Pentagon: 3 Months in Iraq Cost $14B

[D.COM]

Yes...
He was an African American Muslim. When asked why he did it, he said because he disagreed with the war (according to the news).

One thing I cannot believe they showed was the Al Jazeera gruesome pictures of U.S. soldiers that were killed in action and/or executed. CNN only showed one picture and I just cannot believe that has happened. I just continue to pray for our soldiers over there. These pictures, according to the Pentagon, say that they were probably not Iraqui soldiers who did that, but other Iraqui groups. Supposedly, the Iraqui soldiers WILL follow the Geneva Conventions....I hope so.

Without confirming that the film was of captured Americans, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld led the attack on Iraq for allowing the filming of captured soldiers. He said it would be "unfortunate" for international news organisations to show the images. Several US channels said they would not show the film.

Currently, there are about 5 U.S. soldiers held as POWs by the Iraquis, including one African American woman who was shown barefoot and the others are injured....not to mention that a U.S. army official confirmed there are 12 U.S. soldiers missing, which MAY be in those gruesome pictures that the Iraqui TV station showed. He also told reporters and news stations NOT to show those on TV and he showed great disapproval in the latest press conference on CNN.

[Gina1201]

From aol.com:

KUWAIT CITY (March 23) - A U.S. soldier was detained Sunday on suspicion of throwing grenades into three tents at a 101st Airborne command center in Kuwait, killing one fellow serviceman and wounding 15, at least three of them seriously.

The motive in the attack ''most likely was resentment,'' said Max Blumenfeld, a U.S. Army spokesman.

The soldier in custody was identified Sunday as Sgt. Asan Akbar of the 326th Engineer Battalion. Fort Campbell, Ky., spokesman George Heath said Akbar had not been charged with any crime. He did not release Akbar's hometown or say how long he had been in the service.

Heath said Akbar had been ''having what some might call an attitude problem.''

I'd have an attitude too if I was fighting in this war!!!

Fort Campbell is the home base for the storied 101st Airborne Division.

''Incidents of this nature are abnormalities throughout the Army, specifically in the 101st,'' Heath said. ''Death is a tragic incident regardless of how it comes, but when it comes from a fellow comrade, it does even more to hurt morale. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the soldier. We pray that incidents of this nature do not happen again in any military organization.''

In Washington, a spokesman for the Pentagon said only that the attack was under investigation.

Initially, the military suspected the attack was the work of terrorists using two grenades and small-arms fire, Heath said. Two Middle Eastern men who had been hired as contractors were detained and released.

An Interior Ministry official speaking on condition of anonymity said Sunday that Americans still were investigating all locally contracted workers in the camp, such as cleaners, drivers and volunteer translators. Two Kuwaiti translators also were questioned and released.

''When this all happened we tried to get accountability for everybody,'' Col. Frederick B. Hodges, commander of the division's 1st Brigade, told Britain's Sky News television. ''We noticed four hand grenades were missing and that this sergeant was unaccounted for.''

Akbar was found hiding in a bunker, Hodges said.

The attack happened in the command center of the 101st Division's 1st Brigade at Camp Pennsylvania at 1:30 a.m. (5:30 p.m. EST Saturday). The commander learned of the attack when a sergeant woke him up.

''I immediately smelled smoke,'' Hodges told Sky News. ''I heard a couple of explosions and then a popping sound which I think was probably a rifle being fired. It looks like some assailant threw a grenade into each of these three tents here.''

One grenade went off in the command tent, said Blumenfeld, the Army spokesman. The tent, the tactical operations center, runs 24 hours a day and would always be staffed by officers and senior enlisted personnel.

Ten of the injured had superficial wounds, including punctures to their arms and legs from grenade fragments, Heath said. Names of the wounded also were not released, and the Army did not say if any high-ranking officers were hurt.

The 101st Airborne is a rapid deployment group trained to go anywhere in the world within 36 hours. The roughly 22,000 members of the 101st were deployed Feb. 6. The last time the entire division was deployed was during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, which began after Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait.

Most recently, the 101st hunted suspected Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in the mountains of Afghanistan. Its exploits are followed in Kentucky with much pride.

Camp Pennsylvania is a rear base camp of the 101st, near the Iraqi border. Kuwait is the main launching point for the tens of thousands of ground forces - including parts of the 101st - who have entered Iraq.

News of the attack at the camp compounded the anxiety of relatives of the division's soldiers.

''I get a little worried but when I think I should be crying, I'm not,'' said Chelsey Payne of Clarksville, Tenn., whose husband, Sgt. Robert Payne, is with the division. ''I just don't get scared about my own husband, I just know that he's a good soldier and he's coming home. He promised me.''

AP-NY-03-23-03 1453EST

While I do not condone what he did, I do think that there's is more to his reasoning of WHY he did this. Saying that he had an "attitude problem" is not going to hold up.

[CrimsonTide4]

What do you think?

