Print it out: color best. Pass it on.GI Special: thomasfbarton@earthlink.net 7.4.07

GI SPECIAL 5G4:

“PATRIOTISM IS THE LAST REFUGE OF A SCOUNDREL”

-- Samuel Johnson

July 3, 2007. (Jim Young/Reuters)

“If I Were An American, As I Am An Englishman, While A

Foreign Troop Was Landed In My Country, I Never Would Lay

Down My Arms — Never — Never — Never”

November 18, 1777: William Pitt, Earl of Chatham; Spoken in the House of Lords, London, England

My lords, this ruinous and ignominious situation, where we can not act with success, nor suffer with honor, calls upon us to remonstrate in the strongest and loudest language of truth, to rescue the ear of majesty from the delusions which surround it. The desperate state of our arms abroad is in part known. No man thinks more highly of them than I do. I love and honor the English troops. I know their virtues and their valor. I know they can achieve any thing except impossibilities; and I know that the conquest of English America is an impossibility. You can not, I venture to say it, you can not conquer America. Your armies in the last war effected every thing that could be effected; and what was it? It cost a numerous army, under the command of a most able general (Lord Amherst), now a noble lord in this House, a long and laborious campaign, to expel five thousand Frenchmen from French America. My lords, you can not conquer America. What is your present situation there? We do not know the worst; but we know that in three campaigns we have done nothing and suffered much. Besides the sufferings, perhaps total loss of the Northern force, the best appointed army that ever took the field, commanded by Sir William Howe, has retired from the American lines. As to conquest, therefore, my lords, I repeat, it is impossible. You may swell every expense and every effort still more extravagantly; pile and accumulate every assistance you can buy or borrow; traffic and barter with every little pitiful German prince that sells and sends his subjects to the shambles of a foreign prince; your efforts are for ever vain and impotent—doubly so from this mercenary aid on which you rely; for it irritates, to an incurable resentment, the minds of your enemies, to overrun them with the mercenary sons of rapine and plunder, devoting them and their possessions to the rapacity of hireling cruelty! If I were an American, as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop was landed in my country, I never would lay down my arms — never — never — never.

Declared Bill Ehrhart, a marine in Vietnam: “In grade school we learned about the redcoats, the nasty British soldiers that tried to stifle our freedom…. Subconsciously, but not very subconsciously, I began

increasingly to have the feeling that I was a redcoat. I think it was one of the most staggering realizations of my life.”

IRAQ WAR REPORTS

230 U.S. Combat Casualties In The Week Ending July 3, As Total

Casualties Reached At Least 57,274 July 03, 2007 Michael Munk US military occupation forces in Iraq suffered at least 230 combat casualties in the week ending July 3, as total casualties reached at least 57,274. The total includes 29,508 killed or wounded by what the Pentagon classifies as "hostile" causes and 27,739 (as of June 2) more dead and injured from "non-hostile" causes such as accidents, suicides (111) and illness serious enough to require medical evacuation. US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by routinely reporting only the total killed (3,586 as of July 3) and rarely mentioning the 26,558 wounded in combat. To further minimize public perception of the cost, they cover for the Pentagon by ignoring the 27,103 military victims who suffered "non-hostile" injuries and illness (through June 2), although the 3,586 reported deaths include 636 (up one from last week) who died from those same causes. AP writer Marilynn Marchione noted that "counting the wounded can be contentious" when she broke the silence in the mainstream media about the "27,103 non battle-related air transports." While the Pentagon tries to argue these are not war related, Marchione quotes Harvard economist Linda Bilmes that "an accident that happens [in Iraq] is a cost of war" as is mental or physical illness and will cost as much to treat as any injury suffered in combat. (Oregonian, June 24).

OCCUPATION ISN’T LIBERATION BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOW!

