Tag Archives: Afghanistan
Tomas Young: The Dying War Veteran’s Last Letter to Mr. George W. Bush and Mr. Dick Cheney
Chris Hedges wrote a great article about Tomas Young, a paralyzed war veteran that is currently on his death bed. Hedges flew to Kansas City, MO, to interview Young who was paralyzed in Iraq in 2004. Unfortunately, this brave man is on hospice in his home, and isn’t expected to live much longer. Before Young passed away, he took the time to tell his story in a direct letter to former President, George W. Bush and former Vice President, Dick Cheney:
To: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
From: Tomas Young
I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans. I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq. I write this letter on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been wounded and on behalf of those whose wounds, physical and psychological, have destroyed their lives. I am one of those gravely wounded. I was paralyzed in an insurgent ambush in 2004 in Sadr City. My life is coming to an end. I am living under hospice care.
I write this letter on behalf of husbands and wives who have lost spouses, on behalf of children who have lost a parent, on behalf of the fathers and mothers who have lost sons and daughters and on behalf of those who care for the many thousands of my fellow veterans who have brain injuries. I write this letter on behalf of those veterans whose trauma and self-revulsion for what they have witnessed, endured and done in Iraq have led to suicide and on behalf of the active-duty soldiers and Marines who commit, on average, a suicide a day. I write this letter on behalf of the some 1 million Iraqi dead and on behalf of the countless Iraqi wounded. I write this letter on behalf of us all—the human detritus your war has left behind, those who will spend their lives in unending pain and grief.
I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole.
Your positions of authority, your millions of dollars of personal wealth, your public relations consultants, your privilege and your power cannot mask the hollowness of your character. You sent us to fight and die in Iraq after you, Mr. Cheney, dodged the draft in Vietnam, and you, Mr. Bush, went AWOL from your National Guard unit. Your cowardice and selfishness were established decades ago. You were not willing to risk yourselves for our nation but you sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to be sacrificed in a senseless war with no more thought than it takes to put out the garbage.
I joined the Army two days after the 9/11 attacks. I joined the Army because our country had been attacked. I wanted to strike back at those who had killed some 3,000 of my fellow citizens. I did not join the Army to go to Iraq, a country that had no part in the September 2001 attacks and did not pose a threat to its neighbors, much less to the United States. I did not join the Army to “liberate” Iraqis or to shut down mythical weapons-of-mass-destruction facilities or to implant what you cynically called “democracy” in Baghdad and the Middle East. I did not join the Army to rebuild Iraq, which at the time you told us could be paid for by Iraq’s oil revenues. Instead, this war has cost the United States over $3 trillion. I especially did not join the Army to carry out pre-emptive war. Pre-emptive war is illegal under international law. And as a soldier in Iraq I was, I now know, abetting your idiocy and your crimes. The Iraq War is the largest strategic blunder in U.S. history. It obliterated the balance of power in the Middle East. It installed a corrupt and brutal pro-Iranian government in Baghdad, one cemented in power through the use of torture, death squads and terror. And it has left Iran as the dominant force in the region. On every level—moral, strategic, military and economic—Iraq was a failure. And it was you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, who started this war. It is you who should pay the consequences.
I would not be writing this letter if I had been wounded fighting in Afghanistan against those forces that carried out the attacks of 9/11. Had I been wounded there I would still be miserable because of my physical deterioration and imminent death, but I would at least have the comfort of knowing that my injuries were a consequence of my own decision to defend the country I love. I would not have to lie in my bed, my body filled with painkillers, my life ebbing away, and deal with the fact that hundreds of thousands of human beings, including children, including myself, were sacrificed by you for little more than the greed of oil companies, for your alliance with the oil sheiks in Saudi Arabia, and your insane visions of empire.
I have, like many other disabled veterans, suffered from the inadequate and often inept care provided by the Veterans Administration. I have, like many other disabled veterans, come to realize that our mental and physical wounds are of no interest to you, perhaps of no interest to any politician. We were used. We were betrayed. And we have been abandoned. You, Mr. Bush, make much pretense of being a Christian. But isn’t lying a sin? Isn’t murder a sin? Aren’t theft and selfish ambition sins? I am not a Christian. But I believe in the Christian ideal. I believe that what you do to the least of your brothers you finally do to yourself, to your own soul.
