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US Army turns to toy company to develop new weapon
We're not quite sure how the pitch session went with this one, but it looks like the US Army was so impressed by toymaker Lund and Company's Hydrogen Fuel Rocket that it decided to recruit the company to build a decidedly more lethal version of it. The new system, dubbed the Variable Velocity Weapon System, will apparently be able to be switched between lethal and non-lethal modes, and be loaded with rubber bullets, actual bullets, or other projectiles, which are fired by mixing a liquid or gaseous fuel with air in a combustion chamber. What's more, the company says that the technology could be applied to any size weapon from a "handgun to a Howitzer," and it says a demonstration version could be ready in as little as six months, with full production possible within 18 months, pending approval. We're not quite sure how the pitch session went with this one, but it looks like the US Army was so impressed by toymaker Lund and Com... more
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Suicide blast kills 8 U.S.-allied forces
BAGHDAD - A female suicide bomber killed at least eight people Thursday night at a checkpoint manned by U.S.-allied Sunni guards northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi police said.
The woman blew herself up near a checkpoint in central Baqouba, a police officer said.
At least eight guards were killed and 24 other people were wounded, according to the officer. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information
BAGHDAD - A female suicide bomber killed at least eight people Thursday night at a checkpoint manned by U.S.-allied Sunni guards north... more -
Sexually assaulted female troops struggle to recover
Women who are fighting for our country and the challenges they face.
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John McCain's Neverending War
John Mccain 2002 to the present his stance on war and his flip flop. be the judge.
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75% of Americans want to allow openly gay people in the military
A new survey by the Washington Post and ABC News has found that three-quarters of Americans think that openly gay, lesbian and bisexual people should be allowed to serve in the military.
64% of Republicans and nearly two thirds of self-described conservatives backed a change in the current law, as did 57% of white evangelical Protestants and 82% of white Catholics.
It was Republican opposition that forced then-President Bill Clinton to abandon his pledge to allow gay people to serve and signed into law the compromise known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Since 1993 gay people who do not reveal their sexuality can serve, and commanding officers are not meant to ask service personnel about their sexual orientation.
More than 12,000 gay men and women have been discharged under the current law, at an estimated cost of more than $363 million (£182.6m).
The new poll of 1,119 Americans, taken earlier this month, shows how support for gays in the military has steadily increased, from 44% in 1993 to 62% in 2001 to 75% today.
The current policy prohibits anyone who "demonstrates a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" to serve in the US Armed Forces.
An estimated 65,000 lesbian and gay service members serve on active duty and in the reserves of the United States military, according to gay advocacy group the Servicemembers Legal Defence Network.
It said it knows of about 500 gay army members who are serving openly without any consequences.
In March US Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama told leading gay publication The Advocate he supports a repeal of the gay ban and is hopeful it can be achieved.
His Republican opponent John McCain does not favour gays serving openly.
With 75% of the population in support, is it time for the American military to finally change its policy?
A new survey by the Washington Post and ABC News has found that three-quarters of Americans think that openly gay, lesbian and bisexua... more -
War Video Warning:Graphic
7 years!
I have gathered an exhibition of graphic and bloody videos. 30 in all.
I believe you'll find them sickening and hard to watch.
I encourage you to view as many as possible go gain insight into the issue I'm presenting.
Watch and learn about the reality of war.
Barack Obama and John McCain want this to continue...
How can anyone see the sense or goodness in this.
Please add any links you have.
Let others know your thoughts by commenting below. 7 years! I have gathered an exhibition of graphic and bloody videos. 30 in all. ... more -
Army Shooting Pigs as Training Exercise | Animal Law Coalition
*Please See Petition!
The U.S. Army is planning to train soldiers by having them shoot live pigs with M16A2 and M4 rifles and then treat the poor animals' wounds. This "training" is taking place at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.
Maj. Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division that is conducting the so called military exercise, claims the US Department of Agriculture has licensed the cruelty. An Animal Care and Use Committee and veterinarians are watching the slaughter. Like they do when researchers perform experiments and testing on animals under a USDA license.
It does not concern the military that this bizarre, utterly cruel exercise will torture and terrify these intelligent, sensitive animals. The military claims it is necessary to train soldiers for Iraq.
Why not use high tech human simulators such as the Combat Trauma Patient Simulation System; Simulab Corporation's TraumaMan system, and the "living" cadaver perfusion model? Why not let soldiers shadow experienced medics in emergency situations? Wouldn't they really be better trained than from this archaic canned hunt model?