Indiana Soldier Killed In Duraiya

Army Spc. Carter A. Gamble Jr. Gamble, 24, of Brownstown, Ind., died in Duraiya, Iraq, from small-arms fire, officials said. (AP Photo/U.S. Army Ft. Benning)

Texas Soldier Killed In Baghdad

Spc. James L Adair, 26, of Carthage, Texas, died June 29, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb. (AP Photo/Family photo via Longview News-Journal)

Texas SSG Killed At Al Yusufiyah

10th Mountain Division Stf. Sgt. Travis Atkins, 31, of Bozeman, Mont., was killed June 1, 2007, in Iraq after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive near a mosque in Al Yusufiyah. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

Soldier Killed In Rashidiyah

U.S. Army Sgt. Danny Richard Soto was killed in action June 16, 2007, in Rashidiyah, Iraq. (AP Photo/Family photo via The Chronicle)

Florida Soldier Killed In Baghdad

Pfc. Jonathan M. Rossi, 20, of Safety Harbor, Fla., died July 1, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

Roadside Bomb Takes The Life Of Local Soldier

Pfc. Joshua S. Modgling was one of two soldiers who died when a roadside bomb blast struck the armored vehicle in which they were traveling June 19. Special to the PVT Jun. 22, 2007 Pahrump Valley Times Joshua S. Modgling, 22, was killed in action in Iraq last Tuesday, June 19.

Pfc. Modgling was seeking out improvised explosive devices in an armored vehicle that was struck by a roadside bomb. Another occupant in the vehicle, Sgt. 1st Class William A. Zapfe, of Muldraugh, Ky., was also killed. The Defense Department reported Modgling was a private first class in a rifle company of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, an element of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, based in Fort Stewart, Ga. The combat resulting in Modgling’s death took place in Muhammad al Ali. Modgling is survived by his mother and father, Julie and Keith Modgling, of Riverside, Calif., and his grandmother Karen Nelson, retired from the Nye County Sheriff’s Office. Modgling lived in Pahrump periodically for eight years, during which time he attended J.G. Johnson and Mt. Charleston Elementary schools. He played soccer for the American Youth Soccer Organization as well as Little League Baseball. "He loved sports and put his heart and soul into practice and playing the game," Nelson wrote about her grandson. Modgling attended high school in Las Vegas and Corona, Calif. He enlisted in the Army Dec. 29, 2005, and looked forward to serving his country. "The only thing he detested was losing," Nelson wrote. "This was hard for him to accept. That’s why he was so excited to join the Army. He felt that serving his country was what he could do best." During the six weeks he served in Iraq, Modgling wrote often to his family, asking for goodie bags, particularly his favorite, flaming hot Cheetos with lime. "All Josh wanted was to finish serving his country, go home to attend college in the automotive field and eventually open an automotive shop with his brother Christopher," Nelson wrote. "He hated the hot weather and longed for a huge snowstorm to hit there. Instead, all he saw were camels, which he said didn’t look anything like snow." According to a friend, a relative had taken his photo to Wal-Mart for inclusion on the Wall of Heroes just hours before notification of his death arrived. Modgling was an inspiration to young people. "He was also instrumental in helping others, especially kids who were on the road to trouble," Nelson wrote. "He took the time to listen and to care." When news of Modgling’s death spread, two young boys with whom Modgling spent time arrived at his mother’s house and asked to attend the funeral.

"Neither of the boys could believe that he was gone," Nelson wrote. "They said that Joshua had been their inspiration to get their lives on the right track, that he was proof that a person could change their direction in life." One of the boys has since enlisted in the Marines and will be sworn in once he graduates from high school. "All of us will not only miss our Joshua, but his tenacity for life, his love of others and his need to defend the underdog, be it friend or the Pittsburgh Steelers," Nelson wrote. "I will miss his e-mails and his calls and the way he used to beat me when we played Texas Hold’em. I think I still owe him $5. Josh promised that he would come back to us, but during that talk with him, we forgot to specify ‘alive.’"

Delmar Marine Killed By Roadside Bomb In Iraq

June 22, 2007 WTEN A community is in mourning after learning a man who put his life on the line protecting lives here, and then did the same for his country overseas, has been killed in Iraq. 30-year-old Sergeant Shawn Martin died Wednesday. He is one of 15 servicemen killed in the past three days. The Department of Defense reports Martin died when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by a road-side bomb. Martin grew up in Delmar and graduated from Bethlehem High School in 1995. He had been a member of the Elsmere Fire Department before moving out of the area. NEWS10’s Tracy Egan has more on how members are coping with his loss. The Elsmere Fire Department lowered the American flag Thursday, after learning about Shawn Martin’s death in Iraq. Members stood around talking about the tragedy, and recalled the smiling kid who practically grew up here, where his father Paul has been a member for 28 years. "It’s just like one of your own," says Elsmere Fire Captain Rick Zigrosser. "Firefighters are very tight, as are Marines."

