The commitment to Americans to lead happy, planned, responsible and productive lives needs to be the focus. Not simply the lack of abortions.

There are many problems facing American families. Their governments, be it local, state or federal need to address issues of economy, health insurance, competency in government and education, while leaving relationships, children and privacy to the very people best to make those decisions.

The acceptance of familes based in either heterosexuality or homosexuality is paramount to function and the well being of children. A sense of 'well being' needs to be demanded by all Americans regardless their lifestyle choices.

It is simply outrageous to realize the decline in the way Americans are esteemed by their own society. On all fronts Americans are regarded as second class citizens, how sex happens and whether a pregnancy is maintained, is simply not as important as all the other complaints Americans pose to their government and courts.

Good night !

Women will always have an inextricable relationship with children. It renders them helpless in some ways.

According to the CDC (click link to title)


The early years of a child's life are crucial for cognitive, social and emotional development. Therefore, it is important that we take every step necessary to ensure that children grow up in environments where their social, emotional and educational needs are met....

In a First World country, which I believe the USA continues to maintain. Any member of it's society should be regarded as important, valued and competent to make decisions. The USA is not a sexually incompetent country. Quite the contrary. The society is exposed to all types of sexual information, contraceptive alternatives, playful entertainment, permission for fantasy and openness.


American sexuality is not a dark secret, nor little understood. The 'denial' by the Republican Religious Right and if there are Pro-Life Democrats then they as well, is inexcusable and nothing more than a political agenda that is anchored in lies, deceit, coersion and a profound lack of separation of church and state.

The Pro-Life Movement is guilty of radicalization of privacy, sexuality and intimacy. So far, we have stopped the bombings, now it's a matter of putting these hideous ideas 'to bed.' Destroying the USA Constitution for the purpose of political volleys is treason.

The Republican Religious Right would say this is making pregnancy 'clinical' and therefore abortions are easy decisions.

It's not possible to make pregnancies clinical. It is not possible to depersonalize a pregnancy realized, desired and anticipated.

There is a huge difference between a woman discovering she is pregnant while in love and one that is burdened with that reality.

Enforcing a 'Pro-Life' agenda is calling a woman incompetent to make decisions regarding her life, her dreams and the relationship she values.

Currently, the Pro-Life movement is using coersion to instill a sense of 'obligation' toward a fetus and/or 'guilt' for a woman putting herself first over her pregnancy. Those 'tactics' should be stopped and dignity returned to women deciding 'it's the wrong time' for pregnancy, childbearing, lactation and responsibility for another life. I do not believe adoption is a viable alternative to all women although some may find it satisfying and rewarding.

Quality of life in any definition includes sexual function.

Are relationships possible without sexual satiation between partners? Sure. Are ALL relationships happy without it? I doubt it seriously.

How far do men go to insure their quality of life in the way of sexual activity?

You gotta be kiddin' me, right?

Erectile Dysfunction (click at entry to title)

...Erectile dysfunction, or ED, can be a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections. These variations make defining ED and estimating its incidence difficult. Estimates range from 15 million to 30 million, depending on the definition used. According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), for every 1,000 men in the United States, 7.7 physician office visits were made for ED in 1985. By 1999, that rate had nearly tripled to 22.3. The increase happened gradually, presumably as treatments such as vacuum devices and injectable drugs became more widely available and discussing erectile function became accepted. Perhaps the most publicized advance was the introduction of the oral drug sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in March 1998. NAMCS data on new drugs show an estimated 2.6 million mentions of Viagra at physician office visits in 1999, and one-third of those mentions occurred during visits for a diagnosis other than ED....

Freud once said, women would have to be content with a vaginal orgasm. He didn't fathom any way of enticing women to satiation. It was generational. It was due to the 'fear' of multiple and oppressing repeated pregnancies. It was a darn shame.

I was once handed an article entitled, "Orgasms Made Easy." Not certain of the date, but, I believed it appeared May of 2006. Where was this article taken from? Penthouse (click here). Page 97. Evidently, men want women partners that are engaged, willing and happy. Sexually happy. Not necessarily enthralled with a burgeoning pregnancy so much as the frolic and the fun.

The article stated, "It takes me about 20 minutes--is that a long time?" (Her partner) I just shrugged. The truth is, every woman is different and there are many factors that affect the ability to reach the big O...sleep...feeling connected to their partner...stress."

