much more specific manner. And so the VA in the past several of years has done a lot of that, every VA facility now has women's health coordinators. We do have an office for women's issues that's very proactive in-in-in trying to develop these -- The issue of Military Sexual Trauma are extremely complex. Just to get them coming forward, I think, is, uhm, is happening because the discussion is coming out into the open. And again, we're-we're-we're willing to accept any help, any advice and we see these as very important issues and are trying to deal with them.
Chair Mark Begich: Do you -- So obviously for, if the General has some ideas, she'll be able to share them with you and you'll? That's good. I'll leave that to you two to go forward. Let me kind of narrow down if I can on one and that's the Rural Health Project. Mr. Winkleman laid out some concerns and I know you've heard from me more than once on this issue. The idea, and I think you had three suggestions, but I want to take it to a little broader and maybe, Dr. Schoenhard, if you could respond to this and that is, maybe be a little bold here, the effort and the idea is good. I don't think anybody disagrees with that. The implementation is the struggle. And it sounds like, based on the testimony, there might have been some linkages in the front end that might not have been put together as well and now we're trying to kind of patch it as we go along. I'm wondering if it's better to kind of freeze frame for a second on it and say, "Okay, let's sit down with our rural health care providers who've been in the business for years and have figured out how to deliver to the most remote areas of the world, in a lot of ways, health care and how to restart it"; rather than I think what's happening, the sense I get, I may be wrong about this but I hear from so many different people, it's almost like we are trying to patch a little issue here and patch a little issue when really maybe what we really need is to freeze frame it, stop it, step back, what's the right approach? Bring some of the people who've been in the field say what's the should we do differently? Just the fact that you have to go get -- opt in through another type of system before you're really in? You know, I can only tell you from my experience and Dan [Winkelman] has much more experience around this for rural individuals who live in rural areas for most of their life, that's just another piece of paper they're not going to read. They're just -- I don't want to say they give up, but they do less. Is there -- Is that too bold of an opportunity? I'm just trying to -- It seems like every time I talk about this issue it's like almost starting a knot and moving the knot . Give me your thoughts on that.
William Schoenhard: Yes, Senator. I think the numbers on that speak for themselves. We obviously are struggling with getting veterans to sign up for this program. At this point, only 21% in the pilot have signed up and, of that, very few have asked for primary care authorization or mental health consulations. So I think the numbers speak for themselves. We need to improve. We have hired a
company to do a focus group to understand better why we haven't had more success in enrolling veterans but we welcome what Mr. Winkelman, Mr. Bowman have shared today. I think we need to sit down and understand together because IHS has assets on the ground, they are in the communities. They understand well what is needed there much better than anyone else that would be in a distant location with VA or anywhere else. And we should collaborate. And I think your suggestion that we freeze frame, we were talking a lit bit during the break, during the recess --
[Laughing] That was strategically done, you know that.
Yes, sir. We had good conversation and I welcome undertaking the discussion of the three recomendations that were shared and see how to better serve and better get veterans engaged with IHS in these locations.
Turning from veterans to service members, from Wednesday's snapshot: "For the month of April, the US Army announced yesterday, they can confirm 4 suicides among active-duty service memberrs with six still being investigated and there are nine ongoing investigations into May deaths. For the reserves, the US Army said there 7 suicides in April and 2 in May with ten more still being investigated." Jaime Tarabay reported yesterday on army suicides for Morning Edition (NPR -- link has text and audio):Mr. EDWARD COLLEY: I'm Ed Colley. I'm the father of Stephen Colley, Private First Class, United States Army. Stephen committed suicide three years ago in May of 2007.
TARABAY: The last time Colley saw his son was at a family gathering in April 2007. Stephen, a helicopter mechanic, had been back in the country for about five months since a tour in Iraq. Colley says Stephen was detached. He spent the days watching cartoons. He fought with his wife.
TARABAY: From there it was a downhill stumble, struggling in a work environment an Army investigation later called hostile. On May 16, 2007, home alone, Stephen Colley argued with his wife through text messages. Edward Colley says at one point his son asked her if there was rope in the storage shed.Mr. COLLEY: He had texted his wife that suicide was an option. She immediately called the appropriate folks at the base, but Stephen - unfortunately in this case, Stephen was a very, very smart boy. And he had figured out how to make sure that nobody else would interfere with his plan.TARABAY: The plan was to overdose on medication and then hang himself from a tree. He was 22 years old. The military ruled his death a suicide. But for Edward Colley the hardest thing about his son's death is he believes it could've been prevented. The day before he killed himself, Stephen Colley took an Army mental health assessment - multiple choice questions, including some about intent to harm yourself. There were four possible answers.Mr. COLLEY: And he picked the most severe, that he was thinking about committing suicide more than half the time.TARABAY: And instead of acting on that information, the social worker who did Stephen Colley's assessment put him down for a sleep study in three weeks' time. The Army's own investigation said the established procedures failed to address his mental condition.
Monday April 5th, WikiLeaks released US military video of a July 12, 2007 assault in Iraq. 12 people were killed in the assault including two Reuters journalists Namie Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh. Monday June 7th, the US military announced that they had arrested Bradley Manning and he stood accused of being the leaker of the video. Philip Shenon (Daily Beast) reported Friday that the US government is attempting to track down WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. Mike Gogulski has started a website entitled Help Bradley Manning. Simon Lauder (Australia's ABC News) provides this update: It has since been reported that American officials are searching for Mr Assange to pressure him not to publish the cables. But an unnamed source in the Obama administration has told Newsweek that the US government is not trying to convince Mr Assange not to release the cables, but it is trying to contact him. The World Today has also received an email from Mr Assange which says: "Due to present circumstances, I am not able to easily conduct interviews".In an email to supporters this week, Mr Assange denies Wikileaks has 260,000 classified US department cables. But he confirms the website has a video of a US air strike on a village in western Afghanistan in May last year. The Afghan government said at the time of the attack that 140 civilians died.
TV notes. On PBS' Washington Week, Charles Babington (AP), Joan Biskupic (USA Today), Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) and Doyle McManus (Los Angeles Times) join Gwen around the table. Gwen's column is "Covering the oil disaster." This week, Bonnie Erbe will sit down with Jehan Harney, Melinda Henneberger, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Tara Setmayer and Genevieve Wood on the latest broadcast of PBS' To The Contrary to discuss the week's events. And at the website each week, there's an extra just for the web from the previous week's show and this week's online bonus is a discussion on the press' latest attempt to start Mommy Wars. And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers:
Assault on PelindabaScott Pelley investigates the boldest assault ever on a facility containing weapons-grade uranium, a still-unsolved crime that could have had calamitous consequences had it been successful. Watch Video
The LiquidatorThe man in charge of recovering assets from Ponzi scheme king Bernard Madoff says there is about 18 billion still out there that he hopes to recover for victims of the scam. But it won't be easy. Morley Safer reports. Watch Video
A Living For The DeadMarilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis are dead and now, so is Michael Jackson. But as Steve Kroft reports, they are very much alive when it comes to earning money for their estates. Watch Video
60 Minutes, Sunday, June 20, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
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the washington postcnnmike mount
the los angeles timesliz sly
nprmorning editionjamie tarabay
60 minutescbs newsto the contrarybonnie erbe
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