Shawn actually joined the fire department after graduating from Bethlehem High in ‘95. And for five years after high school, he wore the same helmet as his father at Elsmere. In one year in particular, 1999, Shawn went out on nearly 40 fire calls, where his colleagues learned a lot about his character. "Shawn was the kind of kid, as a firefighter, you wanted him with you," Elsmere firefighter Terry Hannigan says. "He was a big strong guy, always looking out for his fellow firefighters, fellow man - and all he ever really wanted to do was join the Marine Corps." That is why Elsmere firefighters, who volunteered to speak for Shawn’s family, were shocked to learn that the smart, young expert in destroying explosives, was destroyed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. The flag in front of the Elsmere Fire Department, and flags throughout the Town of Bethlehem, will remain at half-staff in honor of Shawn Martin for the next 30 days. Funeral arrangements have not been finalized, but he will be buried in the next week and a half.

N. Ky. Native Killed In Iraq June 25, 2007 BY EILEEN KELLEY, The Enquirer Sgt. 1st Class William "Bill" Zapfe didn’t wince when it came time to clear the dinner plates. For that matter, he’d also roll up his sleeves in the kitchen and help prepare meals. He’d bathe his kids. He’d fawn over his wife. Now Conietha Zapfe is preparing her husband’s funeral. The 35-year-old career Army man who called Northern Kentucky his boyhood home was killed in Iraq June 19 by an explosion near his vehicle. It was Zapfe’s third tour in Iraq. Born at St. Elizabeth Hospital on Nov. 26, 1971, Zapfe lived in Park Hills and Dry Ridge until the death of his father in 1978. Joseph Zapfe had been a longtime state trooper, and after his death the family moved west to Washington and Idaho. The younger Zapfe is expected to be buried next to his father in Northern Kentucky this week. Details of the arrangements were being worked out Sunday by the military and Zapfe’s family in Georgia, where he was stationed with the 3rd Infantry Division. "He was just an exceptional husband and father," said family friend Evelyn Stasel, who grew up with Zapfe’s wife.

Zapfe also leaves behind his mother, Jeanne; two brothers, Joseph and Edward; and three children, Anastasia, 9, Cameron, 5, and Spencer, 3. "He was just so attentive," said Stasel, who last spent time with Zapfe over Thanksgiving, when he and his family visited her for a week in the Fort Knox area. During that time, which was Zapfe’s vacation, he helped out family and friends and built a porch that is accessible to the handicapped for his in-laws. "This was supposed to be his vacation," Stasel said. "He was just such a wonderful man. You hate to see anyone go, but especially him. He was such a great man."

Resistance Gets Another Bridge

7.3.07: Insurgents have destroyed a bridge in Ramadi. (AFP)

U.S. Chopper Shot Down; One Wounded

July 3, 2007 (CBS/AP) Insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter south of Baghdad, and the two pilots were rescued with minor injuries, the military said Tuesday. The OH-58D Kiowa Attack helicopter was brought down by ground fire on Monday. After an Apache helicopter rescued the two pilots, a U.S. warplane dropped two 500-

pound, laser-guided bombs on the downed craft to destroy it, the military said in a statement. The military said the Kiowa helicopter was forced down by insurgents south of Baghdad on Monday and two pilots in an Apache helicopter ferried the men to safety. The two downed pilots were slightly injured. The rescued pilots told AP Radio that their helicopter - used mostly for reconnaissance and light attack - went down near a drainage canal while insurgents were still shooting from houses nearby. The men shielded themselves by climbing into the canal, and the Apache arrived 15 minutes later. Chief Warrant Officer Steven Cianfrini, one of the rescued airmen, said he was given one of the two seats in the Apache because he was wounded. The other rescued pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Mark Burrows, and a member of the Apache crew strapped themselves to the outside of the chopper. “It happened so fast. I don’t think we really thought about much ... just try to stay alive,’’ said Cianfrini.

Great Moments In U.S. Military History:

“Qassem’s Home Was Destroyed, Killing All Of His Four Children”

A neighbor holds Qassem Abdullah’s family photograph he salvaged from the rubble of their home in Diwaniyah, 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of Baghdad, July 3, 2007.