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact the military leaders at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and ask them to stop this shooting exercise. It is cruel, terrifying for the animals and there are several other ways to train soldiers to handle medical emergencies. Be polite.
Col. Matthew T. Margotta
Commander, U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii
IMPC-HI-ZA
851 Wright Avenue, WAAF (Stop 107)
Schofield Barracks, HI 96857
Fax 808-656-3740; Phone 808-656-1153
Also, contact USDA/APHIS, the agency in charge of animal care in situations like this; let them know this is cruel torture, that the military should be required to use other methods to train soldiers.
Cindy Smith, Administrator, APHIS
Dr. Chester A. Gipson, Deputy Administrator for Animal Care, APHIS
USDA/APHIS/AC
4700 River Road, Unit 84
Riverdale, MD 20737-1234
E-mail: ace@aphis.usda.gov
Phone: (301) 734-7833
Fax: (301) 734-4978
Also, email Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer AgSec@usda.gov and urge him to stop this cruel training exercise.
*Please See Petition! ... more -
Young U.S. Soldiers In Iraq Long for Action in Afghan War
With the troop surge working in Iraq, and violence at its lowest level in months, young U.S. Soldiers are looking to the Afghan war with envy, hoping to get a chance to prove themselves in battle.
I wish I was young enough to go back and fight next to these brave soldiers. It's good to know that on the front lines of this idealogical war we have our bravest and finest young men. God bless our troops. With the troop surge working in Iraq, and violence at its lowest level in months, young U.S. Soldiers are looking to the Afghan war wi... more -
Westboro Baptist Church strikes again
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church stopped by Schofield Barracks, an Army post in Hawaii, for crumpets and tea. Actually, they came to spread hate and hurt whomever they could with nasty words and ugly signs. It's astonishing that these are actually REAL people. Their message is sickening: God hates America, homosexuals, and the military. What is wrong with them?! Members of the Westboro Baptist Church stopped by Schofield Barracks, an Army post in Hawaii, for crumpets and tea. Actually, they ca... more
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raq eyes full security control by year-end
Iraq hopes to have security control of all its provinces by the year-end, the national security adviser said on Wednesday, underscoring the government's growing confidence in its own forces.
Iraq's forces have grown, totaling around 560,000, including army, police and other units. But many units can only function with U.S. military assistance.
When provincial security control is handed back in Iraq, U.S.-led forces generally withdraw from major population centers but can be called on to intervene in an emergency.
National security adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie was speaking at a ceremony where U.S.-led troops handed security responsibility for southern Shi'ite Qadisiya province to Iraqi forces. The handover puts Baghdad in control of security in 10 of the country's 18 provinces, all mainly Shi'ite or Kurdish areas.
In a sign of the challenges ahead, a car bomb killed 15 people and wounded 90 at a market in the northern town of Tal Afar, the town's mayor said. The U.S. military said initial reports put the death toll at 12, with 18 wounded. The attack followed several bombings on Tuesday which killed around 40 people in northern areas, where al Qaeda militants are still feared despite a series of military offensives.
Iraq hopes to have security control of all its provinces by the year-end, the national security adviser said on Wednesday, underscorin... more -
Female soldier missing, home burned
Authorities are searching for a female soldier, missing after a fire at her apartment near Fort Bragg in North Carolina, reports CNN.
Investigators found evidence of arson at the Fayetteville apartment of 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc, 24.
A neighbor, Roland Petty, told WRAL-TV that he saw a man running from the area on Wednesday night and smelled smoke, although he didn't associate it with the building at the time.
In a court filing for a protective order, Wimunc said that in May her husband had knocked her down, held a loaded gun to her head and then threatened to commit suicid.
The court documents indicate that John Wimunc is a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune.
A Camp Lejeune spokesman told WRAL that police had spoken to John Wimunc on Thursday about his wife's disappearance.
"I haven't seen any violence. I know [Wimunc's husband] was not living here anymore, but that's all I know," a neighbor said.
Both stations reported that Holley Wimunc's car was still in the parking lot at the apartment.
Her disappearance is considered a missing person case.
Authorities are searching for a female soldier, missing after a fire at her apartment near Fort Bragg in North Carolina, reports CNN. ... more -
US airstrike kills 47 Afghan "wedding party guests": most of them women and childr...
On Sunday, an airstrike by US forces in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, killed 47 civilians, of which 39 were women and children.
Initial reports said 20 had been killed, but the head of a government investigation team later admitted that it was more than double that. The US military had also claimed that the dead were 'militants', but locals claim that the guests were "wedding party guests".
