jimstaro's blog

Please, if you know of a veteran of these two conflicts that was Stop Lossed, or a beneficiary of a soldier killed while Stop Lossed, that have not heard about or for whatever reason Not Applied for this pay out Pass This Information On!

Red Cross says Afghan conditions worst in 30 years

Dec 15, 2010 - Spreading violence in Afghanistan is preventing aid organizations from providing help, with access to those in need at its worst level in three decades, the Red Cross said on Wednesday.

"The proliferation of armed groups threatens the ability of humanitarian organizations to access those in need. Access for the ICRC has over the last 30 years never been as poor," said Reto Stocker, Afghanistan head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which rarely makes public comments.

OUR VIEW: Detached from the war

December 15, 2010 - Fall River's fourth military death this year, that of Pfc. Ethan L. Goncalo, places the burden of war on the doorstep of his home city, but in many American homes, the burden is far too invisible.

Iraq, Afghanistan and related operations have taken the lives of five patriotic Fall River residents in total, all of them volunteers in this pair of wars without a draft. That's a greater loss per capita than any other Massachusetts community, according to a Boston Globe report.

Yet many Americans have never really seen the cost of the war against terrorism — no draft, no war tax, none of the war bonds or victory gardens of the past. The absence of widespread sacrifice has allowed the war in Afghanistan to stretch on year after year with relatively little public outcry.

AFGHANISTAN: Humanitarian situation likely to worsen in 2011 – aid agencies

Photo: Akmal Dawi/ IRIN Wounded in conflict at an ICRC hospital in Kabul

KABUL, 15 December 2010 (IRIN) - The war in Afghanistan shows no sign of abating and conflict-related misery such as internal displacement, lack of access to essential health services and civilian casualties, is set to rise in 2011, aid agencies and analysts warn.

“We are growing increasingly concerned about the conflict, which is into its ninth year. It’s spreading and intensifying and we’re [likely] to see another year of conflict with dramatic consequences for civilians,” Reto Stocker, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Afghanistan, said on 15 December.

Welcome to the bush start of the 21st century cold wars arms race and destruction of national security, the past decade of the wars and hate rhetoric from here have done the rest!!

U.S. quits ABM treaty

"Today I am giving formal notice to Russia that the United States of America is withdrawing from this almost 30-year-old treaty," Bush said in the White House Rose Garden. "I have concluded the ABM treaty hinders our government's ability to develop ways to protect our people from future terrorist or rogue state missile attacks." {continued}

What the F**K is wrong with this country? Wait, never mind I've been watching it collapse for the last thirty of my comin on 62 years of my life, Questions Answered!

I just got finished watching Meet The Press and the way over the top extremely highly paid 'experts?' mumbling about the tax cuts and who hates who and why.

I didn't hear One mention of these Wars our soldiers are still in nor the countries need to Finally not only 'Sacrifice, after ten years, but Pay Back What Is Owed For Waging Them, not a mention as to the Veterans Of nor their Families, the Only Ones That Have Done Any Sacrificing as these tax cuts came with the start of these Wars of Choice.

It came on just as I was putting together a post for my site on a just released report on Family Care Givers of Veterans, and boy there is so much more then just this!

WikiLeaks Headquarters — Cold War Bunker in Sweden, Supporters in UK, Servers inside the Bunker, Inside the Bunker and Inside Bunker 2 {for bigger view click photo}"This legislation springs from one of our most successful principles. Democracy works best when people have access to all information that the security of the nation permits.

Tony Blair To Appear Before Iraq War Inquiry Commission

12/8/2010 - The independent commission probing the reasons for Britain joining the Iraq war announced Wednesday that it has asked former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to appear before the panel for a second time to give additional evidence.

Blair, who was the Prime Minister when Britain joined the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, is one among several witnesses summoned to reappear before the Chilcot committee. Those recalled include former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and former chief of defense staff Admiral Michael Boyce.

