This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Iraq Veterans Against the War

  • Finally! Shepherd denied asylum in Germany

    Shepherd
    We’ve been following this for years, but it seems that the Germans, after two years of dithering have finally arrived at the right decision and denied asylum for Andre Shepherd, an Army deserter. They were supposed to hand down a decision back in June 2009. I’ve been waiting for this day.

    “The asylum claim was rejected because there is no evidence to suggest that the asylum seeker could have been involved in war crimes or other crimes during another posting to Iraq,” the office said in a statement.

    “He could not cite any concrete crimes his unit committed during his first tour. In addition, as a helicopter mechanic, he was not in danger of becoming involved in fighting and therefore in possible crimes,” added the office.

    We’ve said that since the beginning. Shepherd told the German panel at his hearing that there was a potential that he’d be sentenced to death…even though the Army hasn’t put to death a deserter since Eddie Slovik in 1945. Members of Shepherd’s unit have told us that he was so fucked up as a mechanic, on his tour Iraq they put him in charge of the gym or some shit. A guy who knew him before Shepherd joined the Army told us that Shepherd stole from him and Shepherd’s girlfriend and ended up living in his (stolen) car.

    The only reason Shepherd didn’t go to Iraq the second time was because he knew Jody would get his German girlfriend.

    Shepherd held a news conference Thursday in Frankfurt and claimed the Iraq War is illegal because people are killed with machine guns and Hellfire missiles. Shepherd said he feels guided by the Nuremburg Trials in making his own responsible decisions.

    Strangely, he didn’t mentioned the fact that he signed a contract.

    The Germans ain’t buyin’ what you’re cookin’, Andre. So I guess any Americans that find Shepherd rummaging through their dumpster can club him and turn him over the MPs. BOLO

    More on future convict Shepherd and his cohorts. Is he still a member of IVAW? Someone out there knows.

    Picked up at the Jawa Report.

  • Adam Kokesh defects to the Russians

    1stCavRVN11B and one of my ninjas sent me this link to Adam Kokesh’s latest venture – a TV show on Russia TV from their studios in DC. I guess he figures its safe to come back to DC now that I’ve left.

    Yeah, well, he can talk about how concerned he is about this country, but I remember when he wasn’t.

    Ron Paul 059

  • The people talking to your kids about the war

    As I’ve written a few times, Ethan McCord, who was one of the soldiers on the scene during the now-famous “Collateral Murder” video (which was filmed four years ago). Now he’s a man on a mission to “explain” the video to your kids and school children like them with the help of the rocket surgeons at World Can’t Wait. Here’s a screen shot of WCW’s Facebook page where Ethan rejoices at his new-found occupation – teaching your kids;

    If any of you have ever tried to interview a private about what he saw in combat, you’d know that 15 privates will give you 17 stories about the same event. Not that they lie, but everyone remembers traumatic events the way they want to remember it. Of course, Ethan is a mild improvement over the guys that used to tour schools who weren’t even at the scene.

    Speaking of whom, Matthis has published a wonderfully laborious bit of literature, too tortuous to read in it’s entirety. it’s about evil – of course it has to do with him being evil during his time in the military because the Army made him evil. We all knew it wasn’t his fault, right?

    Evil was all around me. It engulfed my every action, concealed itself behind my every motivation, but perceive it I could not. It wrapped our violent fists when we hit the town for drink. It cradled the balls hung from our erections as we forced them inside the natives. It sat in our throats when out flowed the lies that cued our mothers to be proud. It whispered promises of glory to us as we slept and dreamed of conquest.

    We abide by it still, in every aspect of our lives. Even the wise among us abide by evil to proliferate their constructions of a better life; their stomachs bloated by a loaf of its own oven. I’ve said before, “life in the United States is as a tube affixed to your anus through which you inhale the bulk of your existence.” Even the best of us consume the poison of ourselves within this system. How can we not taste it?

    I like how he writes “our” and “We”, but he actually means “You”.

    So, I suppose Matthis should just move out of the United States, since we all have tubes in our anuses – what a childish analogy…almost as bad as his oral sex analogy in the previous paragraph. It looks like that VA-paid college education is wasted. He writes like a pseudo-intellectual high school freshman.

    Ya know what’s funny? Here he is talking about how evil it is to be in the military, to be an American, yet here he is attending college free-of-charge on a benefit paid for by the American tax payer. Yeah, that’s pretty fucking evil. And, oh, by the way, he’s stealing the benefit, too, because his downgraded discharge should have precluded any further college tuition benefits. So when they finally catch up with him (and they will, if I have any say whatsoever), he’ll say he’s being harassed because he spoke out against the war.

    A day is coming when every American will know the evil in himself. That day we will burn the temples and cast out the false gods. We will finally be free of ourselves.

    I’d prefer to just be free of your blather, Matthis.

