China Pakistan Connection

We have 90,000 American troops in Afghanistan now. This is a problem and we need to get them out !!
Pakistan takes billions of dollars from Americans...oh yes, we have to borrow the money from China to give it to Pakistan. Pakistan used to charge the US $250 per truck for the military to enter Pakistan. Now Pakistan has demanded $5,000 per truck to use the Pakistan road. HMMMMMM!!


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Middle East Status Summary

This weekend 60 adults and 30 kids were killed in Syria by the government led by Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian President. We  have 90,000 American troops in Afghanistan fighting a war.
Also this week, Pakistan thumbed its nose at the US by sentencing the doctor who located Osama Bin Laden to 33 years in prison for treason. Bin laden killed Americans and Pakistani citizens.
Iran says will agree to more talks, but Iran is still getting enriched uranium for nuclear weapons. - despite harm to their economy by reduced oil sales. Is China helping Iran...with our money?.
Egypt completed the first round of open elections and there will be a run off election between Mohammed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, a former general who was Mubarak's prime minister. Both bad?
Americans can not keep intervening into the wars of the Middle East. Americans have  become weary of war...plus America has no money. If America would go to war again, we  would have to borrow the money from China and increase our deficit by trillions of dollars more.
Let the Republicans argue for war,,,Americans won’t buy it.

I feel candidate Whelan is not fit for the office of Congress. He refuses to defend and protect the United States of America. He has no wife, kids or other responsibilities. If Whelan wants to go to Congress, he must show he loves the US and is willing to sacrifice, like so many others have. On this Memorial Day, I urge you to not elect Whelan. Let him enter the military, grow, become a man, stop getting his political money for signs from his parents. Whelan...not now...not now.

Afghanistan abuse of women

Kabul (CNN) -- The ordeal of Gulnaz did not simply begin and end with the physical attack of her rape. The rape began a years-long nightmare of further pain, culminating in an awful choice she must now make.
Even two years later, Gulnaz remembers the smell and state of her rapist's clothes when he came into the house when her mother left for a brief visit to the hospital.
"He had filthy clothes on as he does metal and construction work. When my mother went out, he came into my house and he closed doors and windows. I started screaming, but he shut me up by putting his hands on my mouth," she said.
The rapist was her cousin's husband.
After the attack, she hid what happened as long as she could. But soon she began vomiting in the mornings and showing signs of pregnancy. It was her attacker's child.
In Afghanistan, this brought her not sympathy, but prosecution. Aged just 19, she was found guilty by the courts of sex outside of marriage -- adultery -- and sentenced to twelve years in jail.
Now inside Kabul's Badam Bagh jail, she and her child are serving her sentence together.
I started screaming, but he shut me up by putting his hands on my mouth
Gulnaz
Sitting with the baby in her lap, her face carefully covered, she explains the only choice she has that would end her incarceration.
The only way around the dishonor of rape, or adultery in the eyes of Afghans, is to marry her attacker. This will, in the eyes of some, give her child a family and restore her honor.
Incredibly, this is something that Gulnaz is willing to do.
"I was asked if I wanted to start a new life by getting released, by marrying this man", she told CNN in an exclusive interview. "My answer was that one man dishonored me, and I want to stay with that man."
Tending to her daughter in the jail's cold, she added: "My daughter is a little innocent child. Who knew I would have a child in this way. A lot of people told me that after your daughter's born give it to someone else, but my aunt told me to keep her as proof of my innocence."
Gulnaz's choice is stark. Women in her situation are often killed for the shame their ordeal has brought the community. She is at risk, some say, from her attacker's family.
We found Gulnaz's convicted rapist in a jail across town. While he denied raping her, he agreed that she would likely be killed if she gets out of jail. But he insists that it will be her family, not his, that will kill her, "out of shame."
Whether threatened by his family or hers, for now, jail may be the safest place for her.
Shockingly, Gulnaz's case is common in Afghanistan.
CNN asked a spokesman for the prosecutor to comment on the case. The reply was that there were hundreds such cases and the office would need time to look into it.
I was asked if I wanted to start a new life by getting released, by marrying this man
Gulnaz
But Gulnaz's plight has found international attention because of a dispute between the European Union and a team of documentary makers hired to report on women's rights in Afghanistan.
The documentary makers filmed a lengthy report on Gulnaz and other women, showing her talking openly about her fate. They showed the film to the EU, who were paying for it as part of a project on female rights here. After viewing it, the EU decided to spike the project.
The EU said it was concerned about the safety of the women in the film: they could be identified and might face reprisals. The filmmakers however suspect -- citing an email leaked from the EU delegation -- that the EU might also be motivated by its sensitive relationship with Afghan justice institutions, since he film shows the Afghan justice system in a very unflattering light.
The leaked email says: "The delegation also has to consider its relations with [Afghan] Justice institutions in connection with the other work that it is doing in the sector."
The EU Ambassador to Afghanistan, Vygaudas Usackas, rejected any political motivation in asking for the film not to be shown.
"What I am concerned about is that situation of the women. About the security and well being, that's of paramount importance, the key criteria according to which I, as representative of the European Union will judge," said the ambassdor.
Under Afghan law, Gulnaz has been judged an adulterer. Despite the ongoing dispute over her story, her predicament has not changed. She faces the hideous choice of 12 years in jail or marriage to her rapist and risk death. It's a marriage she says she'll accept, so her child can continue to have a mother.

