Sunday, March 16, 2008

Michael Moore Today

http://www.michaelmoore.com/

Winter Soldier - Iraq & Afghanistan

http://ivaw.org/


Cpl. Jon M. Turner, 3/8 Kilo Company, 1st Platoon,
U.S. Marine Corps (Fallujah, Iraq)
"He was innocent, I called him the fat man. He was walking back to his house and I killed him in front of his father and friend. My first shot made him scream and look into my eyes, so I looked at my friend and said, 'Well, I can't let that happen', and shot him again."

March 15th, 2008 6:22 pm
Rules of Engagement "Thrown Out the Window"
By Dahr Jamail /
IPS
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Mar 15 - Garret Reppenhagen received integral training about the Geneva Conventions and the Rules of Engagement during his deployment in Kosovo. But in Iraq, "Much of this was thrown out the window," he says.
"The men I served with are professionals," Reppenhagen told the audience at a panel of U.S. veterans speaking of their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, "They went to Iraq to defend the U.S. But we found rapidly we were killing Iraqis in horrible ways. But we had to in order to remain safe ourselves. The war is the atrocity."
The event, which has drawn international media attention, was organised by Iraq Veterans Against the War. It aims to show that their stories of wrongdoing in both countries were not isolated incidents limited to a few "bad apples", as the Pentagon claims, but were everyday occurrences.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11101


Video and photographic evidence in link
Saturday, March 15th, 2008
Winter Soldier LiveBlogging: Rules of Engagement II; Jon Turner
By Justin Cliburn /
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Jon Turner, a former Marine, begins his testimony by ripping off his combat medals and proclaiming "I don't work for you anymore!"
In the first video that Jon shows, his XO proclaims, "I think I just killed half the population of Ramadi; f**k the red tape!"
In the second, after the engagement was already over, the XO has called in a 500 pound bomb to destroy the area to send a message.
Jon once fired into a car he believed to be a suicide bomber . . . it was a man and his seven daughters.
Turner's unit also carried "drop weapons" in case they accidentally killed an innocent civilian.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=982


...until Sunday March 16th:

Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan
Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan will feature testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground.
The four-day event will bring together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - and present video and photographic evidence. In addition, there will be panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists to give context to the testimony. These panels will cover everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans' health benefits and support.

http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier


Find a viewing event near you on the map

http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/viewinglocations


Submitting Winter Soldier Events
Thank you for holding an event to support Winter Soldier! Please choose the type of event from the list below.

http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/viewinglocations/submit


How to watch and listen to Winter Soldier

http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/howtowatch


How to support Winter Soldier

http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/support


"Just what do you think the purchase price is for that damage?"

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan
please email
wintersoldierally@ivaw.org.

http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/video


March 15th, 2008 7:55 pm
War Stories Echo an Earlier Winter
By Steve Vogel /
Washington Post
Grim-faced and sorrowful, former soldiers and Marines sat before an audience of several hundred yesterday in Silver Spring and shared their recollections of their service in Iraq.
The stories spilled out, sometimes haltingly, sometimes in a rush: soldiers firing indiscriminately on Iraqi vehicles, an apartment building filled with Iraqi families devastated by an American gunship. Some descriptions were agonized, some vague; others offered specific dates and locations. All were recorded and streamed live to the Web.
The four-day event, "Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan -- Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations," is sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War and is expected to draw more than 200 veterans of the two wars through tomorrow. Timed for the eve of the fifth anniversary of the war's start next week, organizers hope the soldiers' accounts will galvanize public opposition.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11102


Iraq War Veterans: Commanders Encourage War Crimes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwYvdyn3oRc


'I Love the Army But I Can't Be Quiet Anymore'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoWAkTOZGpQ



March 16th, 2008 3:54 am
Veterans recall horrors of war in live broadcast
By Anna Badkhen /
Boston Globe
CAMBRIDGE, MA - Liz Jackson's eyes were fixed on a screen showing a live broadcast of anguished testimonies by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans describing what they had seen and done during their combat tours.
Jeffery Smith recalled how his Army unit beat and humiliated Iraqi prisoners. Former Marine Bryan Casler recounted how fellow Marines urinated and defecated into food and gave it to Iraqi children. Former Marine Matthew Childers talked about how he used to humiliate Iraqi civilians during predawn raids on their homes. When he described turning away an Iraqi father who was asking American troops to help the badly burned baby he carried in his arms, Jackson began to weep silently.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11103


Saturday, March 15th, 2008
IVAW vs. DOD
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Response to Department of Defense Statement on Veterans’ Accounts of Military Occupations
Washington Post 3/15/2008:
A Defense Department spokesman said he had not seen the allegations raised yesterday, but added that such incidents are not representative of U.S. conduct.
"When isolated allegations of misconduct have been reported, commanders have conducted comprehensive investigations to determine the facts and held individuals accountable when appropriate," Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros said.
War stories echo an earlier winter. Former soldiers, Marines share their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan
Steve Vogel. Washington Post. 3/15/2008

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=983


March 14th, 2008 7:34 pm
Military combs Island for Spring Break recruits
By James Osborne /
McAllen Monitor
Twenty-five push-ups will earn you a U.S. Army beach chair and a high-five from the recruiter in the tent across from a hotel bar.
Down the beach, U.S. Marine Corps recruiters cheer on young men in swim trunks trying to beat the day's chin-up record - 28 as of 2 p.m. Wednesday.
As college students descended on South Padre Island for Spring Break this week, so too did military recruiters, who like any good marketers never pass up the chance to reach out to their desired audience.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11099


