So called "Church Members" attempt to spread Hate of Amerian Soldiers

By CHRIS INGALLS / KING 5 News
Westboro Church members try to preach their hatred of gays and the military at a memorial service for Sgt. First Class Johnny Walls. PORT ORCHARD, Wash. – Members from a controversial Kansas church were in Western Washington Friday. They tried to disrupt a memorial service for a Bremerton soldier who was killed in combat. But counter-protestors kept them at bay.
A war of words erupted on a Port Orchard street Friday afternoon as five members of the Westboro Church preached their hatred of gays and the U.S. military. They shouted insults and carried signs.
A couple hundred counter protestors shouted down the church members – including one child – who were escorted by sheriff's deputies.
The church members say God is killing soldiers in retaliation for America's tolerance of homosexuality. They have appeared at military funerals across the country, and Friday, they were a block away from a memorial service for Sgt. First Class Johnny Walls.

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For the second straight day, U.S. troops fatally fire on vehicles in Iraq.

By LEILA FADEL
McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD For the second day in a row, American troops Tuesday killed Iraqi civilians when they fired on a vehicle that they thought was a threat, the U.S. military said.
Two people died and four were injured when a U.S. soldier fired at a minibus transporting workers to a bank operated by the Iraqi Finance Ministry, the military said. Iraqi police and employees at the bank said four people were killed, including three women, and two were injured.
The U.S. military also reported that two soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Salah ad Din province. Two soldiers were wounded.
The military gave no further details.
The minibus was driving near a U.S. military outpost in the al-Shaab neighborhood of northern Baghdad when it ended up on a road where only car traffic is permitted, the military said. American soldiers signaled the minibus to stop, and when it did not, one of them fired a warning shot.
On Monday, a child and two men were killed when their vehicle rushed through a U.S. military roadblock while the military was conducting an operation in Bayji, north of Baghdad. U.S. soldiers opened fire on the vehicle.

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Ten-hut! Here's how to ship mail to soldiers

It sounds like a nice idea, but before you add "Any Wounded Soldier" to your Christmas card list, keep in mind that your well wishes will likely wind up in the trash.In-boxes are flooded this time of year with mass e-mails urging us to remember our military men and women when we mail our holiday greetings. One note says to direct cards and packages to "A Recovering American Soldier" at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. But Walter Reed says not so fast.Citing Defense Department policy, the hospital says it can't accept mail that isn't addressed to a specific patient. Officials said the decision is intended to protect patients and staff.

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Suicide attack kills 3 US soldiers, 3 Iraqi children

BAGHDAD - A suicide bomber detonated his explosives as American soldiers were handing out toys to children northeast of Baghdad yesterday, killing at least three children and three of the troops, US and Iraqi authorities said.
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Seven children were wounded in the attack near Baqubah, where US soldiers wrested control from Al Qaeda in Iraq last summer. The attack, along with a series of other blasts in the capital and to the north, underlined the uncertainty of security in Iraq even as the US military said violence is down sharply across Iraq.
Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, a US military spokesman, said yesterday that terrorist attacks in Iraq are at their lowest levels since January 2006. He said overall violence has dropped 55 percent since a US troop buildup began this year.
Police said the bomb attack occurred as US soldiers were handing out toys, sports equipment, and treats in a playground near Baqubah, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. Few details were available, but the US military said it was a "suicide vest attack" and that three American soldiers were killed ... Get Full Story

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SHOULD YOU BE AFRAID OF BEING DRAFTED TO FIGHT IN IRAQ WAR?

I stumbled across this article written by Wilkes Barre, Times Leader and I was pretty amazed at what he had to say. Some of the point she made in the article, I simply didn't know and to be honest were a bit scary.

Enjoy......

LIKE BEING WAR CRITIC? THANK A SOLDIER

Nobody owes a greater debt of gratitude to the United States soldiers currently serving in Iraq than the people who oppose the war itself.
Nobody.
Since the founding of this country, major wars have meant major drafts. The state militias conscripted soldiers in the Revolutionary War, although draftees could escape service by paying a fee or paying a substitute to go for them.
In the Civil War, both sides relied heavily on the draft, and in New York bloody riots broke out because of it.
We maintain a vision of men rushing off gladly to fight the Kaiser during World War I, but 72 percent of those who did were drafted.
Likewise the ``Greatest Generation'' of World War II. Of the 16 million American men who served, about 10 million didn't call Uncle Sam, they waited for Uncle Sam to call them. Ditto Korea and Vietnam, until the last Americans were drafted on Jan. 27, 1973.
The only two major wars fought in the history of the United States, and possibly the history of the world, without conscription, are Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom right now.
That means that everyone who opposes the military on general principles is at home. That means that everybody who deplores the use of violence, in all cases, to solve problems, is at home. And, for the most part, it means that people who oppose the war in Iraq, and their children and their husbands, are at home.
Everyone here volunteered, in general, to follow the orders of the president and his generals, and to be used as the government saw fit. Pretty much no one is going to have to run to Canada to avoid service.
There have been and will be a few people seeking conscientious objector status, but whether they get it or not, they are in a pickle of their own devising. Those who find these kinds of situations abhorrent are, for the first time in history, able to be feel that way safely in the comfort of their own den, without the threat of jail, loss of citizenship or even loss of prestige.