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4


What do you think?

Looks like something that would come out of www.badazzmofo.com, but I know it didn't come out of there. But it does seem that Condi is the brains and the steel, as it were, of the Gorgie Dubya Boosh admin.

[CrimsonTide4]

A combination picture from Iraqi television shows five unidentified prisoners who said they were Americans taken in a battle near the southern city of Nassiriya. Iraqi television showed the video on March 23, 2003 which also showed at least four bodies, said to be U.S. soldiers. (Iraqi TV/Reuters)

[1savvydiva]

Wouldn't that be a horrible way to find out that your loved one was in captivity? Dag...did they show these on the news? Did they say that these were the ones that were killed? I am shocked!!!

[D.COM]

The picture above are the ones the Iraquis have as POWs; they are not dead; they are alive.

The others were said to be killed in combat and/or executed. I heard there were 5 dead and not 4. The Pentagon said they looked like they were executed because of the bullet wounds to the head, etc. But they are not sure if it was Iraquis soldiers who did that or other Iraqui group.

The above POWs are said to be maintenance people. The first picture at the top left, he is 23 years old. The lady is 30 years old and has a bandaged ankle. I think the guy with blood on his face is the one who is the most injured with a wounded leg.

CNN only showed the 23 year old because his mother was already contacted (from the last time I saw the news two days ago.)

All are said to speak English with a slight accent...meaning they speak another language....[I'm just going with what the news said, but you know how the story doesn't add up sometimes.]

My info is from watching CNN, CNN News, Yahoo News, NBC, and ABC.
CNN and ABC are the best ones from what I've seen...they come up with new info pretty frequently and useful interviews to help you understand what's going on. They also correct incorrect info very quickly. Yahoo is sometimes off with the details, i guess because the info is corrected on TV after Yahoo already posted their news.

[snuggles12]

The Iraqis are not going to follow the Geneva Convention rules of war. The only rule in war is that there are no rules. It's fighting until someone gives up or is destroyed.

The Iraqis had a female and males POWs during the first Gulf War and torture was used on them (i.e., female POW was raped).

I pray that the POWs do live. I can only imagine the torture that the female POW is experiencing.

Wouldn't the dropping of nuclear bombs on Japan in the 1940's be in violation of the Geneva Convention rules of war?

Originally posted by D.COM
Yes...
He was an African American Muslim. When asked why he did it, he said because he disagreed with the war (according to the news).

One thing I cannot believe they showed was the Al Jazeera gruesome pictures of U.S. soldiers that were killed in action and/or executed. CNN only showed one picture and I just cannot believe that has happened. I just continue to pray for our soldiers over there. These pictures, according to the Pentagon, say that they were probably not Iraqui soldiers who did that, but other Iraqui groups. Supposedly, the Iraqui soldiers WILL follow the Geneva Conventions....I hope so.

Currently, there are about 5 U.S. soldiers held as POWs by the Iraquis, including one African American woman who was shown barefoot and the others are injured....not to mention that a U.S. army official confirmed there are 12 U.S. soldiers missing, which MAY be in those gruesome pictures that the Iraqui TV station showed. He also told reporters and news stations NOT to show those on TV and he showed great disapproval in the latest press conference on CNN.

[ZTAMiami]

Originally posted by D.COM

All are said to speak English with a slight accent...meaning they speak another language....[I'm just going with what the news said, but you know how the story doesn't add up sometimes.]

Of the POW's, the woman's (Shoshanna) parents are Panamanian. I don't know if she was born here or not. Her Mother was on Dateline and has an accent. 23 year old Joseph Hudson is half Phillipino. His mother saw the tape on a Phillipino channel she subscribes to. The one with the facial and leg injuries (forgot his name) is Hispanic.
God Bless them!

[D.COM]

Wouldn't the dropping of nuclear bombs on Japan in the 1940's be in violation of the Geneva Convention rules of war?

The first "Geneva Convention" was in 1860s, I think....but it wasn't called that at the time. It was the Red Cross that started this. The purpose of this treaty was to protect wounded soldiers and people who took care of them.

There were a couple of changes thorughout the times. In 1929 it included the humane treatment of prisoners of war.

For the most part, the "Geneva Convention" had mostly been talking about the soldiers and not civilians. WWII ended around 1945. It wasn't until after WWII (1949 or 1950 I think) that they revised the previous conventions and talked about the rights of civilians during war time.

So, I THINK that we were not in violation at the time.

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
Looks like something that would come out of www.badazzmofo.com, but I know it didn't come out of there. But it does seem that Condi is the brains and the steel, as it were, of the Gorgie Dubya Boosh admin.

This is too funny!

[DirectorDST99]

I have one question and perhaps my politically astute friends can help me out here:


1. What in the name of WHOMEVER does the United States have to do with the problems in IRAQ?


Ok two, three or four more questions:

2. Who are we to liberate? Is that our job and responsiblity? Is that somewhere in our constitution? Dang I must have missed this lesson in my Pol Sci classes.


