What are we doing for the women of Iraq?

Perhaps America could take a break from the discussions of super delegates and exit polls, and turn our attention to the dire situation for women in Iraq:

Since the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003, economic, social and political aftershocks have thrust the country into chaos. Present- day Iraq is plagued by insecurity, a lack of infrastructure and controversial leadership, transforming the situation for women from one of relative autonomy and security before the war into a national crisis.

Before Saddam Hussein came to power in the 1970s, women in Iraq did not suffer the same types of repression as many other women around the world. They were encouraged to attend school, they could own property, they were allowed to divorce. In urban areas women held professional positions in government, medicine, law and the arts. Two wars, authoritarian repression and UN sanctions left most of Iraq in crippling poverty, with people struggling to meet the most basic needs.

In March 2003, women’s rights and gender equity were mentioned as symbolic issues for Iraq’s new national agenda. However, as the overall situation in Iraq began to deteriorate after the invasion, the focus on women was lost in the problems and violence facing the country as a whole.

Your Abu Dhabi update

Taking time off from his grueling mission delivering democracy throughout the Mid East, George Bush and his gal pal Condoleeza Rice enjoyed a feast fit for a king. Or at least a crown prince, as in  Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. AP reports:

Bush traded his suit for a casual jacket and took a helicopter as close as he could get to this remote encampment where Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, raises horses and prize falcons. His motorcade bumped over sand dunes for the last few miles, ending up at a tent pitched high on a wind-swept crest.

A tent with thick carpets, pillows for lounging, blazing lanterns, and food. Lots and lots of it, from bread with honey to grilled meats and sweets, all served by uniformed staff.

Before the feast with a small group of White House aides and Emirati elite, the crown prince showed the president around. Next to carpets laid on the sand stood small pedestals, each stuck in the sand like a beach umbrella and each holding a magnificent falcon.

Yes, that's what life is like in the desert. Just ask our troops in Iraq. Cake anyone?

Exactly who did Bush meet with in Iraq?

As you have no doubt heard by now, President Bush made a scret trip to Iraq over the Labor Day weekend. The question is, who did he meet with in Anbar Province? To quote AmericaBlog:

“Wait. Is George Bush in Anbar meeting with the very militia groups who were killing U.S. soldiers just months ago?”

Read more here.

US, Britain seek UN resolution to expand role in Iraq

Well, now we want the UN to come in and clean up our mess. Since two bombings in 2003, the UN has had only a small presence in Iraq because of the incredible security risk (despite what John McCain would have you believe as he strolls thru the markets in a vest and escorted by armed guards).

It's not clear if this is a direct result of the recent meeting between President Bush and the new British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, but the timing is interesting.

Also this week, Iraq's largest Sunni Arab bloc resigned from the cabinet yesterday. They said they were resigning in protest against what they said was the prime minister's failure to respond to a set of demands, including the release of security detainees not charged with specific crimes, the disbanding of militias and the participation of all government groups in security talks.

Nuri al-Maliki's regime now consists of only two Sunnis in the 40-member cabinet. This does not bode well for efforts to have the sectarian groups work together in a united Iraq.

House OKs plan to withdraw US troops

From Associated Press:

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi government is achieving only spotty military and political progress, the Bush administration conceded Thursday in an assessment that war critics quickly seized on as confirmation of their dire warnings. Within hours, the House voted to withdraw U.S. troops by spring.

The House measure passed 223-201 in the Democratic-controlled chamber despite a veto threat from President Bush, who has ruled out any change in war policy before September.

.... Even so, it appears the president's allies have the support to block a final Senate vote in a showdown expected next week.

And so the politics continues in Washington...

Read the rest here.

If you still don't believe it's all about the oil, read this

From AlterNet:

Iraqi Oil Workers' Union Founder: U.S.-Backed Oil Law Is "Robbery"

The proposed oil law facing the Iraqi cabinet would allow Western oil companies to take about 50% of all production as their share, an "obvious robbery of the Iraqi oil," says oil workers union heavy.