Women need to understand their pleasure centers and act on them when 'the moment is right.' Viva la differance !

With the Republican Religious Right hovering over every aspect of freedom and integrity of women, contraception has become a female nightmare.

Currently the pressure to remain 'pregnancy free' is more than palpable in the USA. The most effective form are the injectables that last two to three montns. They have the lowest failure rate. But. Any form of contraception has a failure rate no matter how vigilant a woman is regarding it's use and maintenance.


It is that 'fear' of having to face an abortion in a country determined to politically remove 'peace of mind' from any woman's agenda that drives the pressure to use contraceptives.


Reminding, there is now a move toward 'menstral free contraception.' How do they know for sure until perhaps it's too late?

One of the most dramatic forms of birth control marketed, as testimony to the pressure women feel regarding a pregnancy, is Plan B (click here). It is revolutionary. It has been oppressed from sale. Regardless of it's potential issues on a few occassions, it remains one of the most sought after forms of birth control today for young women.

Realizing there have been a few issues surrounding safe use of Plan B, I would expect vigilant monitoring and closer education to it's use and any signs and symptoms of recorded problems.

Private Industry Sucks ! Not about breastfeeding. About women participating at corporate level management.

Asian Pacific Americans, Affirmative Action, and Michigan’s Proposal 2 (click title to entry)

Editorial
By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, IMDiversity.com Asian
American Village Acting Editor

ANN ARBOR - October 24, 2006 - In the upcoming Michigan election on November 7, Proposal 2 seeks to ban all Affirmative Action programs for public employment, education, and contracting purposes. If passed, it will seriously roll back progress for all women and people of color. A broad coalition of Republicans, Democrats, business, labor, social and religious organizations have come together to defend Affirmative Action programs that provide opportunities for women and minorities for better jobs and education. Vote No on Proposal 2!...


The report below is from 1996. The issue is still alive and well. However, I propose this. Women have strong loyalties to family and children, it is innate for a woman having been indoctrinated all her life to the inevitable reproductive nature of her body. In facing the reality that, as a rule, corporations sincerely don't follow the rules, women may very well find 'better economic shelter' in sole proprietorships, the professions and lower paying jobs men particularly don't really want !


A decade has gone by since this commission delivered it's findings. Nothing has changed !


The Glass Ceiling (click here)
The Findings and Recommendations ofthe Federal Glass Ceiling Commission
"For people confronting these barriers,it's discrimination plain and simple."by René RedwoodWashington, D.C.
...Amidst the fierce national debate now raging about the role of minorities and women in the workforce, the reports of the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission have added fuel to the fire. Daily reports on the review and examination of programs and policies that help all achieve their fair share of the American dream permeate the airwaves and journals. The work of the Glass Ceiling Commission cannot be separated from the ongoing public discourse about affirmative action, equal opportunity, and diversity....

This is NOT a citizen of the United States of America with all the inalienable rights thereof :

From Amendment 14 of the USA Consitution (click on title to entry)

All persons born or naturalized in the United States,...


This is a fetus...


...and this is a fetus...


...and this is a fetus.


It actually could be an unwanted pregnancy that if carried to term would simply cause undue economic demands on it's parent(s) and decrease it's quality of life and that of it's family. It could cause damage to the woman's health, her longevity and her right to a happy life in the definition she has PLANNED for all her life.

Girls...women are allowed to have expectations for their lives and pathways open to them to achieve those goals. If pregnancy stands in the way of their happiness, then it is an unwanted pregnancy and there should always be safe, affordable abortions whenever they choose. An unwanted pregnancy is an unwanted child, that is a reality and one that needs to be respected for the brevity that comes with it.


Women are allowed to define their own happiness and have it uninterrupted.

The decision of having an abortion is between she and her physician. I don't recall having an abortion being an issue of National Security, so I doubt sincerely it falls under The Patriot Act; as if anything should !

Unwanted Pregnancy - It's so, so good to know...no matter the ethnicity, when meeting with impoverished females the pregnancy turns out okay. Nice.

We examined how traditional (income, education) and nontraditional (public assistance, material deprivation, subjective social standing) socioeconomic status (SES) indicators were associated with self-rated health, physical functioning, and depression in ethnically diverse pregnant women. Using multiple regression, we estimated the association of race/ethnicity (African American, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander (PI) and white) and sets of SES measures on each health measure. Education, material deprivation, and subjective social standing were independently associated with all health measures. After adding all SES variables, race/ethnic disparities in depression remained for all minority groups; disparities in self-rated health remained for Asian/Pacific Islanders. Few race/ethnic differences were found in physical functioning. Our results contribute to a small literature on how SES might interact with race/ethnicity in explaining health.