My day of reckoning is upon me. Yours will come. I hope you will be put on trial. But mostly I hope, for your sakes, that you find the moral courage to face what you have done to me and to many, many others who deserved to live. I hope that before your time on earth ends, as mine is now ending, you will find the strength of character to stand before the American public and the world, and in particular the Iraqi people, and beg for forgiveness
For more on Young and his heroic journey, please CLICK HERE
[VIDEO] Leah-Lynn Plante: Statement From an Anarchist
I didn’t know much about Leah-Lynn Plante’s story until this morning and was quite intrigued. Miss Plante resisted the government, and while that may seem like she did something wrong, the resistance came from what they had done to her and her housemates. I want to share my support for this brave person and hope that you will too.
It seems odd that the news here in the US shares the story of a 14-year-old girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban (a mutual enemy), but happens to leave out the 24-year-old American girl who has been sent to prison by her own government because she’s standing up for her rights. Both stories are awful, and both victims are heroic. Malala Yousafzai and Leah-Lynn Plante are both standing up against something that they feel is wrong, yet, the girl in Afghanistan has been the victim of our enemy.
Leah-Lynn Plante and the other two people who were arrested, Matthew Kyle Duran and Katherine “KteeO” Olejnik, had no connection with the crimes that were committed, the reason that the FBI had bombarded their home. After knowing that there was no involvement, these three people were still subpoenaed to testify and had personal property (books, etc.) taken as evidence. Seems unnecessary, in my opinion. Hear her story below.
Continue reading below the video.
Vimeo: Leah is a 24 year old political prisoner currently serving time at FDC Seatac. Leah was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury three times, refused three times and was thrown into prison for civil contempt on October 10th, 2012.
For more information about this young anarchist, you can check out her website. This has journal entries that she is writing from prison, contact information, news stories, and much more. Here is a little more about her, as told on her ‘About Me’ section:
Leah Plante is a 24 year old anarchist prisoner who is currently being held in FDC Seatac. She has lived in Portland, OR for the last five years. In that time she has been involved in numerous radical projects and collectives.
Leah identifies as queer, vegan and straight edge. Friends describe her as genuine, compassionate, and as someone who stands out in a crowd as a fun and outgoing individual. She is very silly and awkward.
When she is not looking at pictures of space or cats, she is often found sorting through her rare anarcho-punk records or playing Magic: The Gathering with her beloved housemates. When she gets ouut, Leah looks forward to riding her bike, seeing her friends and loved ones, eating burritos and going on epic adventures. She is a screen printer, graphic designer, web designer and bicycle mechanic.
Leah would love it if people would write to her about their pets, their travels, Lord of the Rings, space, ancient civilizations, paleontology, herbal medicine, DIY, crafting, bad 90’s movies, pop culture, their kombucha brewing techniques, gardening, or whatever else comes to mind.
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[VIDEO] U.S. Soldier Survives Taliban Machine Gun Fire During Firefight
PLEASE READ BEFORE VIEWING VIDEO:
YouTube: No rounds penetrated his body armor, and he made it home with no permanent injuries. This happened in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.
*READ* From the cameraman:
” I got a hit a total of 4 times. My helmet cam died and i made it down the mountain on my own. I was also hit in the side of my helmet and my eye pro was shot off of my face. We were doing overwatch on the village to recon and gather intel. I was point heading down the face of the hill with the LT. when we got hit. the rest of the squad was pinned down by machine gun fire. I didn’t start the video until a few mins into the firefight for obvious reasons. I came out into the open to draw fire so my squad could get to safety.”
“A round struck the tube by my hand of the 203 grenade launcher which knocked it out of my hands. When I picked the rifle back up it was still functional but the grenade launcher tube had a nice sized 7.62 cal bullet hole in it and was rendered useless. “
This footage is part of an ongoing documentation of the war in Afghanistan. Subscribe for more footage uploaded daily.