US lawmakers have demanded Iraq advance the measure before Congress approves additional war funding, but critics say the law would leave Iraq's oil open to foreign takeover. A parliamentary boycott by Sunni and Shia factions is expected to slow the bill's passage.

Last month, the Iraqi oil workers union went on a strike to protest the law.

We don't hear about any of this this in the mainstream media, and we certainly don't hear the politicians mentioning this. Why not? Well, who in the Bush Administration has connections to the oil industry. Uh, just about everyone.

Read the entire story here.

"Creature Comforts" takes on the Iraq War

I think Rumsfeld's my favorite, but Condie's pretty good, too. Enjoy.

Life in Iraq

Thanks to Allie for turning me on to a very cool site: Hometown Baghdad. The site describes itself as "shot by an all-Iraqi crew and tells the stories of three young people trying to survive in Baghdad."

It's compelling viewing, to watch these young people who are just like young people anywhere. They have graduated from college, are smart, funny, likable. But what kind of future do they have? Not much in Iraq it seems. Which is a shame, because these are exactly the Iraqis who are needed to build a stable future for that country.

So take a look, and let me know what you think.

Close Gitmo Now!

A letter signed by 145 House Democrats calls on President Bush to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility immediately. The letter also seeks the restoration of habeas corpus rights to these detainees. Can we please all try to remember back to Civics 101 when we learned about this oh-so-basic right of ours in America? It is one of the most fundamental rights of our democracy, for which men and women are dying every day!

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) is leading this effort. His letter to President Bush states:

"The closure of the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay would represent a positive first step toward restoring our international reputation as the leader of democracy and individual rights."

There are so many scandals and illegalities occurring at the moment, it's hard to keep things prioritized. I remember Stephen Colbert one time explaining the Bush Administration's method of handling bad publicity by using Russian nesting dolls. As soon as one problem gets too nasty, open the doll to reveal (and distract with) another problem. Illegal wiretapping? Open the doll to reveal Katrina! Getting a little too hot again? Open a doll to reveal ... Valerie Plame!

You get the idea. But don't let everything distract you from this fact: Innocent people are being held at Guantanamo Bay, with no charges against them. The writ of habeas corpus is included in the Constitution of the United States of America, Article 1, Section 9:

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

Our soldiers are fighting in Iraq to defend the ideals of democracy and individual freedom included in the Constitution. Holding these men (some for many years) without charging them does nothing for the safety of the United States and does everything for our enemies who proclaim us hypocrites.

More on the letter, and a list of the 145 Democrats and 1 Republican who signed it, is at The Raw Story. If your Congressperson is on the list, please thank them. If not, please let them know you want every person being held in US custody to receive the basic rights guaranteed in our Constitution.

American support for the war in Iraq continues to drop

The latest poll by CNN shows that 67 percent of Americans oppose the war in Iraq. The number of Americans who support the war in Iraq is at a record low of 30 percent. With this clear majority, how can our elected officials continue to blatantly ignore the mandate of the people?


Other interesting numbers from the CNN poll:

• 63 % of Americans are ready to withdraw at least some troops from Iraq


• 38 % of Republicans now saying they oppose the war


• 54 % of Americans do not believe U.S. action in Iraq is morally justified

Two prominent Republican senators have now woken up to these figures. Senator Richard Lugar stated "In my judgment, the costs and risk of continuing down the current path outweigh the potential benefits that might be achieved."

The other senator, George Voinovich of Ohio, wrote this week that "We must begin to develop a comprehensive plan for our country's gradual military disengagement from Iraq and a corresponding increase in responsibility to the Iraqi government and its regional neighbors."

These comments are a move in the right direction, but clearly Congress continues to need to hear from the American people on this issue. Please continue to contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them to bring out troops home.

Playing politics with the lives of children

An update from Crooks and Liars on that story last week about the deplorable conditions at the Iraqi orphanage, and the US soldiers who rescued the children there. As if the initial story was not upsetting enough, it now turns out that the U.S. military officials did not want the story released, and tried to stonewall the story.