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Bombs Strike Children, US Troops in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber detonated his explosives as American soldiers were handing out toys to children northeast of Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least three children and three of the troopers, U.S. and Iraqi authorities said.
Seven children were wounded in the attack in Baqouba, where U.S. soldiers wrested control from al-Qaida in Iraq last summer.
The attack, along with a series of other blasts in the capital and to the north, underlined the uncertainty of security in Iraq even as the American military said overall violence is down 55 percent since a troop buildup began this year.
Police said the attack occurred as U.S. soldiers were handing out toys, sports equipment and other treats in a playground near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad.
Few details were available, but the U.S. military said it was a "suicide vest attack" and that three American soldiers were killed.
Rasoul Issam, 16, said he and his friends were playing soccer when the U.S. soldiers called to them from their vehicles to come get gifts.

story by: By KIM GAMEL

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US Military in Iraq Searches for Militants Believed Linked to Soldiers' Kidnapping

U.S. soldiers dig during a search for the bodies of two soldiers in the town of Awesat, south of Baghdad, 16 Nov 2007The U.S. military says it launched pre-dawn raids south of Baghdad Friday to hunt for militants believed to be linked to the kidnapping of two American soldiers.
The military says helicopters dropped 600 soldiers into the villages of Owesap and Betra, while warplanes dropped two bombs to block possible escape routes. Some 150 Iraqi soldiers also took part in the operation.

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Army desertions skyrocket

This year, 4,698 U.S. Army soldiers have deserted, an increase of 42% from last year and 80% since the 2003 Iraq invasion, the Pentagon says. At the same time, Navy and Marine desertions fell.
The rates remain below those for the draft-fed Vietnam War, but they still reflect the growing strain of deployments to Iraq. More than 75% of deserters are in their first term.
Soldiers who are absent without leave for more than 30 days are declared to be deserters and discharged.
"We're asking a lot of soldiers these days," said Roy Wallace, the Army's director of personnel plans and resources. "They're humans. They have all sorts of issues back home and other places like that. So, I'm sure it has to do with the stress of being a soldier."
The Army Times and the Associated Press have filed the most detailed stories so far.
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The pride of an American Soldier

Despite the equivocation of Attorney General Mukasey about torture, the pseudo-macho fantasies of the fearful voting for him, and the absence of leadership in candidates that avoided it, Mr. Gates and the communication department of the Pentagon figured this one out. They re-issued and reinforced guidance about waterboarding and torture, to insure that there isn’t confusion in the ranks.
Pam Hess (welcome to the AP), an excellent, experienced reporter with lots of experience in Iraq reports for the AP:
As Mukasey equivocated on Capitol Hill, saying he would have to know the specific details surrounding the interrogation to judge whether it was torture, Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterated the military ban at a press conference on Nov. 1.
“The fact is it’s not a permitted technique under the Army Field Manual, and therefore, no member of the U.S. military is allowed to do it, period,” he said.
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Wounded but still standing!

Army News Service Dennis Ryan November 12, 2007FORT MYER, Va. -- Exactly two months ago 2nd Lt. Mark Little was patrolling in Iraq, when he was wounded by an improvised explosive device. He lost both of his legs.
Wednesday morning at the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial, Lt. Little stood proudly outside on his new prosthesis for the first time to receive the silver bars of a first lieutenant.
Brig. Gen. John D. Johnson, special assistant to the commanding general of the Installation Management Command, called Lt. Little a "proven leader" and someone who "has already made sacrifices for his nation" before pinning the bars on the Soldier.
"This is a guy who gives so much to his country," Brig. Gen. Johnson said after the ceremony. "The attitude he has is inspiring to see. That's the epitome of a Soldier. We've had Soldiers such as Gen. [Frederick M.] Franks [Jr.] who've lost limbs and gone on to great careers. It's what's in your heart and what's in your head that matters."
In May 1970, Gen. Franks was wounded in action in Cambodia. His leg was amputated below the knee and, after rehabilitation, he remained on active duty. Franks went on to lead 146,000 U.S. and British forces during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His units rolled more than 250 kilometers in 89 hours to liberate Kuwait in February 1991.
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Crooks and Liars » FOXNews Sunday: George Bush Senior crys over badly treated prisoners!

Bush: “My favorite picture is a picture of American soldiers surrounding a guy whose been in a foxhole, Iraqi soldier, and the American guy says, we’re not going to harm you, we’re American soldiers.” (fights back tears)
Bush: “…See, that side of the war never got — the fact that we treated those people with respect in spite of the fact they were the enemy, it’s really good.

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U.S. solider in Iraq will win Super Bowl tickets - Scott Wong

U.S. solider in Iraq will win Super Bowl tickets
Scott WongThe Arizona RepublicNov. 3, 2007 12:00 AM
A lucky American soldier stationed in Iraq doesn't know it yet, but he or she will have a great view of the Super Bowl in Glendale on Feb. 3.Phoenix-based TriWest Healthcare Alliance, a Defense Department contractor that provides health care for military personnel and veterans, is donating two of its Super Bowl tickets to a soldier stationed at Camp Speicher in Tikrit. TriWest is working with the Pentagon on details of the trip. A drawing will be held in January.
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