  • Buonomo defends the Taliban

    It’s been a while, but TJ Buonomo, probably the best-educated of the IVAW crowd (thanks to the free education he got at the Air Force Academy) decided to school me on what the US policy towards Afghanistan should be last night;

    As unsavory as the Taliban’s rule would be from a human rights standpoint, it is not the responsibility of the United States military to go crusading around the world conducting armed human rights
    missions. And I would argue that the Afghan government’s human rights record isn’t much better if at all.

    So the question is, can the Taliban be negotiated with and on what terms? The only ostensible U.S. interest in Afghanistan is to ensure that Al Qaeda doesn’t re-establish itself there and organize the Taliban under its own banner. There is substantial evidence to indicate that this is not the inevitable outcome that many assume it to be.

    Unsavory, TJ? A bit of an understatement, isn’t it? They denied an education to women. You know what women are, right? They’re at least half of the population, in case they didn’t teach that at the Academy. They stoned people…you know, like they’ve been doing since the beginning of human history. They throw acid on the faces of little girls. Yeah, unsavory. Does the current government treat it’s citizens like that? But you said their human rights record isn’t much better – well, other than the stoning and the denial of basic human dignities thing.

    Yes, the United States shouldn’t be traipsing all over the world stomping out injustice, but when the fruits of that injustice strikes us at home, our government has the responsibility to make sure it doesn’t happen again. We left Afghanistan to it’s own devices in 1987, we walked away from Somalia in 1993, we walked away from Yemen in 2000.

    TJ, you act like the Taliban are rational actors – you negotiate with rational actors. But they’re really not. They’re the same kind of extremists as al Qaeda…a large number of them came from other countries just so they could practice their extremism on real people. It’s painfully myopic to even attempt to negotiate with a group who has no intention of cooperating with anyone.

    Yes, yes, I know, it’s vogue to defend yourself with the “questions which must be asked” line, but after asking the same questions, after they’ve already been answered, they’re not questions any more. They become bumpersticker slogans and it becomes obvious that you, the questioner, just won’t accept any answer that isn’t one you’ve not preordained.

    IVAW has outlived it’s usefulness, if it ever had any. For one, it’s lasted longer than the war it opposed. Most of it’s remaining members have never set foot in Iraq (it’s right there in the title). It opposed the successful strategy which brought Iraq to this point. It’s now opposing the war in Afghanistan, which it’s own executive director supported a few short years ago. Do you really expect Americans to follow you on this one, too?

  • Don’t worry, I am a musician.

    You know, I have to ask what makes people think that they can be subject experts something completely unrelated. Like take the following below.

    Let’s attend the Austin rally for the Int’l Day of Action/Million Musician March

    This is the event we discussed at the last Meetup. It’s the annual event led by Austin musicians spotlighting the terrible financial and human costs of the ongoing wars. Event at State Capitol 12pm to 3pm, parade through downtown from 3pm – 4pm
    Sponsored by Instruments for Peace

    Contact: Richard Bowden

    Except that the numbers were much lower then their name suggested. Oh and the Under the Hood/IVAW regulars were there. They also seemed to be in smaller numbers compared to their protests in July at Fort Hood.

  • Kokesh and guns

    One of my ninjas sent me this video of IVAW’s Adam Kokesh showing off with semi-auto shotgun. I’m glad he’s progun, eveyone should be, however, the shot patterns look a little tight…he couldn’t have been more than ten feet from the water jugs.

    It’s been a while since we’ve talked about Kokesh since he lost the primary in his Congressional race. I thought you’d like to know he’s still alive and kicking.

  • A Moonbat Weekend

    DSC_0085
    March 19th is the 8th anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq, so you know the moonbats have worked themselves up into a frenzy. They have a big weekend planned according to Washington Peace Center;

    Friday Mar. 18

    7-9pm: Walter Reed Vigil at Walter Reed Hospital, 7150 Georgia Avenue, NW (at Horseshoe, between Dahlia and Elder)

    A weekly vigil to raise awareness within our community and the media that our injured soldiers are brought to Walter Reed Hospital and we must not forget them. Fund the wounded, not the war! (The right wingers will be out in force so let’s support!)

    The Vigil began in March 2005 following the second anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and has continued every Friday evening regardless of rain, sun, snow, ice, or right-wing hooligans.

    Yeah, and a fearsome group they’ve been;

    FReep 044

    I guess this will be attended by IVAW, too. This is how they plan on helping the wounded…by taunting them while they come back from the war. Good call, Jose and Geoff.

    Saturday March 19
    12 noon: Veterans for Peace Rally and Action at Lafayette Park and the White House

    Resist the War Machine! Put your body on the line for peace and help make this the largest veteran-led civil resistance to the war machine in recent history! For more information, email stopthesewars@gmail.com.