CBS Reporter Lara Logan is a saint, and we are all lucky to have her in Iraq reporting for us. The Iraqi and US officials knew about this story for a week before Logan broke it. Then they tried to say the Iraqis discovered and saved the boys at the orphanage. Logan pursued the truth (hey mainstream media: there's an idea! pursue the truth!) with photographs from the event showing American soldiers rescuing the boys, with no Iraqis in sight. (The photograph above which includes an Iraqii soldier was taken later, when the boys were transported to a Baghdad hospital.)

According to Logan, "I was given a lot of support from the unit, a lot of support from the division. But as it started to go higher up the ranks, to the more political thinkers on the American side, I hit a wall."

The politics of this is shameful. According to CNN, "in the middle of the week the Iraqi labor minister put out a statement and said, 'We totally reject the tricks they use to manipulate and distort facts and show the Americans as the humanitarian party.'"

Logan continues that, "Prime Minister Maliki ordered all the people involved in this incident at the orphanage to be arrested. And yet, the minister of labor stood at that press conference where he made those remarks and had the manager of the orphanage next to him, standing there to publicly defend and justify his actions."

3,545 U.S. military personnel have died in the Iraq war

My lack of posting has been due to overload at an work, and certainly not from a scarcity of news — as the grim headline above demonstrates.

According to news reports, at least 12 military personnel — soldiers and marines — have died in the last 24 hours. The month of June has been gruesome: 68 soldiers have died this month alone.

The Baltimore Sun has a special feature recognizing those from Maryland who have given their lives in this war. It's short. Please read it. Look at the faces.

Then, please contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to stand up to the President and stop funding this war. Remind them why there was a change of power in Congress last November, and remind them of the power of the people to enact change.

Iraqi Orphanage Nightmare

We saw this story last night on CBS news and it brought tears to our eyes. Lara Logan is an incredible reporter, and this story was one of her best.

U.S. soldiers came upon "multiple bodies laying on the floor" of a facility in central Baghdad. According to Staff Sgt. Mitchell Gibson of the 82nd Airborne Division, "They thought they were all dead, so they threw a basketball (to) try and get some attention, and actually one of the kids lifted up their head, tilted it over and just looked and then went back down. And they said, 'oh, they're alive' and so they went into the building."

"The building" was a government-run orphanage for children with special needs. In the kitchen were staffers cooking meals for themselves, surrounded by fully stocked shelves of food and clothing. But in the courtyard where the soldiers entered were 24 boys, lying naked and emaciated on the floor, tied to their cribs.

At this point, we are not surprised to see news coverage of wounded civilians, even children. But what on earth is going on when the Iraqis are treating their own people this way? And this is the government our men and women in uniform are fighting (and dying) for?

Logan very aptly stated that "This is a tough test for the Iraqi government: How a nation cares for its most vulnerable is one of the most important benchmarks for the health of any society."

The Iraqi government has failed yet another test.

In a Glamour exclusive, America’s most famous female soldier straightens out the “war hero” controversy once and for all

I'll bet you didn't know I read Glamour magazine, did you? Okay, I don't really. But I do read Mother Jones, and they turned me on to this incredible story written by Jessica Lynch. Give it a read. You never know where you'll find the truth.

A Voice of Reason — The Man From Ohio

One of the reasons I got rid of cable was so that I wouldn't be paying for the privilege of listening to people like that assclown over at MSNBC, Tucker Carlson. Congressman (and Presidential candidate) Dennis Kucinich appeared on his show recently and spelled out a very well-thought out plan for getting out of Iraq, which involves getting the support of other countries in the region to provide stability so that our troops can leave.

Carlson, of course, kept trying to set up Kucinich with claims that he didn't hear specifics from "you or any of the other Democratic candidates." Kucinich calmly replied with specifics. Why doesn't Carlson, or any of the other talking heads, ask the White House for specifics? See the interview with Kucinich for yourself.