More Afghanistan documentary footage at http://Funker530.Prochan.com
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[VIDEO] The Real America: Terrorists in The Eyes of The World
I don’t care about the consequences of people knowing how I feel about this video and the atrocities committed by some Americans. This video highlights how our actions are affecting those around the world and how our soldiers seem to be completely detached from any emotions. I am not in any way blaming this on all military persons, but the government’s decision to go to war with other countries only to put more money into their greedy pockets and drain the already poor countries resources is sickening. Some of those soldiers over there are good men and women, but there are also some who are not and take advantage of the situation that they’ve been put into (I’m referring to the soldier killing 17 civilians and the soldier throwing a puppy).
We don’t have freedom, what we have is the appearance of freedom. Everyday we are being stripped of our rights and being prepped for a government takeover. I’m not saying this will happen now or even in 100 years, but the way we are handling ourselves as a country is not the America I had read so much about, as a child. The price of gas is going up, foreclosures and bank owned properties are almost all that’s left in the real estate market, we could be arrested if the government has “probable cause” and never have to be tried by a jury and held for as long as they insist, and most recently, Obama signed a bill that stated his administration could take control of our food, energy, water, etc.
This video highlights many things that we may have known, may have not wanted to know, or were too unaware to know, but either way, this is the truth. People see America in a way that we cannot. Our media is controlled and we are only shown so much (freedom?) and able to form unintelligent decisions. I am heartbroken at knowing the state of our country, economy and reputation. Is this the American Dream?
Related articles
- Abbas Honors Terrorist Who Stabbed IDF Soldier (israelnationalnews.com)
- Death to liberal terrorists! (luvsiesous.com)
- A Soldier’s Perspective (terribradyblog.com)
- Letter: Why does America get involved in all wars? (tcpalm.com)
- “Terrorists” at Home (project-syndicate.org)
- Details of Terrorist’s Video Disclosed (israelnationalnews.com)
- The Economics of the War on Terror (azizonomics.com)
- Only in the US: Destroy America Tweet Makes You A Terrorist (ryocentral.info)
- Obama’s Deal With The Devil Will Reign Hell In America, Around The World (neosecularist.com)
SEALs killed in Afghan crash were answering call for help
Los Angeles Times - Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan –—
New details emerged Monday about the devastating helicopter crash that killed 30 U.S. service members including at least 22 elite Navy SEALs.
The chopper, carrying the SEALs as well as seven Afghan commandos and other U.S. troops, was downed early Saturday as it arrived to answer a call for help from another elite force, the Western military said publicly for the first time.
Previous reports had been contradictory about whether the Chinook helicopter carrying the SEALs was arriving or departing the scene in Afghanistan’s Wardak province. The chopper was apparently downed by insurgent fire.
A statement from NATO‘s International Security Assistance Force, the first detailed public accounting of the incident, said the operation “began as a security search for a Taliban leader responsible for insurgent operations in the nearby Tangi Valley.”
The initial team on the ground, not the SEALs, spotted insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades in the area and engaged them, and at about the same time issued a call for help. The statement did not identify the original team on the ground. Some published reports have said it was a unit of Army Rangers.
“These additional personnel were inbound to the scene when the CH-47 carrying them crashed, killing all on board,” the North Atlantic Treaty Organization force said in a statement. It said the troops already on the ground, backed by forces from a nearby Western base, then moved in to secure the scene.
The statement identified those aboard as five air crew members and 25 personnel from the Special Operations command. Previous reports have said those attached to the SEALs force included a civilian interpreter and a dog handler.
The Al-Qaid ‘Triple Agent’ Who Infiltrated The CIA
This image provided by IntelCenter on Feb. 28, 2010, shows Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi in a posthumous video message posted on extremist websites. The al-Qaida double agent killed seven CIA operatives when he set off the 30-pound bomb strapped to his body at a fortified base in Afghanistan near the Pakistani border in December 2009.
This is a great article on NPR’s website about the Al-Qaida member who was also a CIA informant. This man was able to become a mole in the CIA and gain information for Al-Qaida. He also set off a suicide bomb in Afghanistan that killed seven CIA operatives.