The country's president, Hamid Karzai has orgainsed a 9 strong "investigative commission" to determine the details of this tragedy.
What's more likely: that this was a group of 'militants' consisting of mostly women and children, or an innocent communial gathering? This blundering error by the US army should be subjected to the scorn and rigorous investigation that it merits.
On Sunday, an airstrike by US forces in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, killed 47 civilians, of which 39 were women and child... more -
Iraq war veterans accuse US military of coverups
As we approach the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, hundreds of US veterans of the war say the American military has been covering up widespread civilian killings in that country. As we approach the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, hundreds of US veterans of the war say the American military has been co... more
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Army Critiques Post-Invasion Phase of Iraq War
Monday, June 30th, the US Army will release a report which "blasts the post-invasion phase of the Iraq war for being poorly planned and badly mismanaged." If you're occupying the country and the occupying force is angered about the occupation, and going out and writing a report about it, you know there's something wrong. But, then again, there was always something wrong. The point is, even the army is challenging the wrong.
Monday, June 30th, the US Army will release a report which "blasts the post-invasion phase of the Iraq war for being poorly planned an... more -
A Soldier's Story You Will NEVER Hear on CNN
"KILL EVERYBODY" - US ARMY SPECIALIST DARRELL ANDERSON EXPOSES US POLICY "I joined in '03," 'cause I was broke, I needed money, but I was a young American kid, I wanted to fight in a war. I joined up. [A] month out of training I arrived in Baghdad, Iraq, January '04. Saddam's been captured. And I get there and the guys I'm serving with have been there for six months already; they were there in '03. And I go, "Well, you know what, I think it's come out that, you know, these people had nothing to do with 9/11, there was no Iraqi on those planes. We can see around here there's no Al Qaida, there's no terrorist syndicates in Baghdad, or Iraq. Saddam had stamped 'em out." And I asked my buddies, "Well, you know, we're here to find 'weapons of mass destruction'." And they laughed at me. And I said, "Well, you know, we're here to 'help the people.'" And they laughed at me. And I said, "What's our mission? What's our goal?"...They're like, "All we're trying to do is make it home alive..." Anderson describes the escalation of violence against unarmed civilians: "In April, they told us, "In a crowded area, if one person shoots at you, kill everybody." Anderson explains the rationale from the officers: "They [members of the crowd of people] are letting them [the person or persons firing at the U.S. military] attack you. They're no longer innocent if they're there at the time of the crime..." (9/11 conference, Chandler AZ Feb 23-25, 2007) 911TV.org / snowshoefilms post-production/ 9:46
Some relevant background: In trying to suppress the Yugoslavian resistance, Nazi Gen. Keitel, supreme commander of the armed forces, issued this order in Sept. 1941:
"In order to nip disorders in the bud the sternest measures must be applied at the first sign of insurrection. It should also be taken into consideration that in the countries in question a human life is often valueless. In a reprisal for the life of a German soldier, the general rule should be capital punishment for 50-100 Communists. The manner of execution must have a frightening effect."
Perhaps the American generals, the neo-cons, and the new world order planners who direct them are copying the Nazi playbook. More likely, though, they are progressing along parallel lines because they've committed the same egregious war crimes; they can only compound their crimes until they "kill everybody" who resists them. The Yugoslavian partisans fighting German fascism were called "communists." Today, U.S. fascism calls that same resistance in Iraq and Afghanistan "terrorist." Gen. Keitel was hanged for this and other war crimes by the Nuremberg Tribunal on October 16, 1946. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/...
After 7 months in Iraq, Darrell Anderson, 22, decided that he wasn't to risk going back to Iraq to kill or be killed. He fled to Canada, a deserter. While there, though, he felt he wasn't doing enough to expose and stop the war and returned to U.S. and, possibly, a long prison sentence. Perhaps to undermine the legal case of other deserters in Canada, the U.S. military imprisoned Anderson only a few days, releasing him with a 'less than honorable' discharge. Given Anderson's heroic determination to organize and help GI and other war resisters, the U.S. military may come to believe they've made a mistake. 911TV.org / www.SNOWSHOEFILMS.COM
Yor Yevrah updates: PSDplat asks, "wtf does he [Darrel Anderson] mean, 'expose 911'?" Good question. Anderson, gung-ho when he got to Iraq, quickly learned that Saddam had nothing to do with Sept. 11. It takes a while longer to come to grips with the deeper lie that 9/11 was an inside job. Defenders of the official conspiracy theory (19 Arab hijackers) enable the inside-job perpetrators to get away with their crimes and cover-up and to continue the mother of all hate crimes, the racist, genocidal, global and ersatz "war on terror". "KILL EVERYBODY" - US ARMY SPECIALIST DARRELL ANDERSON EXPOSES US POLICY "I joined in '03," 'cause I was broke, I needed money, but I ... more -
RAF pilot refuses US order to trim moustache
An RAF pilot has been ordered to trim his handlebar moustache by an American General who took offence at its length, but the British serviceman was not prepared to lose his whiskers without a fight. And for that, I salute you! An RAF pilot has been ordered to trim his handlebar moustache by an American General who took offence at its length, but the British s... more
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US Marines and troops to Carry Guns and be fully armed in Peru
Lima, (Prensa Latina) The Peruvian government tacitly admitted the possibility that the US troops to be deployed in the central region of Ayacucho fight irregular forces acting in the area.
