Pentagon targeted journalists 6-5-2008

5, June 2008                           Pentagon targeted journalists

New testimony has recently emerged countering the official Pentagon version of the shelling of the Palestine Hotel in the early days of the Iraq war in 2003. The targeted attack killed two journalists, Reuter’s cameraman Taras Protsyuk and Jose Couso, a cameraman for the Spanish television network, Telecinco. The Pentagon brushed aside the killings as accidental, but this has been challenged by Army Sgt. Adrienne Kinne (Ret.) who saw US military documents listing the Palestine Hotel as a possible target. During her service in military intelligence Kline was also ordered to eavesdrop on Americans working for news organizations and NGO’s in Iraq, in complete violation of US law. A documentary of the assassinations, ‘Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness’, has been produced by Tecinco of Spain.

It appears the Pentagon has engaged in an ongoing effort to silence independent reporting which might turn world opinion against the illegal invasion of Iraq. First, Al Jazeera TV was ordered to shut down its operations. This was followed by attacks on the offices of Abu Dhabi TV, which in turn was followed by the shelling of the Palestine Hotel. It is an absolute outrage that these killings were planned by the top brass of the Pentagon with complete disregard to the lives of reporters and the devastating impact on their families. When will these serial killers be held accountable?

Americans die, VA lies 6-2-2008

2, June 2008               Americans die, VA lies

In an effort to shield the Bush administration from its ongoing deception and minimize the ire of the American people, Dr. Ira Katz, head of mental health services for the Department of Veterans Affairs, knowingly, understated the number of suicides of returning US veterans. In 2007, Katz testified before the House of Representatives Veterans’ Affairs Committee that the number of suicides for all of 2007 was 790. Unfortunately, an incriminating email from Katz to a colleague has since surfaced, “Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among the veterans we see in our medical facilities. Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before somebody stumbles on it?” CBS research showed that more than 6,250 Americans servicemen took their own lives in 2005 and according to Pentagon records 2006 proved to be the highest rate of suicides in 26 years. This is yet another sad episode which demonstrates the utter lack of compassion towards US war veterans fighting internal demons heaped upon them by our government.

McClellan 6-2-2008

2, June 2008                           McClellan

McClellan, the former White House spokesman and a close confident of President Bush, took to the airwaves to promote his new book accusing the Bush administration of deliberately misleading the public to wage war in Iraq. Clearly, loyalty is not a cherished personality trait with McClellan and his ilk. It is hard to believe that McClellan was not fully aware that he was being fed false information which he dutifully regurgitated at the White House press briefings, bullying reporters with his characteristic bluster. It is extremely sad that McClellan’s ‘affection for the president’, triumphed concerns over the lives of thousands of US servicemen and Iraqi civilians. Perhaps, McClellan might consider donating his ill-gotten book royalties to US veterans and Iraqi civilians, many of whom have paid the ultimate price for his lack of courage and integrity. Finally, the damning testimony that it was none other than President Bush who was responsible for the outing of Valerie Plame must surely seal the fate of this disgraced president