Qassem’s home was destroyed in an air strike Tuesday, killing all of his four children. Qassem, his wife and sister are hospitalized in serious condition. (AP Photo/Alaa al-Marjani)

UNREMITTING HELL ON EARTH; BRING THEM ALL HOME NOW

The Bradley vehicle was hit by an IED in Amiriyah, a neighbourhood in west Baghdad. Rounds of ammunition still inside the vehicle were exploding from the heat of the flames. Photograph: Sean Smith, The Guardian 5.21.07. [Thanks to JM, who sent this in.]

TROOP NEWS

Three Iraq Veterans Against The War Arrested At Ft. Benning;

“They Were Going To Step Up To The Guard And Ask Him If They Could Come

Onto Base”

[Thanks to Katherine G, who sent this in.] Jul. 01, 2007 Lily Gordon, Ledger-Enquirer [Excerpts] Three Iraq war protesters were arrested Sunday evening after crossing onto Fort Benning property. Liam Madden and Nate Lewis, both 24, were taken into custody by military police shortly before 6 p.m. for stepping onto federal property, according to post spokeswoman Monica Manganaro. A third unidentified protester was also detained for committing the same infraction approximately 30 minutes after Madden and Lewis were arrested, Manganaro added. Lewis and Madden, both members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, were charged with criminal trespass. They, along with six other members of the anti-war organization, are currently on a bus tour against the war visiting military bases around the country and speaking to soldiers. The group’s tour bus was parked outside the stone gate on Fort Benning Road off Victory Drive, Manganaro said. Michael Blake, 24, of Iraq Veterans Against the War, said his comrades didn’t break the law intentionally. They simply crossed a line that wasn’t clearly marked, he said. "What they were doing is they were going to step up to the guard and ask him if they could come onto base," Blake said. "It was a complete accident." Blake said Madden and Lewis are both veterans with valid Veterans Affairs cards and should be allowed onto the post. As soon as the protestors crossed the line, Blake said, two military police officers approached them, cuffed them and charged them. This isn’t the first incident of Iraq Veterans Against the War protestors being detained for bringing their message to military installations. According to the group’s Web site, five members were handcuffed Saturday morning at Fort Jackson in South Carolina after attempting to meet a fellow member on base for lunch. They were wearing T-shirts with "Iraq Veterans Against the War" and because of that they were considered protesters, Blake said. None of the members were arrested that day, but they were removed from the base, Blake said. In addition to the anti-war Iraq veteran protestors traveling from base-to-base, a small crew of film makers from the Showtime Network is also on hand to document their journey. MORE:

“We Feel We Have A Duty To Talk With Service Members Who May Be Deployed Over To Iraq”

IVAW Updates COLUMBUS, GA – Three members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) were arrested yesterday and charged with criminal trespassing when they attempted to gain access to the base to meet with active duty soldiers there. Ft. Benning is the most recent stop of the group’s bus tour to military bases in the Southeast to outreach to active duty troops and listen to their stories. After being told they could not wear ‘political t-shirts’ onto the base, Liam Madden and Nathan Lewis approached the gates of Ft. Benning to inquire with the guard there about gaining access. Both were wearing t-shirts that read, “Iraq Veterans Against the War.” They were immediately hand-cuffed and placed under arrest. Then, after changing out of his IVAW t-shirt into a plain shirt to avoid arrest, fellow member Adam Kokesh approached the gates, but he was also arrested. The three Iraq veterans were detained inside the Ft. Benning military police station for several hours. They were released and issued citations for court appearances on charges of criminal trespassing. Two days earlier, Madden, Lewis, and Kokesh were among five Iraq veterans on the bus tour to be detained at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina under similar circumstances, but were released with no charges.