Kucinich gets tagged in the mainstream media with being a "fringe" candidate, one who's "out there." Come on, people — just how petty are we? Yes, he's short and has big ears. But I think if you watch the interview, you'll be amazed to finally hear an honest candidate who has a real plan to get us out of Iraq now.

So I heard from Sen. Cardin the other day

I recently wrote to my senators, Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski, to let them know how disappointed I was that they voted for the $120 million war spending bill in May. I had hoped that at least one of them would stand up to the president and say "no more!" Refusing funding is the strongest power Congress has to counter this administrations's misguided policies in Iraq. Unfortunately, both of my senators voted to continue funding the war.

In last fall's Democratic primary, I voted for Kweisi Mfume, and I sure do miss him now. I had so hoped Mfume would be a strong voice on issues such as the war. I feared Cardin would not stand firm, would not be vocal. I am so sorry that my suspicions of him were true. From his message, Cardin clearly thinks that over time, the president can be persuaded to change course. I wonder what our soldiers in Iraq, as well as the citizens there, think about future "opportunities" to "push the administration." I'm sure they don't mind waiting.

Thank you for contacting me with regards to U.S. involvement in Iraq .

In 2002, as a member of the House of Representatives, I voted against the Congressional resolution that gave President George Bush the authority to invade Iraq . Since that time, I have been an ardent critic of the war and the manner in which the Administration has conducted it.

The bipartisan Iraq Study Group concluded that the solution to Iraqi unrest is political rather than military. The President should pursue a strategy that will decrease the Iraqi government's reliance on American forces and bring our brave troops home. I encourage increased diplomatic efforts in talking with Iraq 's neighboring countries to help stabilize the region.

Since my election to the U.S. Senate, my top priority has been working with Majority Leader Reid and other colleagues to change direction in Iraq . We have shaped a position calling for a total troop withdrawal beginning October 1, 2007 with a goal of completion by April 1, 2008. I supported such amendments and was disappointed that the provisions were not included in the final version of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill for FY 2007. There will continue to be good opportunities to push the administration on this issue, including the Defense Authorization bill and the FY 2008 Defense Appropriations bill, among others. I have enclosed a copy of my first statement on the Senate floor, in which a large portion was devoted to my Iraq policy and the need for change . Please be assured that as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will be fully engaged in working for a political and diplomatic resolution of the Iraqi conflict, and pushing for a drawdown of American forces.

I appreciate your taking the time to contact me about this important matter. Please do not hesitate to do so again about this or any other issue of importance to you. Email.BeginHide.merge

Sincerely,

Benjamin L. Cardin
United States Senator

Emphasis mine, but, yes, it really had "Email.BeginHide.merge" at the end.

If you're not outraged ...

you're not paying attention, as the bumper sticker says. And here's an outrageous story in this morning's Washington Post.

This past spring, the FBI asked Congress for $3.6 million from that good 'ol war spending bill (you remember, the one the Democrats caved on?) to fund a Gulfstream V jet that it said it needs to combat terrorism by flying "crucial missions" in Iraq.

Except, it turns out that a good quarter of the time that jet is actually used by the FBI Director Robert Mueller to get to his speaking engagements and public appearances. I encourage you to read the entire article. And become outraged.

Will someone please send this little boy off to bed now?

It's time we stopped letting him play his war games with the lives of so many innocents around the world. He has lived in his own reality since the day he was born, and his own "service" has given him a bizarre sense of what war is really like.

He's not alone. A very interesting site examines the service of all the prominent politicians in the war debate. Take a look. You may be suprised at who didn't serve -- and who did. Turns out that when you've actually experienced battle, you tend to think it's a bad idea. Hunh.

And if you got 5 deferements (Cheney), 7 deferments (Ashcroft), were 4-F (Limbaugh -- "inoperable pilonidal cyst"), then I guess war just seems like a really great business opportunity.