    Rally at 12 pm at Lafayette Park, H and 16th Streets NW
    Speakers: Elliott Adams, Chantelle Bateman, Brian Becker, Medea Benjamin, Zachary Choate, Ryan Endicott, Ayesha Fleary, Chris Hedges, Kathy Kelly, Mike Malloy, Michael McPhearson, Caneisha Mills, Ralph Nader, Debra Sweet, Ann Wright, Kevin Zeese

    Civil Resistance at 1 pm, White House

    Civil resistance means they’re going to try and get arrested again, because that means something…or something. Matthis won’t be there – he’s going to be on a panel in New York City with Debra Sweet talking about how Obama is a bigger war criminal than Bush was.

    Sunday, March 20

    2 pm: Bradley Manning Action at Quantico Marine Base (VA)

    Exposing war crimes is not a crime! Support accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower Army Pfc.Bradley Manning who has been held in solitary-like conditions for six months.

    Click here to buy bus tickets to the Rally. Only $10 rountrip.

    This event is endorsed by the Bradley Manning Support Network, Veterans for Peace, Courage to Resist, CodePink, and many other groups.

    Now, if you’re inclined to attend, you won’t be alone. Toothless Dawg says Free Republic will be there at three events;

    MARCH 18,2011 (Friday) WALTER REED

    WHERE: Main gates of Walter Reed, Georgia Avenue and Elder Street, NW. Plenty of street parking and also park in the lot. Entrance off Elder Street.

    WHEN: Friday, 6:45 PM to around 9:30PM when we cheer a bus load of Wounded Warriors and their families coming back from their weekly dinner. The dinner is sponsored by The Aleethia Foundation, founded by a wounded Vietnam Vet. They could also use some donations.

    The DC Chapter of FReeRepublic will have flags, banners, posters, snacks and drinks.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    MARCH 19,2011 (Saturday) FREEDOM PLAZA

    ANSWER, Code Pink, IVAW, and others of their ilk are still protesting against our troops. We need to continue supporting our troops and defending their honor. We need to be a voice for them. Our soldiers still need the support we gave them in March, 2007 during the first Gathering of Eagles.

    WHERE: Washington, DC — We have permitted FREEDOM PLAZA (Main gathering point) at 14th and E Streets, NW. Blue and Orange FEDERAL TRIANGLE Metro Station is closes station

    DATE: Saturday, March 19,2011

    WHEN: Gather at 10AM at Freedom Plaza, then at 11AM we will go to Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House till we are no longer needed to support our troops.

    The DC Chapter of FReeRepublic will have the Walter Reed MOAB, flags, banners, and posters. At FReedom Plaza we will also have snacks and drinks.

    The moonbats will be gathering at Lafayette Park at noon and will protest in front of the White House after their speeches damning and disparaging our brave troops.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    March 20, 2011 (Sunday) Quantico MCB Main Gate

    The information I have read is that Code Pink and other skanky organizations will be gathering to free the Manning whiner. Their buses will arrive around 2pm at the intersection of Rt-1 and Rt-619 (Joplin Rd) at the Iwo Jima Memorial. They will then march the 100 yards to the main gate of Quantico.

    The Marines have stated their intention to close the main gate for several hours and expect around 500 protesters.

    Construction in the area is going to make parking very tight.

    I’ll be at the Saturday protest in Lafayette Park after I drive back from stumping with DanNy for David Bellavia. So if you don’t see anything here on the blog this weekend, it’s coming.

  • IVAW is OK with the Taliban

    TJ Buonomo, a long-time meber of the Iraq Veterans Against the War, but not an Iraq veteran, writes on their website;

    On 8 March 2011, IVAW requested that Senator Diane Feinstein, Chairwoman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, request declassification of intelligence reports on the Taliban and Al Qaeda. To date there has been insufficient public debate within Congress on whether the defeat of the Taliban is vital to the protection of the American people from terrorist attacks and numerous prominent national security commentators have made compelling arguments that this is not the case or at the very least that this assumption should be re-examined.

    I has an hours long conversation with TJ back in 2009 and I got the impression that he thinks he’s a pretty smart feller, but this missive proves otherwise. Everyone on the planet knows that the Taliban protected and at least provided minimum logistical support to al Qaeda. And before 9-11, no one on the planet thought for a second that goat-roping Stone Age shepherds were a threat to the American people.

    So why is Buonomo trying to end the war against the Taliban? He did the same thing before the “surge” in Iraq. It’s so scary to them that we might actually be successful in a war against our enemies, they’re willing to let an entire country fall under the iron sandals of the Taliban again.

    If Buonomo had read even the slightest bit of history from before 9-11, he could answer his own questions. His contention that there has been “insufficient public debate within Congress” proves he hasn’t been listening. But that’s Buonomo’s favorite tactic – it’s only rhetorical flourishes for the sake of discussion.

    On a similar note, the anti-war hen house formerly called “After Downing Street” has renamed itself “War Is A Crime“. Doesn’t that, in turn, mean that the troops are criminals? Haven’t these dolts learned anything in the last forty years?