Nothing to worry about ladies. When there are more children than money and the career requires time, childcare and money you can't afford; you, your pregnancies and your children will be just fine. How great is that, huh?

THE RISK OF UNWANTED PREGNANCY (click here)
Almost all women between the ages of 13 and 50 share some risk of unwanted pregnancy. Each year, over 90% of sexually active women will succeed in preventing unwanted pregnancy during each men-strual cycle. Approximately 8% a year will fail. That small percentage means that hundreds of thousands of Canadian women will experience an unplanned pregnancy each year. These unplanned pregnancies constitute at least 40% of all pregnancies which occur to Canadian women. (For teenage pregnancies, the percentage is higher.)

WHY DO UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES OCCUR?
Usually, unplanned pregnancies occur when contraception fails or people fail to use it effectively. All current methods of contraception, especially the barrier methods, will fail to prevent pregnancy for a certain percentage of users over a one-year period (see chart). So even responsible use of effective contraceptives will result in a certain percentage of accidental pregnancies every year. And ignorance, embarrassment or restrictive religious teaching about contraception and fertility lead many people to rely on ineffective methods of avoiding pregnancy.

BARRIERS TO CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE
Researchers say that the proper use of effective contraception is at least a four-step process: planning for its use, obtaining it, talking with one's partner about its use, and making sure it is used on every occasion. Some people have trouble acknowledging they will be sexually active and that an unwanted pregnancy could happen to them, and many find it hard to discuss contraception with their partner. Some people fail to use contraception in situations where they have been using alcohol or drugs. Women who are very young, have low incomes and little education are the least likely to use contraceptives or use them properly. Some men are often not aware of, or do not accept, their equal responsibility-- for example, some men will not wear a condom. Contraceptives cost money. Some require a doctor's prescription. Some religions oppose the use of contraceptives and some schools and families still do not provide adequate sexual health education. And although sex is frequently shown on television, the major networks still reject ads for contraceptives....

Women usually enter careers and politics a full ten years behind men due to family obligations. (click link for paragraph below)

...Throughout the world women face obstacles for their participation in politics. These barriers exist in prevailing social and economic systems, as well as in existing political structures. In 2007, the rate of female representation at national level stands at merely 18 per cent globally. Although this figure has increased in recent years, minimal progress has been made, meaning that the ideal of parity between men and women in national legislatures still remains distant....


Women have the desire to be political leaders, even though they receive heavy doses of 'perfection politics' when they do run.

Women face uphill battle to enter N.W.T. politics: candidates (click here)
"I think the bar is set higher for women. For me, I felt that I needed to answer far more questions than the men candidates," Mulders said.

...Fewer women are running in this fall's Northwest Territories election than in 2003, and past female candidates say it's difficult to get elected.

Across the territory, 10 women are vying for seats in the Oct. 1 territorial election. There are 19 seats in the legislative assembly.

Of the 11 women who ran in the 2003 election, two were elected and five finished second, but none of those who placed second are running again this year.

"No matter how popular you are or how professional you are, it's by association and relativity," Judy Tutcho said in a CBC Radio phone-in segment Thursday morning. Tutcho came in second to Norman Yakeleya in the Sahtu district in 2003.

Annemieke Mulders, who lost to Robert Hawkins by 40 votes in the Yellowknife Centre district in 2003, said she is helping another woman get elected this time around, instead of running again.
"I think the bar is set higher for women. For me, I felt that I needed to answer far more questions than the men candidates," Mulders said.

"I was grilled perhaps more deeply on the issues just to make sure that I did really understand them as a woman."

Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen and Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee, who were both members of the last legislature, are seeking re-election.

To encourage more women to get involved in politics, the N.W.T. Status of Women Council held a political campaign "school" in July for 13 potential candidates and campaign staff.

"They have to take the first step, in order for other women to hear a voice that says, 'Oh, if she can do it, then I can,'" said Samantha DeChief, who helped organize the July event.

The status of women council is also hosting a women's issues forum with Yellowknife-based candidates next week. Former council president Lynn Brooks said political campaigning itself can be a rough ride for women.