US Embassy military orgy

Will things get worse with "don't ask, don't tell" revoked? I have more stories to share.

SEX SCANDAL IN KABUL VIDEOUS embassy security staff in perverse naked games

The American embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan has become embroiled in a sex scandal after it was revealed that guards took part in perverse naked games.

Staff held parties with prostitutes, heavy drinking and kinky naked games in Camp Sullivan, the workers’ accommodation.

“One supervisor boasted about the fact that he had hired a prostitute for his birthday,” Danielle Brian from the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) said.

And you can see what was going on in the pictures…

Naked men grabbing each other by the testicles in perverse sex games, drinking vodka from a butt crack and eating off a naked back – many of those involved were obviously forced to do it by their superiors!

The scandal in Afghanistan came to light because of the concerns by staff of the private security firm, which was hired to protect the embassy.

Some of the victims of the bizarre games reported the abuse to POGO.

One guard said: “It was degrading and embarrassing.”

Whoever didn’t want to take part in the orgy was gambling with their chances of promotion – or even the risk of losing their job!

The organisation has denounced the sordid activities in a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who reacted swiftly and promised “zero tolerance” would be shown if the accusations were proved to be true.

Philip Crowley, a State Department spokesman, said: “The behaviour shown in these pictures is unacceptable.” Those involved in it have reportedly been removed from their posts.

“It potentially endangers the important work of the US embassy in Kabul. We find it all abhorrent,” he added.

Secretary of Defence Robert Gates said: “If those allegations are true, those activities are not just offensive to Afghans and Muslims.

“They’re offensive to us and inexcusable.”

Meanwhile, an alcohol ban has been issued in Camp Sullivan and staff have been assigned to oversee the private security personnel

McCain is wrong - No mercenaries

Today, Senator John McCain said that Iraq will continue to need our troops and we need to have continued presence in Iraq. There is some confusion here. McCain is wrong.
Iraq can not control our troops for any reason. Our troops were deployed for WAR. Once the war is over, the troops can return home. Iraq may need Americans to build and modernize their country, but they can not use our troops. Nation-building is not war and it is not a duty for Americans to pay for Iraq nation-building. Iraq has many resources and many private companies are in Iraq making lots of money, along with the corrupt government officials. America has a huge deficit and is paying for the Iraq war with a credit card from China. It does not make any sense
We need to bring all of our military stuff home, along with our soldiers. There are basically three ways for Iraq to get non-war Americans into the country for nation-building. First, Iraq can hire a mercenary military to keep their people under control for years to come. Second, Iraq can hire American corporations, businesses and non-profits to work on various projects and needs. Lastly, Iraq can contract with the US to send non -military volunteer workers for various jobs. Anyone who wishes to volunteer to live and work in Iraq can do so via the State Department and be paid higher wages with benefits by IRAQ, not the United States.
Our military is not mercenary. Hence, countries can not pay our soldiers to come in and fight their wars. The US military only fights to protect and defend the US. The Foreign Legion is a mercenary military  group that takes men from any country to fight anywhere for pay. So, to hire a military, Iraq needs to look into hiring the Foreign Legion. If the US puts non-military persons in peril to build Iraq, there is every chance a war build-up could restart if the safety of these people is jeopardized. Iraq has already said that there will be no immunity and all Americans in Iraq will be subject to Iraqi law. Having seen the videos of Qaddafi's torture and death, I think most Americans will not be prepared for the Iraqi justice system. In addition, there are still hundreds of thousands of IED's hidden throughout the country.
The best situation is for private corporations and non-profits to send employees to Iraq, the companies and workers will be paid by Iraq, and the businesses will be responsible for the care, safety and costs involved. This will also help both the deficit and the US unemployment situation.