Defense Minister Antero Flores-Araoz tried to justify that foreign troops carry assault rifles, responding to criticisms by opposition Peruvian Nationalist Party (PNP) leader Ollanta Humala, who recalled that according to the law, only Peruvian soldiers can carry such weapons within the country.
The minister told Andina news agency that the presence of armed groups in the Ayacucho region may force US soldiers to carry guns for their own protection.
The government has stated that foreign troops are coming to construct water wells and classrooms.
Humala noted that such mission does not justify American soldiers carrying guns. He pointed out that Peruvian engineers and constructors can do those works.
The entry of US troops to Peru was approved by he ruling party and conservative groups in Congress, which also accepted the entrance of military groups to Ayacucho between last May and next September.
The PNP parliamentary group has denounced that the government and most of legislative majority had passed some 30 entry permissions for US soldiers between 2007 and this year.
They fear it might be related to the possibility of creating a US military base in Peruvian territory.
http://poorbuthappy.com/peru/forum/28/ Lima, (Prensa Latina) The Peruvian government tacitly admitted the possibility that the US troops to be deployed in the central region... more -
California's war dead profiled
The Los Angeles Times has created another moving tribute to California's war dead - one of whom took the number of US personnel killed in Iraq to 4000.
It's another reminder, as if we needed one, of why war sucks. It's a simplistic view, I know ... but it does. It sucks, and it sucks massively. The Los Angeles Times has created another moving tribute to California's war dead - one of whom took the number of US personnel killed... more -
America's Medicated Army
The new issue of Time magazine has an interesting article about antidepressant usage by the U.S. troops. This is an excerpt from the article:
"For the first time in history, a sizable and growing number of U.S. combat troops are taking daily doses of antidepressants to calm nerves strained by repeated and lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The medicines are intended not only to help troops keep their cool but also to enable the already strapped Army to preserve its most precious resource: soldiers on the front lines. Data contained in the Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team report indicate that, according to an anonymous survey of U.S. troops taken last fall, about 12% of combat troops in Iraq and 17% of those in Afghanistan are taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills to help them cope. Escalating violence in Afghanistan and the more isolated mission have driven troops to rely more on medication there than in Iraq, military officials say."
"At a Pentagon that keeps statistics on just about everything, there is no central clearinghouse for this kind of data, and the Army hasn't consistently asked about prescription-drug use, which makes it difficult to track. Given the traditional stigma associated with soldiers seeking mental help, the survey, released in March, probably underestimates antidepressant use. But if the Army numbers reflect those of other services — the Army has by far the most troops deployed to the war zones — about 20,000 troops in Afghanistan and Iraq were on such medications last fall. The Army estimates that authorized drug use splits roughly fifty-fifty between troops taking antidepressants — largely the class of drugs that includes Prozac and Zoloft — and those taking prescription sleeping pills like Ambien."
"In some ways, the prescriptions may seem unremarkable. Generals, history shows, have plied their troops with medicinal palliatives at least since George Washington ordered rum rations at Valley Forge. During World War II, the Nazis fueled their blitzkrieg into France and Poland with the help of an amphetamine known as Pervitin. The U.S. Army also used amphetamines during the Vietnam War."
The new issue of Time magazine has an interesting article about antidepressant usage by the U.S. troops. This is an excerpt from the a... more -
The Soldier Seeker // Comment Picked for TV
Thanks to cwood for her upload on "The Soldier Seeker". After you hear what she has to say you can check out the pod here: http://current.com/items/88817412_the_soldier_seeker Thanks to cwood for her upload on "The Soldier Seeker". After you hear what she has to say you can check out the pod here: http://cur... more
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