And you'll never guess just what they found in that dust, wink wink!!!!

Iraq, Kuwait dust may carry dangerous elements

MC2 Ace Rheaume / Navy Builder 2nd Class Eric Clark, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, is caught in a sandstorm May 4 at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. A Navy study suggests that dust from Afghanistan contains metals that may cause respiratory problems and brain damage.

Dec 8, 2010 - Researchers studying dust in Iraq and Kuwait say tiny particles of potentially hazardous material could be causing a host of problems in humans, from respiratory ailments to heart disease to neurological conditions.

It's too bad all this didn't start during the previous administration, there are so many questions and just think of the added proof as to the War Crimes and much more we would have!! Though in this country we don't do Accountability and allow our extremely wealthy walk around free with the blood wealth they gained, and we don't even tax them nor their corporations!!

It really is sad that this Country has to have it's legislators pass a binding legislation for issues such as this, especially as in many cases those running are appointed, mostly based on political affiliation, and/or are contracted out to the private sector when they should stay in Government hands!

Legislation would hold Army accountable for Arlington's graves

December 5, 2010 - The Senate passed legislation Saturday that would require the Army to give a full accounting of every grave at Arlington National Cemetery and fix any errors found at one of the nation's most sacred military burial grounds.

Dec. 03, 2010 - Recently, a lot has been happening in Washington around the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy. Check out our interactive timeline to get the history and the latest, including what’s been said by key politicians and military leaders. For the Posted Timeline

4 December 2010 - Wikileaks is currently under heavy attack.

In order to make it impossible to ever fully remove Wikileaks from the Internet, we need your help.

if you have a unix-based server which is hosting a website on the Internet and you want to give wikileaks some of your hosting resources, you can help!

Please follow the following instructions:

* Setup an account where we can upload files using RSYNC+SSH (preferred) or FTP

* Put our SSH key in this server or create an FTP account

* Create a virtual host in your web server, which, for example, can be wikileaks.yourdomain.com

* send the IP address of your server to us, and the path where we should upload the content. (just fill the form below) {read rest and sign on if able}

It's about Damn Time somebody not only talks about but uses the label of the failure of this so called capitalist system that did what it was long forecast it would Collapse!!!!!

Dec. 3: Rachel Maddow looks back at the consequences of Ronald Reagan's trickle-down voodoo economic policy that left the rich richer, the poor poorer and the national debt exploded.

 

And how is the now not secret use of by the U.S. and other countries, especially those during the past decade and the CIA rendition program, any different then the charges pointed at Iran or any country we and others condemn! And how are the so called leaders of Nations who ordered the policies and than walk around freely bragging about the use of any less guilty then those other so called leaders widely condemned for doing same though not bragging about!

I'll say this again: Sadly it looks like these don't go back far enough, I for one want to know how much it cost this country for the so called 'coalition of the willing' for the invasion of Iraq, and there's still plenty that needs to be added to what has already come out as to the previous admin!!

US embassy cables: browse the database

Sunday 28 November 2010 - Use our interactive guide to discover what has been revealed in the leak of 250,000 US diplomatic cables. Find stories and original documents by country, subject or people Visit to Use Their Interactive Globe and More

Nov 25 2010 - DOXA Documentary Film Festival launches its 2010/2011 Film Series Motion Pictures by introducing Luc Côté and Patricio Henriquez’s documentary You Don’t Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantánamo.

Based on seven hours of recently declassified security camera footage from the Guantanamo prison, the film captures a series of interrogations of Omar Khadr by CSIS agents. What is revealed is the personal story of a child caught up in the larger forces of political action and the global war on terrorism. {read rest}

 

* 3 million documents set to go online

* Bombshell leak thought to include U.S. assessments of Gordon Brown

* Secret talks on return of Lockerbie bomber to Libya may also be leaked

* Allegations 'include U.S. backing of Kurdish terrorists'

* U.S. diplomats face being kicked out of countries in backlash

* Corrupt politicians expected to be named and shamed

27th November 2010 - David Cameron was warned last night by America that damaging secrets of the ‘special relationship’ are about to be laid bare.

