8/11/2023                     Concerns Over Recent U.S. Marine Deployment in the Persian Gulf

 I am profoundly concerned regarding the recent deployment of U.S. Marines to guard commercial ships in the Persian Gulf, as reported in the article titled "Is Biden Risking War with Iran as U.S. Deploys Marines to Guard Commercial Ships in the Persian Gulf?" published on August 8, 2023, by Democracy Now!

This development has raised alarm bells regarding the potential escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran. By positioning Marines to protect commercial vessels, the Biden administration seems to be taking a proactive stance in ensuring safe maritime trade routes. However, this move carries the risk of unintentionally provoking Iran and heightening an already fragile geopolitical situation in the region.

While it is crucial to safeguard international shipping lanes, it is equally vital to consider diplomatic solutions that foster stability and prevent unnecessary military confrontations. The history of U.S.-Iran relations underscores the complexity of the situation, and any move that may be perceived as aggressive could exacerbate hostilities.

As concerned global citizens, we must encourage open dialogue and peaceful resolutions to conflicts. It is my hope that the U.S. administration remains committed to diplomatic efforts and exercises caution in its actions, avoiding any unintended consequences that might lead to further conflict.

Drone Strikes 6/24/2023

 

24, June 2023                                  Drone Strikes

I am appalled that our government is aiding terrorist attacks by Israeli settlers and the army on defenseless Palestinian civilians including young children. For decades the US government has donated $billions of aid and a blanket complete impunity to facilitate these terrorist attacks. 

From Drone Strikes to Settler terrorist attacks, Israel is intensifying efforts to drive out all Palestinians to usher in a “greater Israel.”

Israel has launched several attacks on Palestinians with new weapons, including deploying U.S.-made Apache helicopter gunships inside the West Bank and firing a targeted assassination aerial strikes. Jewish settlers have also raided Palestinian villages in the West Bank, attacking residents and setting fire to homes and vehicles. Mariam Barghouti, senior Palestine correspondent for Mondoweiss, calls the attacks “an intensification to completely take over Palestine.” The growing violence is reflective of the leadership of Israel’s minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who recently called for the renewing of Defensive Shield, a military operation which used similar weaponry in 2002 that has been condemned for “crimes against humanity.” This all comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government has agreed to accelerate the process for approving new settlements in the West Bank despite criticism from the United Nations, European Union and United States.

Mr. Biden, it's time to stiffen your spin, call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to immediately halt Israel’s terrorism, end the occupation and lift the siege of Gaza.

US terror attacks by drones 9/16/2021

16, September 2021              US terror attacks by drones

Desperate to avenge the terrorist attack by ISIS-K at Kabul airport on August 29 which killed 170 Afghans and 13 US service members, the US military launched a Reaper drone attack using aerial surveillance mistaking water jugs for bombs. An Aid worker and 10 Afghan civilians including seven children, were obliterated.  A New York Times investigation confirmed the drone attack was an appalling failure. A senior British official commented that “it seriously questions the credibility of the intelligence or technology utilized to determine this was a legitimate target.” No one knows the exact number of civilians killed in US drone strikes but there is little doubt that this flawed technology has contributed to seething resentment of the US and contributed to Taliban’s military success.  The Biden administration must offer apologies to the grieving family members and offer reparations. There is little doubt the Pentagon will continue to launch “over the horizon “attacks killing more and more civilians ignoring research by the Intercept which concluded 90 percent miss their intended targets.

 

The war that should never have happened 9/13/2021

 

13, September 2021        The war that should never have happened

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Spencer Ackerman reveals details of how the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld rebuffed the unconditional surrender of the Taliban before the 20-year war began. The Taliban offered Osama Bin Laden before a shot was fired.

As the self-appointed guardians of the people of Afghanistan, the Bush administration, responded with monumental arrogance that said such a deal was unacceptable — not to the Afghans, but unacceptable to the United States.

The timidity of Congress and the US media were swept up with seething anger and seeking revenge for the 9-11 attacks and refused to challenge the Bush administration’s hubris. The slogan “you are either with us or with the terrorists” effectively silenced opposition to the war. Military recruitment centers enticed young Americans opportunities for adventure, career enhancing opportunities and to satiate their feeling of excitement, and - revenge.

The CIA was very active in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion funneling huge stockpiles of weapons to Bin Laden’s   Mujahadeen fighting the Soviets. After eight bloody years the Soviets left defeated and the Taliban turned their guns on US forces. After their offer of surrender was rebuffed by the US, they crossed over the border to consult with their Godfather, Pakistan’s ISI.