Republicans want war extended and more debt

Republicans don't get it. THE WAR HAS BEEN DECLARED OVER and the troops will be home for Christmas!!! The Republican leaders are saying to President Obama, this is too soon and we need to keep our troops in Iraq, and other Middle East countries, until they are stable. Hey, these countries have almost never been stable in our lifetimes. Unlike Americans, they have grown up in a culture of violence and fighting. You can clearly see the difference in how they treated Qaddafi vs. how we treat our "hated ones," like Madoff. We are a different culture with different beliefs. In the Middle East, when one fight ends, another begins.
The final story is, the US war in Iraq is over and we need to ship out our stuff and bring home the troops. This also means that the huge costs of the war, and the aftermath, will markedly decrease. We can stop borrowing as much from China and reduce our huge deficit. Thanks President Obama.
For years we were doing a lot of nation-building in the Middle East - but this is not the proper use for troops. Once the war ends, the troops come home. Now, as far as continual nation-building, we can use American businesses and others who want to contract and profit for various deals. But, not our troops.
We need our public money directed towards improving the American economy, encouraging job development, and improving the financial crisis.
So Republicans get over it, the WAR IS OVER!!!!!

PRESIDENT OBAMA DECLARES WAR OVER

YAHOOOOO!!!!! The day we have waited for for over ten years. President Obama declared today,"the Iraq/Afghanistan war is over" and the President states all troops will be out by the end of the year and hopefully home for Christmas !!!! LET'S DANCE!!!!!!
Republicans say, not so fast. Republicans feel U.S. needs to be involved in the war area for additional years and want to pour more borrowed money into Iraq, Afghanistan, and the corrupt pockets of foreign leaders and contractors. Republicans do not understand that the money used for the war was borrowed from China and has a huge interest component. Our children for generations will be paying of this ten-year plus war debt. We can not afford to increase our debt more and continue a questionable presence in the Middle East.
President Obama is correct. End the war this year, stop the financial waste and borrowing, and allow our troops to come home and get their lives back.
THEY'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Military makes excuses to stay in Iraq

I am going to comment on this edited CNN news brief. I am a strong supporter of bringing American troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. We have seen the Middle East leadership playing both sides of the conflict - taking mega money and human lives from the United States and giving American money to the anti-American forces to kill, maim, corrupt, and enslave our patriotic troops.

El Paso, Texas (CNN) -- A brigade of U.S. troops originally scheduled to be among the very last to leave Iraq is being pulled out of the country months ahead of its planned departure, military officials said Saturday (10/14/2011).

The announcement follows news this month that a deal to keep American troops in Iraq past a December 31, 2011, deadline to withdraw was on shaky ground after Iraqi leadership said any remaining U.S. forces would not be granted immunity from Iraqi prosecution. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and other top brass have repeatedly said any deal to keep U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the withdrawal deadline must require a guarantee of legal protection for American soldiers.(Comment: Panetta, why would we stay. The war is over. We have military setting up residence in Iraq.)

The Fourth Brigade Combat Team, First Armored Division, based at Fort Bliss, deployed to Iraq in August to replace two withdrawing brigades. The troops were sent with the understanding they would be among the last to leave the country and were told to expect up to a 12-month deployment (Comment: That's about one year past our promised withdrawal date)

                                              As part of that agreement, the State Department is deploying thousands 
                                              of workers to Iraq to take over where military officials leave off in their 
                                              dealings with the Iraqi government.(Comment: This article clearly                                        
                                              states we have no agreement or immunity with Iraq. So, these 
                                              workers will not have immunity, So,  they can be imprisoned, 
                                              tortured and hanged after trial (or other Iraqi process) in Iraq. Who 
                                              is going to protect these thousands of government workers? Is 
                                              this just another ploy to keep more American troops in Iraq 
                                              beyond the 2011 deadline?)

"At the same time we're building a comprehensive partnership with Iraq under the Strategic Framework Agreement including a robust security relationship, and discussions with the Iraqis about the nature of that relationship are ongoing," said Tommy Vietor of the National Security Council.(Comment: We have no "partnership" with Iraq! Mr. Vietor does not understand for there to be a partnership there must be transparency, agreement, trust and a willingness to follow the terms/rules of the contract. Vietor must be making money under the table.)

"We shouldn't see American soldiers in Iraqi courts on trumped-up charges," he said.(Comment: Get out troops out now!)

The meetings include discussions about the rights of American troops and what will be required in order for those troops to assist Iraqi forces in the future, according to Panetta.(Comment: How clear can Iraq be - no immunity. You have the right to be tried and hung! When did we become Iraqi assistants. We were there for a war. It's over - BRING OUR TROOPS HOME!)