The veterans have been traveling through the Southeast for the past ten days in an effort to reach out to thousands of service members who are now questioning the war in Iraq. The veterans have been visiting military installations and hosting BBQs for troops, dialoguing with them about the personal impact of the troop surge, and educating them about their rights to express their dissent as active duty personnel. “We feel we have a duty to talk with service members who may be deployed over to Iraq, to let them know what they’re in for, and that they do have rights,” stated Kelly Dougherty, Executive Director of Iraq Veterans Against the War who organized the tour. Do you have a friend or relative in the service? Forward GI Special along, or send us the address if you wish and we’ll send it regularly. Whether in Iraq or stuck on a base in the USA, this is extra important for your service friend, too often cut off from access to encouraging news of growing resistance to the war, inside the armed services and at home. Send email requests to address up top or write to: The Military Project, Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657

THIS IS HOW BUSH BRINGS THE TROOPS HOME: BRING THEM ALL HOME NOW, ALIVE

The casket of Army Sgt 1st Class Greg Sutton at his burial place in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, June 20, 2007. Sutton, 38, died on June 6 after his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Baghdad. REUTERS/Jason Reed

“It’s Going To Be The Army’s Fault When My Teeth Turn Yellow And Fall Out”

July 02, 2007 Letters To The Editor Army Times Welcome to the Army in Europe ... now run while you can back to the states to get dental care. That would make a good, truthful banner at the front gate of Benjamin Franklin Village in Mannheim, Germany. There is absolutely no good reason to allow the dental clinic to treat family members the way this clinic does. I somehow was able to have my teeth checked in February, but the clinic couldn’t clean my teeth the same day. I had been trying for four months to get a return visit for the cleaning and it’s going to be the Army’s fault when my teeth turn yellow and fall out. I let the Army have my husband to deploy in Afghanistan and now Iraq, but their clinic can’t see me and my teeth for a 15-minute cleaning? Doesn’t seem fair, does it? I am sick of poor excuses like “We are short-staffed, we are so busy getting soldiers deployment-ready,” etc. I’ve been told “You can easily get an appointment off post from a German facility.” I do not speak the language, trust a doctor in this country or care to get lost getting to and from my appointment. BFV could at least have the courtesy to schedule our appointments off post and have a shuttle bus take us to our appointments. This whole situation of being in Europe and not having easily accessible dental care is absurd. Karyn A. Harnden (civilian) Mannheim, Germany

Australian Activists Will Greet 7,000 U.S. Sailors In Sydney;

"We Will Attempt To Distribute Information About Iraq Veterans

Against The War To The Sailors And Encourage Them To Join The

Growing Ranks Standing Against The War"

[Thanks to Max Watts, Australia, who sent this in.] 4/7/07 Stop the War Coalition [Australia] Stop the War Coalition will hold a protest at Woolloomooloo Bay when US warships land in Sydney Harbour at 8am this Thursday July 5. They will be demanding an end to Australia-US military ties and calling for all troops to be withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan. "7000 US sailors will land in Sydney this Thursday, following participation in the ‘Operation Talisman Sabre’ military exercises. These exercises have increased the ‘interoperability’ of US and Australian forces for the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan", said Paddy Gibson from the Stop the War Coalition. "In the last few days alone over 100 people have been killed in a US bomb attacking Helmand province, Afghanistan and over 350 people in a US led assault on Baquba, Iraq. Both of these brutal occupations are in deep crisis. We are calling for immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops", continued Gibson. "Alongside resistance from the people of the Middle East, increasing numbers of US soldiers are beginning to rebel. "Stop the War Coalition is currently promoting an Australian tour of Thomas Cassidy from Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), a large organisation working with veterans and active duty soldiers for an end to the occupation". "We will attempt to distribute information about IVAW to the sailors landing in Sydney and encourage them to join the growing ranks standing against the war". The demonstration will take place Thursday July 5, 8am, corner of Wylde St and Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo Bay For more information contact: Paddy Gibson 0415800586 Edwina Donald 0431858366

IRAQ RESISTANCE ROUNDUP

GET THE MESSAGE?

An Iraqi citizen celebrates as a US military’s Bradley fighting vehicle burns in Obeidi, in south east Baghdad July 2, 2007, after it was struck by a road side bomb. (AP Photo)

IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE RESISTANCE END THE OCCUPATION

FORWARD OBSERVATIONS “What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.” Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787.