Meanwhile, the people of Afghanistan were being slaughtered in large numbers by US bombing and errant drone attacks. Night raids by US special forces infuriated Afghans who quickly pledged their allegiance to the Taliban.

Inexplicably, America regards Pakistan as a firmly committed ally. It props up Pakistan with $billions in economic and military aid each year. US costs of the war are now projected to be over $7 trillion with skyrocketing veterans’ health care costs. Many of the returning veterans have become so traumatized by wars that on an average 18 commit suicide every day.

To compound the sheer madness of war, the Bush administration created off shore black sites to   engage in barbaric acts of torture. One victim was so badly beaten and water boarded he readily agreed what his torturers wanted to hear, Saddam Hussein was harboring WMD’s and was allied with Al Qaeda. This gave rise to the “shock and awe” invasion and destruction of Iraq and the birth of ISIS.

 

The Untold story 9/7/21

 

7, September 2021 9/11              The Untold story

As this week marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, there is increasing demands for a full accountability of why so many first responders suffered serious life-threatening health problems. A stunning new documentary, “9/11 Unsettled Dust” describes the impact of cancer-causing smoke and dust that hung over ground zero and how the EPA put Wall Street’s interests before public health and told people the air was safe to breathe.

 Prominent officials from the New York’s offices most notably “America’s mayor” Rudy Giuliani, downplayed the risks fearful that it might adversely impact the stock market.

” Film director Lisa Katzman says she made the film because she was a resident of Lower Manhattan who saw the attack and its aftermath up close and wanted “to address the lack of accountability” from city and federal officials. The documentary is scheduled to air on PBS stations this week.

What is particularly galling is the blatant denial of health benefits to the heroes of 9/11, the first responders, who along with their families made many trips to Congress to demand relief from the crippling health costs. Jon Stewart, the former host of “The Daily Show” made an impassioned plea to Congress demanding full medical coverage for the “first responders. There are a long list of guilty state and federal agencies who were derelict in their duties, most notably the EPA, OSHA and the mayor’s office. Even students at Stuyvesant High School were told that the air was safe to breathe.

DRONES-R-US 9/2/2021

 2, September 2021                            DRONES-R-US

The people of Afghanistan have suffered enormously from 28 years of foreign invasions. The Soviets suffered a humiliating defeat after 8 bloody years and the US soon followed, ignoring the important lessons of history. NATO forces were drawn into the conflict suffering similar causalities and defeat. This has emboldened Islamic terrorist groups around the world in a bizarre Olympic jihad competition as to see which group can commit the most barbaric crimes. The US invasion has united the disparate Taliban groups aided by rage against the US backed corrupt Afghan army which routinely demanded hefty bribes for safe passage.

The Afghans have also suffered a terrible drought for two years, a third wave of COVID, amid a collapsing economy.

Crushed by the devastating ISIS-K suicide attack, Biden ordered the US military to launch a hasty drone attack. The drone attack appears to have missed its ISIS-K target, killing 10 members of an Afghan family including 7 children.

CIA’s many crimes 8/28/2021

 

28, August 2021                            CIA’s many crimes

The CIA and America has lots of blood on its hands. There is virtually no oversight into CIA’s  clandestine activities and it enjoys an unlimited “black box” budget. It was created by Harry Truman in 1947. Their mandate was to collect information about foreign threats.  However, within months, the CIA abandoned this policy and begin target assassinations undermining and orchestrating coups to depose democratically elected governments. Two examples of its many crimes: They armed Saddam Hussein’s military during the Iran-Iraq war, allowing him to brutally crush internal opposition. Only 15 years earlier, America had supported Saddam's use of chemical weapons against the Iranians, and blocked countless UN resolutions that were intended to condemn their use.

In 1953, a CIA coup overthrew the democratically elected prime minister of Iran, Mohammad Mosaddegh, after he made plans to nationalize the oil industry. The CIA coordinated its activities with the British spy agency,  MI6. The British took possession of Iran’s oil and named it BP. The Shah was installed as dictator. His rule was so oppressive and violent that it precipitated the Iranian revolution in 1979. More recently the CIA funded war lords in Afghanistan creating intense hostility towards the US and precipitated its hasty exit.  Finally, there has never been an investigation into the monumental intelligence failure of non-existent Iraqi WMD’s.