On Wednesday, National Public Radio broadcast a piece that made it appallingly clear that we have not cleaned up our character in Iraq. Humiliation remains a primary weapon. For all the soldiers who have a heart, a lot also appear to have lost their minds.

http://snipurl.com/evd4


From Information Clearing House

On the first day of a major U.S. offensive, two shells landed in Um Mazin's house. Grabbing what she could, she fled with four other women and 21 children. "We ran away from the American bombings," said Um Mazin, as the wind picked up, sending sand swirling around her. "The Americans do not hit the gunmen, they hit the houses of civilians."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050512/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_refugees


From Information Clearing House

05/12/05

Has it really been two years since George W. Bush stuffed his codpiece and solemnly announced, 'Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed?' Mark Follman dredged up that quote the other day in Salon's War Room, which is always worth the price of admission. The price of Bush's admission? He'll never admit to failure, but the Marines of Lima Company are feeling the pain of that, as the Washington Post's Ellen Knickmeyer reports this morning. The major combat operation in Anbar Province, near the Syrian border, has practically wiped out one of Lima's squads...

http://villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/000924.php

from Village Voice, by Ward Harkavy


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Recruiting has fallen through the floor and through the basement, as citizens vote with their feet against the Iraq War. Recruiting usually improves during economic hard times, but not now. Will the Marines stand down as wel because they can't meet their goals? Do these developments portend a return to the military draft to support the Iraq War?

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/?Page=Article&ID=3211

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/2215/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news

Iraqi police hurled insults at US soldiers after two suicide car bomb blasts in Baghdad killed at least seven people and left 19 wounded, including policemen. "It's all because you're here," a policeman shouted in Arabic at a group of US soldiers after the latest in a bloody wave of attacks that have rocked Baghdad this month.

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/?Page=Article&ID=3207