Grim Reaper

From: Mike Hastie To: GI Special Sent: July 02, 2007 7:58 PM Subject: Grim Reaper GRIM REAPER Operation Iraqi Freedom America’s economic electric chair for years to come. My grandchildren’s inheritance. Agent Orange Vietnamese children coming home to roost. Silent sickle of poverty. America, you will get away with nothing. Mike Hastie

U.S. Army Medic Vietnam 1970-71 July 2, 2007

Photo and caption from the I-R-A-Q (I Remember Another Quagmire) portfolio of Mike Hastie, US Army Medic, Vietnam 1970-71. (For more of his outstanding work, contact at: (hastiemike@earthlink.net) T)

“When Ordered On Riot Control To Bust Heads At These Surrounding Colleges Half The Troops (Regular

Army) Refused” 2007-07-02 By Bob Hanafin, Ledger-Enquirer [Excerpt] Toward the end of the Vietnam War, our unit the 4th ID returned from Vietnam as a unit between late 1971 and early 1972 to Fort Carson, CO to be re-equipped from an Infantry Unit to a Mech Infantry Unit. Most of us opposed the Vietnam War, because our government has already decided the war was over, not lost just over. We had achieved PEACE WITH HONOR (no comment). The Peace movement was still going on around Colorado Springs, and most of us did not necessarily join the peaceniks right away but started dating the college girls on campuses surrounding the base that were involved in the Peace movement. Whats a guy to do? Make a long story short when ordered on riot control to bust heads at these surrounding colleges half the troops (regular Army) refused to augment the Army National Guard that had never been to Vietnam. We looked down on them as rich kids and less than men for avoiding combat in Nam eager to crack heads of college girls. WOW!

Glasgow: Murderous Masterminds Or Hopeless

Idiots? From: Pham Binh

To: GI Special Sent: Monday, July 02, 2007 3:46 PM Subject: Murderous Masterminds or Hopeless Idiots? Pham Binh is an activist and recent graduate of Hunter College in NYC. His articles have been published at Counterpunch, Asia Times Online, and Znet. His blog is http://prisonerofstarvation.blogspot.com and he can be reached at anita_job@yahoo.com.

*************************************************************** On Saturday, a couple guys drove a Jeep Cherokee into Glasgow airport’s main terminal hoping to inflict mass casualties on Britain in retaliation for helping Uncle Sam occupy Iraq. Immediately, the corporate media sprang into action, filling the airwaves with terror alerts, talk of murderous terrorist masterminds, and commentary from self-proclaimed terror "experts" none of whom could build a carbomb even with instructions. The hysteria comes despite the fact that the only people they managed to injure were themselves. The hysteria comes despite the fact that these guys only had a couple cans of gas and a box of nails in the back of the Cherokee, which, even if it had exploded, would have just set the car on fire and not even come close to damaging the terminal much less killing even a dozen people. A day before the "attack," the British police defused a bomb consisting of a propane tank and 33 gallons of gas which they claim could have caused "significant loss of life." The gas tank of a Cadillac Escalade has a capacity of 26 gallons and the propane tank in the car couldn’t have been much bigger than the one people use at their family barbeques, so you get an idea of what kind of monstrous Weapon of Mass Destruction this thing was. The only significant loss of life would have been the millions of innocent bacteria that would have perished in the heat of the explosion. Already they’re saying these guys are "linked" to Al-Qaeda. Apparently AQ does it all - from mass murder at symbols of economic and political power (WTC and the Pentagon) to amateur burn-only-yourself crash-and-burns. One thing that comes to mind is the terrorist "graduate ceremony" footage that ABC aired a couple weeks ago which showed English speakers vowing to attack Britain, the possibility of which U.S. counter-terrorism officials dismissed as "a bit of a stretch." Sometimes it’s hard to tell which group of terrorist idiots is worse, the ones armed with AK-47s and cheap video cameras or the ones running “our” government.

Of course I’m glad no one was hurt (except the idiot driving the car), but Britain is lucky these guys were not the fanatical masterminds that the media is making them out to be. Both Britain and the U.S. have been very lucky thus far that the people angry enough to take up bomb-making in response to the deaths of 650,000 Iraqis and thousands of Afghans haven’t come to the homeland to wreak havoc. Apparently, most of them just want to kick the occupiers out rather than launch (counter-productive) strikes on innocent civilians on this side of the ocean. What a surprise. I say lucky because a handful of angry people building bombs and launching attacks can’t be stopped by warrantless wire-tapping, e-mail snooping, racist profiling, torturing detainees, putting video cameras on every street corner, or forcibly occupying other countries. The only reason the recent plot against Fort Dix was foiled was because the would-be terrorists brought a jihad propaganda tape into Circuit City (so much for "Jihad vs. McWorld") to get it transferred to DVD and the clerk thought that was a little strange. The only reason the 1993 WTC bombers were caught was because one of them was stupid enough to go back to the car rental company and demand his $400 deposit back for the truck he had blown up. The corporate media says we should be scared. I agree, but not because I’m dumb enough to think that more and more people are willing to die because they “hate our freedom.” I’m scared because the only thing separating us from another 9/11 is the stupidity of the terrorists who increase in number with every day U.S. forces stay in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Troops Invited: What do you think? Comments from service men and women, and veterans, are especially welcome. Write to Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657 or send email contact@militaryproject.org:. Name, I.D., withheld unless you request publication. Replies confidential. Same address to unsubscribe.

