VCS: Groundbreaking News on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses

In a year where every politician waves the flag of "supporting the troops," why did Congress have time to pass a massive corporate tax-relief bill, but adjourned without voting on a budget for the VA or extended benefits for the troops.

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/NewsArticle.cfm?ID=2220

At the root of the insurgency—the goal of every enemy fighter—is a determination to drive America out. Our presence, our use of tanks, Bradleys, gunships and fighter-bombers, causing inevitable civilian casualties, is recruiting more enemy than we are killing...

http://www.amconmag.com/2004_10_25/buchanan.html


From Information Clearing House

Secret government documents show that Tony Blair was warned by his own advisers a year before going to war that there was no growing threat from Saddam Hussein and that invading Iraq would be illegal...

http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=272&fArticleId=2262116
http://snipurl.com/9ssk


From Information Clearing House

The Pentagon has dropped plans to force a severely wounded U.S. soldier to repay his enlistment bonus after injuries had forced him out of the service...

http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/IraqCoverage/story?id=163109&page=1
http://snipurl.com/9ssi


From Information Clearing House

Operation Truth - Watch Their New Ad

Robert Acosta demostrates his continuing courage in the advertisment prepared by Operation Truth. Please view the ad today for a gut-level understanding of the human cost of the Iraq War. Then share the ad with your friends.

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/NewsArticle.cfm?ID=2211

by Mark Taibbi

AlterNet

10/13/04

The Christian nerd factor for this particular war in Iraq has been higher than usual, and for obvious reasons. One, it is being waged for no obvious reason, making it fertile ground for all sorts of wild scriptural speculation -- just about anything you want to dream up, even the idea that Saddam Hussein is the antichrist[,] makes more sense than the actual justification for the war given by the government. Two, our occupation of Iraq is, or at least has evolved into, a confrontation with Islam. Three, it is led on our side by a Christian. Four, it is taking place in the site of ancient Babylon, a territory with no small significance in the Armageddon story...

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/20158/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

UK: Mother of soldier killed in Iraq protests after MoD blocks pension:

I don't understand why he can get killed in a war but he does not qualify for a pension."

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=571922


From Information Clearing House

Due to serious cuts in the healthcare budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs, many veterans wait months for a medical exam or treatment. In the case cited in the article below, VA knew the veteran had a serious medical condition, VA ignored it, and the veteran died.

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/NewsArticle.cfm?ID=2210

The Department of Veterans Affairs has established a new mental health center in Durham to focus on post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric problems affecting soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, federal officials announced Tuesday.

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/NewsArticle.cfm?ID=2209