SUMMARY An 18-minute diversion of Internet traffic through China has raised security concerns around the world -- especially for governments and people in critical infrastructure -- and raises new concerns for online shoppers just ahead of Cyber Monday. Transcript

 

Debating Iraq War?? They're calling this a debate, a war criminal who went along with the lies and came up with some himself and a war hawk who didn't listen and has been proven wrong right along, from start to the continuation of! Reminds me of what the 'kombat keyboarders' define as 'Debating', as it all creates more hatred thus enemies thus no national security!!

Tony Blair/Christopher Hitchens debate in Toronto

The TSA, the Right, and My Busted Watch

26 November 2010 - For the last several days, I have been trying to locate what would appear to be the appropriate and necessary level of angst and fury over the issue of heavy-handed TSA searches at American airports. I say "appropriate and necessary" because, well, all the noise surrounding the matter seems to suggest I have no alternative other than outrage, and if I fail to react that way, I am some sort of dupe, a fool who doesn't understand the Constitutional issues at hand or the dangers represented by what has been described as a glaring governmental over-reach.

AUSTRALIAN officials are bracing for a massive leak of classified US State Department cables.

November 26, 2010 - These cables could include embarrassing disclosures about Canberra's secret diplomacy on controversial issues, such as the war in Iraq.

The Gillard government was one of several foreign governments put on notice about the leaks, expected to be released within days by whistleblower group WikiLeaks.

So seriously is the issue being taken that several sources told The Australian it was raised during a phone call yesterday morning between Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Scahill once again is reading the quagmire right on! Maybe a few do remember or sought out the lessons, the real ones, of our quagmire Vietnam!! If we had stayed, no Iraq total destruction, and helped start rebuilding while searching out al Qaeda, as we promised once again we would, just think!!

Nov. 23: Jeremy Scahill, writer for The Nation and author of Blackwater, talks with Chris Hayes about what it means that NATO was trying to negotiate peace with a Taliban imposter.

 

And while this is happening, money also drying up for military help orgs. as well as veterans orgs., we get the pampered class, majority of america, whining about the security they help create the need for, most being of the cheering crowd of these failed wars of choice and loss of personal security under those who ordered it all, even the (T) {tepublicans} in congress!!!!

Unemployed Veteran: 'No Thanksgiving' For Me This Year

Especially for those in this Country, who don't visit nor mention except at pointing their own hate towards others, others they don't even know nor care to understand. Who've led in the failed policies while now they whine about their personal freedoms being infringed on with body pat downs, not torture, a direct result of the enhancing of the hatreds by the death and destruction wrought for a decade now and still no call for accountability!

Close Watch on Casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq

21 November 2010 - “EVERY morning I wake up and go looking for dead people,” says Michael White, a computer programmer from Stone Mountain, Ga., who publishes the Web site iCasualties.org, which tracks deaths and injuries among coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gonzales once again implicates self in Bush torture program

November 22nd, 2010 - Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has implicated himself - yet again - in the Bush administration's torture program.

Gonzales told Talking Points Memo that he knew "enhanced interrogation techniques" were used against suspected terrorists.

My oh my, and to think that all one apparently needs is that higher education industry mill piece of paper, when if a tradesman performs any work and gets caught without being licensed all hell breaks lose, Especially if something goes wrong!!

Uncalculated Risks

Do engineering license exemptions open the door to dangerous shortcuts?

Photo: U.S. Navy/Justin Stumberg: Controlled burn removes oil from the Gulf of Mexico surface in May.

Afghanistan, the Beautiful side, as most of the rest of the country a warzone!

Nov. 20: While Afghanistan is better known for war, many of its citizens are embracing the idea of preserving their culture and environment. NBC’s Richard Engel reports.