"Support for women is still very low," she said. "I talk to women all the time who have thought of running or have run, and have been treated abominably in their communities."...

Bodies are meant to be happy to occupy !

Too many babies too close together can shorten a woman's life (click at title to entry)
Women's Health News
Published: Tuesday, 12-Sep-2006
According to researchers women who have their babies very close together, along with women who never have children, are at risk of an earlier death and poorer health in later life.
In a study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, it has been found that mothers who had less than 18 months between births faced up to a 20 per cent higher risk of early death compared with those with longer gaps.
The researchers attribute this to the strains of having to look after a number of young children of a similar age.
The study however also found that childless women had a 20 per cent higher risk of death as they got older when compared with women with two children.
Most at risk appear to be women with five or more children who face between a 12 and 25 per cent higher risk of death than those who had given birth twice....

When Girls Don't Graduate, We All Fail (click here for pdf)

Hanging over every female's head at every stage of her life is the idea of 'pretty, appropriate and the fact she has a uterus and ovaries.' That is known as oppression and now the Republican Religious Right wants to make conception a legal status for an EMBRYO. I don't think so !

...one in four girls drops out of school, and that the numbers are even worse for girls of color. Plus, the economic costs of dropping out are particularly damaging for girls. Female dropouts earn significantly lower wages than male dropouts, are at greater risk of unemployment, and are more likely to rely on public support programs.

The Religious Right. They lie. They deceive. They disregard science because it's inconvenient.

Last time I looked there is a clear understanding humans, Homo sapien, is a mammal.

The Religious Right, the so called Pro-Lifers, like to declassify humans into a unique category. It's outrageous to even think an embryo is the beginning of a 'legal definition' of life as a citizen of the USA. It is even more outrageous to realize the desperation and deceit a 'sect' in the USA is willing to take in order to achieve some 'idea' of a "Perfect Constitution" so a savior comes as promised.

Women have rights. They have minds. They decide what is appropriate for their lives. And by God they do it with a clear and noble conscience no matter their decision about birth control or abortion. Currently, the dignity that transends gender has been disregarded to the political priorities of the Republican Religious Right !!!




Major Characteristics of Phylum Chordata (click here)

l. Bilateral symmetry; segmented body; three germ layers; well-developed coelom.
2. Notochord (a skeletal rod) present at some stage in life cycle.
3. Single, dorsal, tubular nerve cord; anterior end of cord usually enlarged to form brain.
4. Pharyngeal gill slits present at some stage in life cycle.
5. Postanal tail, usually projecting beyond the anus at some stage but may or may not persist.
6. Segmented muscles in an unsegmented trunk.
7. Ventral heart, with dorsal and ventral blood vessels; closed blood system.
8. Complete digestive system.
9. A cartilaginous or bony endoskeleton present in the majority of members (vertebrates).

Women in Science and Math - the oppression lives along with the prejudice of gender. It's a STEM issue. (click here)

Women Can't Do Math...Or Can They? (click here)
by Richard Morin
August 31, 2006
Strange but true: Women score much lower on math tests if they are first asked unrelated questions about gender issues. The phenomenon is known as "stereotype threat" -- a kind of performance anxiety discovered in 1995 when psychologists found that black students at Stanford University did significantly worse on intelligence tests if they were first asked to identify their race on the test form.
Since then, dozens of other experiments have confirmed that subtly cuing women, minorities and other stigmatized groups to think subconsciously about their gender or race causes them do poorly in areas where the general stereotype suggests they are weak.
University of Texas psychologist Matthew S. McGlone wondered if there wasn't another side of the story. What if you prompted people to think about their strengths rather than their stereotypical weaknesses -- would that be enough to improve performance in areas where they weren't supposed to do well?
In a novel set of experiments, McGlone, working with Joshua Aronson of New York University, found that the answer is yes. "The idea that something is immutable due to some biological factor can be trumped," McGlone said....


Lawrence Summers, Former President of Harvard.

Evidently in speaking about economics, Lawrence Summers felt he COULD do math when no one else could !

Stanford Report, June 1, 2005
Harvard president says deficit puts U.S. in precarious position (click here)
BY KENDALL MADDEN

..."Without some significant structural changes this figure will continue to rise," Summers said. "Substantial adjustment problems lie ahead. … This is not a problem which will be solved overnight."...