U.S. officials have been pressuring Iraq's leadership for months for an answer to whether it would request a troop extension, with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen saying over the summer that the U.S. needed a a decision by August.(Comment: Who cares if they ask for an extension of the services of our troops. They just shot down another plane full of SEALS. We are not a maid or babysitting service. Of course they want our troops longer, because we send boatloads of money to Iraq as long as they are there. Americans who need jobs will have to go to Iraq to find them. If they request our troops, tell them to pay up and tell the troops the war is over,but they can sign up to "improve Iraq" if they wish. We should not be nation-building there. The troops are not slaves for the rich. )

.

The negotiations have been strained following WikiLeaks' release of a diplomatic cable that alleged Iraqi civilians, including children, were killed in a 2006 raid by American troops rather than in an airstrike as initially reported by the U.S. military.

Shortly after the WikiLeaks cable gained attention in September, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered an investigation into the deaths outside of Tikrit.

U.S. officials have long said they believe Iraq may need help with training, counterterrorism, air defense, command and control and intelligence operations. Any U.S. troops remaining to do those jobs might also need additional security forces.(Comment: This is "crazy land." Iraq will use all of their skills from our training against Americans and our allies at home and abroad. Our troops get pushed into Iraq without that training. Our values are misplaced as we arm the Middle East to win against us.)

The prospect of U.S. troops staying beyond the end of the year sits uncomfortably with many Iraqis, who have routinely questioned American motives following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. (Comment: As we get closer to the deadline, they will kill more and more of our troops.)

Radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Sadrist political party is closely aligned with al-Maliki, has vowed to escalate armed resistance if the U.S. military does not leave as scheduled, a move that could destabilize the country should his militia repeat the bloody battles it waged against American and Iraqi forces during the height of violence.

Odierno said last month that there would be risks in leaving a large force of U.S. troops in Iraq, noting such a force could provoke new claims of U.S. occupation and distract from efforts to develop the Iraqi military's abilities. He would not comment directly on reports that the White House administration had decided to leave between 3,000 and 5,000 troops, should they be requested by Iraq.(Comment: Hogwash!!)

Odierno, who served as the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said that training of Iraqi security forces was not complete.(Comment: No, we have not completely taught you how to kill us and take over our country, security and economy.)

"We need to probably be there to assist them at certain levels for a while," he said last month in a question-and-answer session with journalists at the Pentagon.(Comment: Odierno is NUTS!!!)

As of last week, 41,000 U.S. military personnel remained in the country, according to Major Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, spokesman for U.S. Forces-Iraq. Buchanan said Wednesday that "we are on track, and we will meet our requirement to redeploy the last remaining military personnel from 41,000 down to zero by the end of the year." A brigade typically consists of between 3,000 and 5,000 soldiers.(Comment: We are watching. All troops and our secret stuff out of Iraq and Afghanistan by the 31st deadline!!)

Cut the deficit?

Do the Republicans want to cut the deficit? I don't think so. So far we have spent over a ½ trillion dollars on the Afghanistan/Iraq war. Want to cut billions of dollars from the budget, send the troops home. All of this money on credit from China - plus interest. Anyone who has handled a budget knows this is failure. Spending on war must stop. But many make huge profits from wars, so the opposition is strong. War using a credit card.

With our expensive borrowed money, the corrupt governments in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and more buy weapons and kill Americans, get our soldiers hooked on drugs, infiltrate America with more corruption...

Those soldiers who return to the US and are not addicted to drugs, not corrupted and have escaped death now must face lifelong medical/social care and repercussions from PTSD and physical disfigurements. In addition, unemployment eats at the soul and contributes to additional depression, obesity, anger, violence, divorce and addictions. The effects of war will last generations. Additional billions of dollars will be needed to care for the veterans and their families. Everyone suffers when the PTSD leads to suicide and violence in the families and communities.

The Karzi government is corrupt and wants to entice us into many additional years of war. The people in the Middle East must pay for and fight their own wars. We Americans must leave now.

Gun control for some?

Conservative radio commentator, Mike Levine says now he wants gun control. Why?  Well, Mike is angry that the criminals involved in the drug trade in Mexico are committing horrible crimes with weapons, allegedly purchased with American money, and American border guards are being killed. So, let’s see…no gun control in the US because “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Now, since the Mexicans are creating problems with guns, Mike wants federal gun control and he wants the Obama administration to head this project. Mike needs to understand laws don’t work against just one group of people. The Republicans want no gun control, so that is what we have. If they are committing crimes with guns, go after the people, not the guns.
Also, when President Bush started the wars in the Middle East, many American military and innocent civilians were killed by weapons purchased by the enemy with American money. Often they used American payments to buy American weapons to kill Americans. We have a long history of giving large amounts of money to hostile groups abroad, even as Americans are in great financial need.
Pray that President Obama can get our remaining military out of this quagmire fast and safely.