For more information, please read the FULL ARTICLE
Afghanistan’s President Delivers News Of His Brother Killed By His Bodyguard
In this file photo from 2010, Ahmed Wali Karzai, half brother of Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, gestures during an interview with The Associated Press in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s powerful half brother, who critics claimed had ties to the drug world as well as to U.S. intelligence, was assassinated Tuesday by one of his own bodyguards in southern Afghanistan.
Ahmed Wali Karzai was shot twice — once in the head and once in the chest — by the bodyguard, according to hospital officials. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing.
A person who witnessed the assassination told The Associated Press that a member of Wali Karzai’s private security team killed him with an AK-47. The individual, who declined to be identified, said other bodyguards quickly gunned down the assassin.
Wali Karzai, who held sway over the old Taliban capital Kandahar in the country’s south, was a controversial figure whose activities had long been a problem for his brother, the president.
Although a motive for the killing had not been established, NPR’s Quil Lawrence, speaking from Kabul, said Wali Karzai had no shortage of enemies.
“It’s probably safe to say that it’s impossible to be on top in Kandahar without making a lot of enemies,” Lawrence said. “There had been many attempts against him in the past several years,” he said, adding that the Taliban “saw him as a symbol of the corrupt … puppet government of the West.
“It also bears repeating that last year in The New York Times, there were allegations that Ahmed Wali Karzai had been a CIA asset,” Lawrence said.
The killing came just hours before Hamid Karzai held a news conference with French President Nicolas Sarzoky.
“This morning my younger brother Ahmed Wali Karzai was murdered in his home,” the Afghan president said. “Such is the life of Afghanistan’s people. In the houses of the people of Afghanistan, each of us is suffering, and our hope is that, God willing, to remove this suffering from the people of Afghanistan and implement peace and stability.”
While Wali Karzai was undoubtedly a key power broker in the country’s southern heartland, he had always denied charges of being on the CIA payroll or involved in drug trafficking. Members of the international community had urged Hamid Karzai to remove his brother from his powerful provincial position, saying it was essential if he was to prove to the Afghan people that he was committed to good governance.
NPR’s Lawrence said some years ago, he spoke to a Western diplomat who is close to President Karzai. “He said at the time … that President Karzai himself was at a loss of what to do.”
The president essentially said, ” ‘This is my brother, I can’t move against him.’ Here in Afghanistan, these family ties are extremely important. What might be seen as cronyism on the outside is essentially seen as doing what is owed to one’s family,” Lawrence said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the killing in a statement, calling it an “act of cowardice” and offering his condolences to the president.
Noorolhaq Olomi, a former parliament member from Kandahar, said Wali Karzai was the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan.
“I cannot say whether this was political or personal or some other matter,” Olomi said. “But whoever did it, it shows the weakness of this government. The president needs to change things. He needs to change himself and build a government that is real. Right now, there is no government. It’s all a fraud.”
Rangina Hamidi, a resident of Kandahar and daughter of the city’s mayor, said Wali Karzai is survived by five children — two sons and three daughters. She said his youngest son was born about a month ago.
“It is his one-month-old child who is never going to see his father that I cry about,” she said, sobbing on the phone. “How many orphans and widows are we creating in this country?”
Wali Karzai had been the target of multiple assassination attempts. In May 2009, his motorcade was ambushed by insurgents firing rockets and machine guns in eastern Nangarhar province. One of Wali Karzai’s bodyguards was killed, but he was not harmed.
That attack came less than two months after four Taliban suicide bombers stormed Kandahar’s provincial council office, killing 13 people in an assault that Wali Karzai said was aimed at him. A Taliban spokesman said the attack targeted the general compound. The president’s brother had left the building a few minutes before that attack.
Wali Karzai also survived a November 2008 attack on the provincial council offices while the group was inside hearing constituent complaints. A suicide bomber drove an oil tanker up to the council’s offices and blew up the vehicle, killing six people and wounding more than 40. Two members of the provincial council were wounded but Wali Karzai was unharmed.
NPR’s Quil Lawrence in Kabul and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The body gaurd didn’t really take his job all that seriously, obviously. Next time someone in this family wants to hire someone, they should definitely check their references and at the very least, make sure they’re not in the Taliban.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/12/137783098/afghan-official-afghan-presidents-brother-killed?sc=fb&cc=fp