Dear Lawrence should have devoted the same concern to the lack of achievement of the opposite gender if that indeed was an issue at Harvard.

Stanford Report, June 1, 2005
Summers worries that American personal economics = deficit (click here for video)

It wasn't just consumer debt. You know how women are, they simply spend without thinking since they can't do math. It was the irresponsible government spending of the Bush/Cheney Republicans still lining the halls of DC. Why is it the consumer of the USA is blamed for policies developed in Washington, DC ? Why is that? No one to date has held George Walker Bush responsible for a falling Dow and global monetary crisis. No one ! No one says the words. Amazing.

The American society has returned to bias against women, except, in the bedroom, family room and maternity ward. I can't believe we are nearing the year 2008, it seems more like 1968 !

It's Sunday Night (click to enlarge photo)

Dream by the Everly Brothers

Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

When I feel blue in the night
And I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

FADE
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

...something beautiful's dying...you've lost that lovin' feeling...The Righteous Brothers

Death Warmed Over - The scapegoats need their lives returned to them with minimally SSI and Medicare/Medicaid at time of exoneration.

Jeffrey Deskovic, left, on a subway to Greenwich Village. He was freed last year after 16 years in prison.

...At least 205 men and one woman nationwide have been exonerated through DNA evidence since 1989, including 53 who, like Mr. Deskovic, were convicted of murder. In gathering information on 137 of them over the past four months — one of the most extensive such efforts to date — The New York Times found that many faced the same challenges Mr. Deskovic has confronted, like making a living, reconnecting with relatives and seeking financial recompense for his lost years....


When was the last time prison conditions became a campaign issue?
There aren't that many men and women, to date, whom have been victimized by wrongful prosecution, judgements and sentences. This is an opportunity to set it straight.

The entire prison system within the borders of the USA needs to be addressed. HIV/AIDS is an issue and sometimes used as a weapon with the prison population. The 'product' the prison systems of the USA are putting out after incarceration is far from desirable. The prisons were suppose to return members to society that were valuable and productive; not simply people processed 'with time served.'


John Edwards has made it a point to bring to discussion the reality of the 'minority heavy' prison population and finding a better alternative. The American Society has turned it's back on prison reform and have cut funding to rehabilitation. There has to be a 'real' answer for this issue and not just a 'capture and release' program. It needs to be a campaign issue and remain such until resolved.

The Innocence Project (click here)


Does the USA want to have a torture chamber attached to the fact there may be innocent people within it's prisons, because, that is what a death row inmate goes through. It is a gross combination of curelties for the sake of maximum security that involves little 'yard time' and 'the righteous' limitation of freedoms based on the sentence of death.

There needs to be library time, time for educational opportunities and a place where privacy can be felt if not actually occurring. The USA prison system is underfunded and ignored by a former Governor of Texas with a record number of executions to his name.

Enough !!!!!

STATE PRISONS LAW REVISES.; Powers of the Prison Commission Extended -- Transfers from Elmira. (click here)
January 22, 1898, Wednesday
Page 3, 428 words
ALBANY, Jan 21. -- Senator Wilcox to-day introduced the codification and revision of the State prisons law prepared by the Statutory Revision Commission. The bill proposes little radical change in existing laws except to provide uniform methods of government for all penitentiaries, to provide for the release on parole of prisoners transferred from the Elmira Reformatory, and to make more explicit the powers of the prison commission. [ END OF FIRST PARAGRAPH ]

When defeated in war, as a general rule, the occupying military leaves.

There is a movement of USA troops out of Iraq. The purpose is to de-escalate the tensions and reduce the footprint of the USA occupation and hence the war presence that has the rest of the world, including China, Iran and Russia, up in arms to protect their nations from advancement of USA aggression.
Additionally, the war in Afghanistan has been going badly and there needs to be a 'refit' to stop the advancement of the Taliban, al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden there and in Pakistan.
So as a reaction to all this the focus by the USA is to save face and provide not political stability, but, humanitarian aid. The country known as Iraq will more than likely disintegrate and the only aspect of international relations with the new provinces will be to support efforts to care for their populous.
The USA has to assume this posture in order to survive with some kind of international value in the face of overt aggression by the Bush/Cheney crony war machine. The casualities in Iraq continue to mount in Baghdad as well as Kurdistan (click here) and I am anticipating a statement by the New Prime Minister of Australia regarding any Aussie redeployment in support of Afghanistan potentially, but, emphatically leaving Iraq. Perhaps that will come when accepting the oath of office and Howard has finally been dismantled.