I do not agree with Republicans

Whether you support the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan or not, I agree with General Allen. All of the men and women who volunteered for military war service are heroes,

It takes more than hollow words to respect our military. Respect is shown by your actions, and booing the military shows what Republicans really think of our volunteer military heroes.

Taliban Attacks For 9/11

(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Nearly 80 American soldiers were wounded and five Afghans civilians were killed in a Taliban truck bombing targeting an American base in eastern Afghanistan, NATO said Sunday, a stark reminder that the war in Afghanistan still rages 10 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks against the United States.

No U.S. soldiers were killed in Saturday night's bombing, which took place hours after the Taliban vowed to keep fighting U.S. forces in Afghanistan until all American troops leave the country. The insurgent movement also stressed that it had no role in the Sept. 11 attacks.

The blast shaved the facades from shops outside Combat Outpost Sayed Abad in Wardak province and broke windows in government offices nearby, said Roshana Wardak, a former parliamentarian who runs a clinic in the nearby town of the same name. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Eight wounded civilians were brought to Wardak's clinic, two of them with wounds serious enough that they were sent to Kabul. She said one 3-year-old girl died of her wounds on the way to the clinic. The Wardak governor's office confirmed the death toll and said a total of 17 Afghans were wounded — 14 civilians and three security officers.

The attack was carried out by a Taliban suicide bomber who detonated a large bomb inside a truck carrying firewood, NATO said. It was unclear how many foreign and Afghan soldiers were serving on the base. "Most of the force of the explosion was absorbed by the protective barrier at the outpost entrance," NATO said, adding that the damage was repairable and that operations were continuing.

NATO said none of the 77 injuries sustained by the Americans was life-threatening. Spokesman Maj. Russell Fox said Sunday that all the international troops at the combat outpost are American.

The governor's office said the blast was so powerful it damaged more than 100 shops in Sayed Abad's main bazaar, the hospital and the small town's administration building.

On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul held a memorial service to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. A military band played as American troops raised an American flag in front of about 300 assembled U.S. and Afghan officials. Marine Gen. John Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, urged those assembled to honor the memory of those who died. "On that day we lost mothers and fathers, sons and daughters we lost people of many nations and many religions, today we remember, we honor them all," he said. The Afghan foreign minister said the attacks bound Afghans and Americans together in a "shared struggle."

In a statement emailed to media, the Taliban accused the United States of using the Sept. 11 attacks as a pretext to invade Afghanistan and said the international community was responsible for killing thousands of Afghans during the invasion and ensuing occupation. "Each year, 9/11 reminds the Afghans of an event in which they had no role whatsoever," the Taliban said. "American colonialism has shed the blood of tens of thousands of miserable and innocent Afghans."

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, after the Taliban, who then ruled the country, refused to hand over Osama bin Laden.

The late al-Qaeda leader was at the time living in Afghanistan, where the terror network had training camps from which it planned attacks against the U.S. and other countries. "The Afghans have an endless stamina for a long war," the statement said. "Through a countrywide uprising, the Afghans will send the Americans to the dustbin of history like they sent other empires of the past." The statement was issued by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the official title used by the Taliban when they ruled the country.

The insurgent group continues to launch regular attacks and orchestrate assassination campaigns against those allied with the government. In addition to the attack in Wardak on Saturday, 10 Afghan civilians were killed in two separate roadside bombings.

Although the Taliban were swiftly driven from power by the U.S.-led coalition, they managed to use the years of the Iraq war — when America focused its military strength on the conflict against Saddam Hussein — to regroup, rearm and reorganize. They began winning back ground lost to the international military coalition until President Barack Obama sent in 30,000 more troops last year to help.

Although the coalition has made some gains in the Taliban's traditional southern strongholds, violence has not abated around the country.

The U.S. has begun withdrawing some of its 100,000 troops and will send home 33,000 by the end of next year. The international military coalition has already begun transferring security responsibilities to newly trained Afghan forces with the aim of removing all their soldiers by the end of 2014. Bin Laden was killed in May in a raid on his house in northwestern Pakistan by helicopter-borne U.S. Navy SEALs.

Associated Press writers Patrick Quinn and Heidi Vogt contributed to this report from Kabul.