March 13th, 2008 7:19 pm
Bush says if younger, he would work in Afghanistan
By Tabassum Zakaria /
Reuters
WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush got an earful on Thursday about problems and progress in Afghanistan where a war has dragged on for more than six years but been largely eclipsed by Iraq.
In a videoconference, Bush heard from U.S. military and civilian personnel about the challenges ranging from fighting local government and police corruption to persuading farmers to abandon a lucrative poppy drug trade for other crops.
Bush heard tales of all-night tea drinking sessions to coax local residents into cooperating, and of tribesmen crossing mountains to attend government meetings seen as building blocks for the country's democracy-in-the-making.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11090


March 13th, 2008 8:00 pm
War Protesters Briefly Shut Down Senate
(
The Politico) A handful of war protesters briefly shut down the Senate chamber this afternoon, yelling "stop the war" as they were forcibly removed from the Senate.
Ten protesters, who covered their faces in white gauze and chanted "I am the ghost of the Iraq war" managed to stand up one after another and disrupt the chamber's proceedings for about one minute. It took about 35 Capitol police officers to detain the protesters, who left the chamber with little resistance.
The protesters, who say they are from the National Campaign for Non-violent Resistance were processed and photographed in a hallway adjoining the Senate and shipped to the Capitol Police headquarters for booking. Reporters who tried to witness the scene were forced to leave the hallway where the protesters were arrested.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11091



College Students, Veterans, Old Folks Shut Down Capitol Hill (VIDEOS)
Submitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2008-03-12 23:21.
Nonviolent Resistance
By David Swanson
Today was the day for
Stop-Loss Congress. We notified every Congress Member and Senator over the past two days that they were being stop-lossed and denied permission to leave until they end the occupation of Iraq. Today we took action. A group of activists dressed as Ghosts of War stood and spoke in the Senate and closed the place down - 10 arrests, I'm told.
Then groups of dozens of people, primarily college students, split up and blocked intersections and garage exits around the Hill. I went with a group of 40 or so to the intersection of Independence Ave. and 1st Street, which we blocked for a long time, with people and coffins and banners and megaphones. Dozens were arrested, most of them college students, some Vets for Peace and other old folks too. I shot video of the whole thing.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/stoplossvideos



Taking it to CAPITOL HILL
Ghosts of the Iraq War
Antiwar activists will gather on Capitol Hill on March 12, 2008, while Congress is still in session. Participants will be wearing "We Will Not Be Silent" tee shirts and other clothing to simulate being a ghost. These Ghosts of War will eventually announce, on an individual basis, "I am a ghost from the Iraq War. While I died needlessly, I am here to demand an end to the funding of the war so that others do not have to die."

http://www.iraqpledge.org/


Stop-Loss Congress
http://www.youtube.com/stoplosscongress


DISSENT: Voices of Conscience
GOVERNMENT INSIDERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ

http://www.voicesofconscience.com/


McCain Begins His Golden State Charge
Arizona Senator John McCain is making good on his promise to play in big blue California. He's heading this month to the Bay Area for some high-end fundraising.
McCain will star at a high ticket fundraising lunch on Wednesday, March 26 at the famed Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, where it's clear the deep-pocketed donors are being courted bigtime.
To get on his ''California Advisory Team,'' according to the invite, a supporter will agree to raise $46,000 for Big John. That price gets them seating at his head table, and four tickets to a ''private reception with photo opportunity.''
Honorary co-chairs of this event include former California Secretary of State Bill Jones and State Sen. Abel Maldonado.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=24858


Tucked between Del Monte Forest and the Pacific shore among groves of tall Monterey pines, The Inn at Spanish Bay offers a luxurious enclave of 269 guest rooms and suites for golf enthusiasts and relaxation seekers alike.

http://www.pebblebeach.com/page.asp?id=1383


The Ritz Carlton San Francisco

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/SanFrancisco/Default.htm


"Which congressional district am I in?"
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/boxscore/index.php?action=print


ACTION PAGE:
Tell Congress To Pass H.R. 676 Now
43,408 Submissions so far
Under H.R. 676
[Text of Bill], Medicare would be extended and improved so that all individuals residing in the United States would receive high quality and affordable health care services. They would receive all medically necessary services by the physicians of their choice, with no restrictions on what providers they could visit. If implemented, the United States National Health Insurance Act would cover primary care, dental, mental health, prescription drugs, and long term care.
The one click form below will send your personal message to all your government representatives selected below, with the subject "Pass H.R. 676." At the same time you can send your personal comments only as a letter to the editor of your nearest local daily newspaper if you like.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/petitions/pnum649.php


"Healthcare NOT Warfare"
http://pdamerica.org/articles/misc/2008-02-29-14-19-42-misc.php


GO SEE SiCKO by MC ARTIFICIAL -- ABBREVIATED VERSION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZSPSRcX3Qw


Be It Resolved: You Can Impeach the President
Official State Impeachment Text
Impeachment Text for Cities & Towns
Impeachment Text for County Democratic Committees
Impeachment Text for State Assemblies and/or Legislatures
Jefferson's Manual, Section LIII, 603
You Can Impeach the President

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=622


Find Your Congressional District Impeachment Committee
http://www.democrats.com/cdic-find


Ten Reasons to Impeach George Bush and Dick Cheney
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/88?ad=d1


The Impeachment Project
http://www.freewayblogger.com/impeachment_project2.htm

continued...