Twin Bombings Kill at Least 26 in Iraq (click here)


Baghdad Car Bomb Kills Nine, Wounds 30


US troopers inspect the wreckage at the site of a car bomb explosion in the northern district of Bab al-Muazzam in Baghdad.


FACTBOX: Security developments in Iraq, Nov 25
Sun Nov 25, 2007 6:35am EST
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 6 a.m. EST on Sunday.
* denotes new or updated items.
* MOSUL - A roadside bomb targeting a U.S. patrol wounded six people in the city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
* FALLUJA - Police detained four gunmen after an attack that wounded a policeman in southern Falluja, 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAGHDAD - A car bomb killed nine people and wounded 30 near the Health Ministry in Bab al-Muadham street in central Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded two civilians in the Waziriya district of northern Baghdad, police said. A second roadside bomb exploded when Iraqi security forces arrived on the scene, killing one soldier and wounding six others, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four bodies were found in different districts in Baghdad on Saturday, police said.
BALAD - Iraqi army and U.S. forces arrested two gunmen during operations on Saturday in different areas in Iraq, the U.S. military said.
(Editing by Paul Tait)

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSANW52752420071125



Iraq: Parked car bomb kills at least 2, wounds 10 in central Baghdad
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAGHDAD
A parked car bomb exploded near a medical complex in Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least two people and wounding 10, police and hospital officials said.
The blast occurred about 9:30 a.m. in the central Bab al-Muadham neighborhood, where the Health Ministry and the central morgue are located.
Elsewhere in the capital, a roadside bomb apparently aimed at a police patrol in northeastern Baghdad missed its target but wounded three civilians, police said.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1195546718092&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



Blasts Kill At Least 12 in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Nov 25--At least 12 Iraqi civilians were killed and 44 others wounded in a series of bomb attacks across the capital Baghdad Sunday, security officials said.
A bomb exploded in a parked car near a medical complex, killing at least nine Iraqi civilians and wounding more than wounding 30 others.
The bomb went off in the central Bab al-Muadham neighborhood, near the Health Ministry and the central mortuary.
Police and hospital officials said the nine killed were civilians but two Iraqi soldiers were among the 31 wounded.
The death toll rose after several injured people died in the hospital.
In another early morning attack, two people were killed and six others wounded when a roadside bomb struck a truck carrying blast walls in southeast Baghdad, security officials said.
The third attack was coordinated, with a roadside bomb exploding in Al-Waziriyah, killed one person, and a second exploding minutes later when Iraqi soldiers arrived at the scene.
Six soldiers were wounded in the second blast along with two civilians, the officials said.
The latest bomb attacks come two days after a Baghdad pet market was bombed with explosives hidden in a carton used by vendors to carry birds, killing 13 people.
Elsewhere in the capital, a roadside bomb apparently aimed at a police patrol in northeastern Baghdad missed its target but wounded three civilians, police said.
The spate of attacks has dealt a blow to an increased sense of confidence about improved security in the capital and surrounding areas.
The US military has warned it is too early to claim victory in security operations clamping down on insurgents.

http://www.alalam.ir/english/en-NewsPage.asp?newsid=041030120071125134413


US to Withdraw 5,000 Troops from Iraq
By VOA News
25 November 2007
U.S. military officials says the improved security situation in Iraq will enable the withdrawal of five-thousand American soldiers by next month - the first reduction in overall troop strength since the surge of U.S. forces began early this year.
U.S. military spokesman, Admiral Gregory Smith, said Saturday an Army brigade that has been operating in Diyala Province will be returning home, and other forces already in Iraq will relocate into the province.
U.S. officials have said they could withdraw about 20,000 U.S. troops by July, if the security situation in Iraq permits.
In violence Sunday, Iraqi police say a car bomb exploded near a medical complex in Baghdad, killing nine people and wounding at least 30.
Elsewhere in the capital, authorities say a bomb, apparently aimed at a police patrol, wounded at least two civilians.

http://voanews.com/english/2007-11-25-voa2.cfm


American deaths
The Pentagon has released the names of the following US service members killed recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
November 23, 2007
According to an Associated Press count, at least 3,874 members of the US military have died since the Iraq war began in March 2003. At least 28,489 have been wounded, the military says.
more stories like this
In Afghanistan, at least 401 US personnel have died and 1,797 have been wounded.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2007/11/23/american_deaths/