“It Is Their Duty, To Throw Off Such Government”

July 01, 2006 James Starowicz, Veterans For Peace [Excerpt]

From The Declaration Of Independence, July 4, 1776 But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

*************************************************** A long train of abuses and usurpations. Where to begin with that.....how about the whole "unitary president" thing? The fact that Congress is disregarded when they don’t agree with Bush. Or the 750 laws disregarded by Bush’s signing statements. Or the lies to Congress and the American people about yellowcake, about aluminum tubes, about Valerie Plame, about illegal wiretapping, torture or rendition. Or invading a sovereign country. The "wartime president" even though Congress never declared war. The enormous wealth transfer from the formerly middle class to the most wealthy. The altering of expert opinions, the denial of science. The leak of classified information for political gain.

1915: “If Perish We Must, Let Us Perish In The Struggle For Our Own Cause”

August 1915, V.I. Ulyanov, Pravda, No. 18 (3850) The war fills the pockets of the capitalists to whom an ocean of gold is flowing from the treasuries of the great powers. The war is provoking an unreasoning bitterness against the enemy, and the bourgeoisie does its best to direct the dissatisfaction of the people into those channels, to divert their attention from the main enemy, the government and the ruling classes of their own country.

The war, however, carrying with it untold miseries and horrors for the toiling masses, enlightens and steels the best representatives of the working class. If perish we must, let us perish in the struggle for our own cause, for the cause of the workers, for the Socialist revolution and not for the interests of the capitalists, landowners, and Tsars - this is what every class-conscious worker sees and feels. Revolutionary Social-Democratic work may be difficult at present, but it is possible. It progresses in the whole world, and in this alone lies salvation.

OCCUPATION REPORT

60% Of Iraqis Want U.S. Troops Dead:

Big Surprise

Iraqi citizens with the wreckage of their belongings after a home invasion by foreign occupation soldiers from the USA in Sadr City, June 30, 2007. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) [U.S. sponsored polls reported recently that 60% of Iraqis favor killing U.S. troops. Iraqis feel about U.S. troops trampling them in the dirt the same way Americans felt about British troops trampling them in the dirt in 1776. They are right to resist. T]

DANGER: POLITICIANS AT WORK

Cheney Declares Himself National Monument:

Latest Attempt to Dodge Subpoena July 2, 2007 The Borowtiz Report In a bold new strategy to avoid a congressional subpoena, Vice President Dick Cheney today declared himself a national monument. Mr. Cheney took the unorthodox step only after failing in his attempt to invoke a little-known legal principle called the separation of Cheney and state. Aides to Mr. Cheney confirmed that being a national monument gives the vice president not only immunity from subpoenas, but also a draft deferment in perpetuity. President George W. Bush presided over a solemn White House ceremony this morning in which a plaque documenting Mr. Cheney’s status as a national monument was affixed to the vice president’s midsection. Joining the ranks of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, Mr. Cheney is believed to be the only landmark in the nation’s capital not made at least partially out of marble.

But even as his attempt to evade a subpoena appeared to have succeeded, the vice president’s new status as a national monument created unexpected problems, as Independence Day tourists lined up around the block to get a glimpse of Washington’s latest historic attraction. Perhaps in an effort to control the crowds, Mr. Cheney announced today that the admission price for seeing him would be set at $75,000. White House spokesman Tony Snow defended the $75,000 price tag, saying that it was an appropriate price to see a national monument of Dick Cheney’s stature. “Seventy-five thousand dollars is what it costs to see Dick Cheney,” Mr. Snow said. “Just ask any lobbyist.” Elsewhere, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that everyone in the U.S. should go about their normal activities, “except you terrorists.”