I'm just trying to get a basic understanding. I do support our troops who are over there because my ex-hubby, my daughter's father is on his way in a few months.

[CrimsonTide4]

Rev. Jackson to Help Search for Newsday Journalists



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Mar 31, 2003 4:31 am US/Eastern
(1010 WINS) (NEW YORK) The Rev. Jesse Jackson has agreed to assist in the search for two Newsday journalists who disappeared from a Baghdad hotel last week.

Jackson said family members of correspondent Matthew McAllester, 33, and photographer Moises Saman, 29, asked him Sunday to help locate the two men and negotiate their release.

Saman and McAllester, Newsday's United Nations Bureau Chief, have been out of contact with editors since last Monday, when they e-mailed to say they would be filing material. Newsday reported Saturday that it believes the two have been detained by the Iraqi government.

Jackson said he told the families that he hopes to lead a delegation of religious leaders to Baghdad in hopes of securing the release of the two journalists, as well as U.S. prisoners of war and other people missing in Iraq.

"Both of them have called me. They are going public in their appeal for support, and we've met with some of the other families since that time, as well," Jackson told Newsday in Monday editions. "We surely want to do anything we can do."

Jane McAllester, Matthew's sister, said she reached out to Jackson because of his past success in places like Baghdad and Yugoslavia, where he helped win the release of captured U.S. citizens and prisoners of war, respectively.

Journalists expelled from Iraq have told Newsday that security officials came last Monday to the Baghdad hotel where McAllester and Saman were staying and questioned reporters. Some were taken from the hotel.

No one saw McAllester and Saman removed, but their room was empty when a friend went to check on them, Newsday has been told.

A freelance photographer from Louisville, Molly Bingham, is also unaccounted for.

[CrimsonTide4]

First U.S. Journalist Killed in Iraq War
1 hour, 45 minutes ago

By JONATHAN D. SALANT, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Michael Kelly, editor-at-large for The Atlantic Monthly and columnist, was killed while on assignment covering the war in Iraq (news - web sites). He is the first American journalist to die in the conflict.



Latest news:
· U.S. Unable to Shut Down Iraq TV Signal
AP - 11 minutes ago
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Reuters - 17 minutes ago
· US Central Command dismisses Saddam appearance as "bad performance"
AFP - 18 minutes ago
Special Coverage





Kelly, also a hard-hitting conservative columnist for The Washington Post and a former editor of The New Republic, died Thursday night while traveling with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division as it moved across Iraq, according to a statement issued by Atlantic Media.


The 46-year-old, who had also covered the first Persian Gulf war (news - web sites), was the first journalist to die among the 600 embedded with the U.S. armed forces. Three foreign journalists have been killed covering the war, two from the United Kingdom and one from Australia.


Neither the Defense Department nor Atlantic Media provided details about Kelly's death. However, The Washington Post, on its Web site, said Kelly was killed in a Humvee accident.


In his final column for The Post published Thursday, Kelly wrote about accompanying an Army task force as it captured a bridge across the Euphrates River.


"On the western side of the bridge, Lt. Col. Ernest "Rock" Marcone, commander of Task Force 3-69, stood in the sand by the side of the road, smoking a cigar and drinking a cup of coffee," Kelly wrote. "Marcone's soldiers say he deeply likes to win, and he seemed quietly happy.... We now hold the critical ground through which the rest of the division can pass and engage and destroy the Republican Guard," Marcone said."


Kelly was fired as editor of The New Republic, a weekly political journal, in 1997 by owner Martin Peretz, a friend and former teacher of then-Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites). Peretz objected to what he felt was the magazine's constant criticism of the Clinton administration, especially in Kelly's regular column.


Kelly became a columnist for the Post and continued to criticize Clinton. Around the same time, he was hired as the editor of National Journal, a weekly magazine that covers the federal government. When the Journal's owner, David Bradley, bought The Atlantic Monthly in 1999, he named Kelly editor of the venerable magazine.


Last September, Kelly stepped down from that post and took the title editor-at-large. He is also chief editorial adviser to the Journal.


Before taking the helm of The New Republic, Kelly was a reporter for The New York Times and a writer and editor at The New Yorker.


He covered the first Persian Gulf War as a stringer for The Boston Globe, GQ and The New Republic, as well as the Iraq-Kurdish conflict that followed it. He won a National Magazine Award and an Overseas Press Club award for his articles, and later wrote a book based on his reporting, "Martyr's Day: Chronicle of a Small War."


A native of Washington, D.C., Kelly was the son of two journalists — Thomas Kelly, a former reporter, and Marguerite Kelly, who writes the syndicated column, "Family Almanac." Kelly is survived by his wife, Madelyn, and two sons, Tom, 6, and Jack, 3.

[Honeykiss1974]

Someone has this button on Ebay for sale.

[IMG][/IMG]

So who's buying me one?