Why the American invasion and occupation of Iraq is a war crime
Imagine if one of every 8 Americans was killed, wounded or displaced following an invasion by another country? Just try and imagine it. In Iraq that is the reality. The truth about Iraq is that our bombing, invasion and occupation brought about the deaths of a large percentage of the population, probably on the order of 1 million at least, out of a population of about 27 million. Add to that another 2 million forced to flee the country, a couple million more forced to flee to other homes inside the country. The loss of breadwinners and protectors. The emotional and mental anguish of millions more. I wouldn’t call it a Holocaust, that is reserved for the special case of what Nazi Germany did to Jews, homosexuals, some Christians, gypsies and intellectuals. But I have no quarrel with those who do call it a Holocaust. What we allowed our government to do, in many cases cheering it on from the sidelines, was a horrible war crime, the worst of the 21st century, and it’s repercussions will be with us always. Yes, Saddam Hussein was a terrible man, but in removing him we became even worse if judged by the fruits of our actions.
As Mark Weisbrot writes for AlterNet in an article titled “Holocaust Denial, American Style…”
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s flirtation with those who deny the reality of the Nazi genocide has rightly been met with disgust. But another holocaust denial is taking place with little notice: the holocaust in Iraq. The average American believes that 10,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the US invasion in March 2003. The most commonly cited figure in the media is 70,000. But the actual number of people who have been killed is most likely more than one million.
This is five times more than the estimates of killings in Darfur and even more than the genocide in Rwanda 13 years ago.
The estimate of more than one million violent deaths in Iraq was confirmed again two months ago in a poll by the British polling firm Opinion Research Business, which estimated 1,220,580 violent deaths since the US invasion. Read entire article.
That’s why Bush / Cheney should be impeached, and their actions repudiations by formerly duped Americans willing to face the truth about our country.

http://www.knoxvoice.com/blogs/truthserum/2007/11/24/why-the-american-invasion-and-occupation-of-iraq-is-a-war-crime/


Entire Article


http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/68568/


TRUDY RUBIN: WILL GAINS IN IRAQ LAST?
Things are better.... That's the cautious word I'm hearing out of Baghdad and other towns from Iraqi friends and colleagues.
People are afraid to hope too much or think ahead. But they can move about their own neighborhoods -- where American troops now patrol -- go out at night, and even visit a restaurant.
Iraqis I know who fled their homes are still afraid to go back. Violence is down to early-2006 levels -- before the most horrendous wave of sectarian killings that followed a bombing by Sunni militants of a holy Shiite shrine. But car bombs still explode, civilians still die violent deaths, and some provinces remain troubled.
So Iraqis ask -- as do U.S. civilian and military officials -- whether these gains can be consolidated and expanded. Or will they crumble in 2008 when U.S. troops are set to draw down sharply because the Army can't sustain surge levels anymore?
The answer depends on whether these security gains encourage Iraqi political progress. Gen. David Petraeus has made clear that the higher troop levels were meant to create breathing room for Iraq's Sunni and Shiite leaders to reach a modus vivendi.
Senior U.S. commanders are frustrated that Iraq's Shiite-led government won't reach out to former Sunni foes. The United States is now paying many former Sunni insurgents to protect their local areas. But the Iraqi government fears these insurgents will morph into new Sunni militias that will fight the government once the Americans draw down.
The lack of political reconciliation at the top leaves many wondering whether tactical military gains can be turned into strategic progress....


Deadly market bombing shatters new quiet in Baghdad
CONFLICT IN IRAQ: Insurgents appear to be disputing reports of security
(11-24) 04:00 PST Baghdad --
A bomb hidden in a box filled with birds exploded amid shoppers strolling through a colorful pet bazaar Friday, killing as many as 15 people, wounding dozens and raising fears that the capital's stretch of relative calm has ended.
More deadly violence occurred north and south of Baghdad as insurgents appeared intent on sending a message to U.S. and Iraqi officials that their recent expressions of confidence in the nation's security were premature.
Last week, the U.S. military said civilian deaths in Baghdad were down 75 percent since June, when the last of 28,500 additional American troops deployed to Iraq this year arrived. The Iraqi government proclaimed that the drop in civilian deaths and bombings indicated that Baghdad had emerged from its sectarian war....

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/24/MNS7TI1NV.DTL