CLASS WAR REPORTS

Capitalism At Work: “Today, Men In Their 30s Earn About $5,000 Less In Real Terms Than Did

Their Fathers’ Generation” July 3, 2007 Peter Grier, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor "This is one of those periods in American history when to many ... the American dream seems illusory," [Cal] Jillson says. The American dream is "obsolete," says Adam Gandelman, a Boston bike messenger. "It’s a scam." Income figures show that the days are gone when a single, stable income, typically earned by the father, was enough to launch the next generation to greater prosperity, according to a Pew report on economic mobility released this spring. Today, men in their 30s earn about $5,000 less in real terms than did their fathers’ generation, according to Pew.

“The So-Called Revolutionary State Of Chávez’s Venezuela Has Not Proposed Soldiers’ Councils”

[Thanks to Pham Binh, Traveling Soldier, who sent this in.] By LEE SUSTAR International Socialist Review Issue 54, July–August 2007 [Excerpt] The question of state power remains before the Venezuelan working class. The core of the capitalist state is the “separate body of armed men” that Marx described. The military is the most rigid and hierarchical of all capitalist institutions, reflecting the class divisions in their most concentrated form. However estranged the bourgeoisie may be from Chávez’s government, the top military brass remains socially intertwined with the oligarchy and shares its class interests. Reshuffling top officers, as Chávez did after the failed 2002 coup, can’t erase the class divisions in the military. Civilian reformers may be parachuted into key ministerial posts to carry out progressive government policies, but the military is by its nature relatively impermeable, with top officers climbing the ranks only after years of service. The 2002 coup showed that Chávez’s own career in the armed forces and the presence of other former military figures in government was insufficient to prevent a coup. This isn’t a prediction of a new military coup. Rather, it is to point out that the core of the capitalist state remains entrenched despite the revolutionary process and therefore will ultimately, and necessarily, reflect the interests of capital. The armed forces will not simply convert themselves into democratic workers’ militias. It is telling that the so-called revolutionary state of Chávez’s Venezuela has not proposed soldiers’ councils—a key development in the Russian Revolution of 1917—still less the election of officers or co-management between the general staff and new recruits. The “federation of communal councils” that Chávez envisions will coexist with the military, in which the rank and file must unquestioningly follow officers’ orders or face severe consequences. Changing the official greeting in the military to “socialism, fatherland or death”—a variation on Castro’s slogan—doesn’t alter that fact. Those who aim to “deepen” the Venezuelan revolution must confront the reality of a military threat.

Failure to do so runs the risk of a replay of the coup in Chile of 1973, when a military that was assumed to respect civilian control launched a campaign of savage repression. Received:

Comment On A Lunatic Christian From: JM To: GI Special Sent: July 03, 2007 Subject: Comment on a lunatic Christian [Re: GI Special Story:]

Religious Fanatic On The Loose In Uniform: “Enemy Number Three; Our Own Political System...With Evil Ideologies”

“When Jesus Christ Returns He’s Coming Back As The Commander-In-Chief To Set Up A Pure Military Dictatorship”

“I’ll Tell You What, Our Supreme Court, They’re Not Supreme, All Right?” (The Arabs) “Have Souls And Need To Be Saved. ... If You Don’t Save Them, Smite

(Kill) Them” Colonel J. Tyler Ryberg This one sure is an "evil ideologist" and a bloody stupid one to boot. This is the rambling of a maniac more suited to a lunatic asylum than the army. He’s so ignorant he doesn’t know the God of the Jews is also the God of Muslims. Muslims accept the Bible as part of their religion and accept Jesus a great prophet of their religion. The only difference is they believe Mohammed was a prophet who came after Jesus. All the Jewish and Christian holy sites are sacred to Muslims as well It’s time the lunatic fringe started to believe that Jesus preached love and if he returns justice may arrive in a very different way to the one they expect. This man should also note that the Jewish Holy Book prophesies a great punishment for the Jews. They were told they would return to the Holy Land in peace when the time was right. To return with war, as they have done, would lead to their own destruction. If this man isn’t completely insane he should try reading the Bible again especially the ten commandments - "Thou shalt not Kill" and "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself". After doing this he should start to be afraid of what is going to happen to him when he dies, or when Jesus returns, which ever comes first. He will be well advised to start driving out the devil, within himself, and praying that his evil thoughts will be forgiven.

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