Fallujah: Thie Hidden Massacre

Is US media getting a bit better now?
I think so reading this. From NY Times Editorial:

November 29, 2005
New York Times Editorial

Shake and Bake

Let us pause and count the ways the conduct of the war in Iraq has damaged America's image and needlessly endangered the lives of those in the military. First, multilateralism was tossed aside. Then the post-invasion fiasco muddied the reputation of military planners and caused unnecessary casualties. The W.M.D. myth undermined the credibility of United States intelligence and President Bush himself, and the abuse of prisoners stole America's moral high ground.

Now the use of a ghastly weapon called white phosphorus has raised questions about how careful the military has been in avoiding civilian casualties. It has also further tarnished America's credibility on international treaties and the rules of warfare.

White phosphorus, which dates to World War II, should have been banned generations ago. Packed into an artillery shell, it explodes over a battlefield in a white glare that can illuminate an enemy's positions. It also rains balls of flaming chemicals, which cling to anything they touch and burn until their oxygen supply is cut off. They can burn for hours inside a human body.

The United States restricted the use of incendiaries like white phosphorus after Vietnam, and in 1983, an international convention banned its use against civilians. In fact, one of the many crimes ascribed to Saddam Hussein was dropping white phosphorus on Kurdish rebels and civilians in 1991.

But white phosphorus has made an ugly comeback. Italian television reported that American forces used it in Falluja last year against insurgents. At first, the Pentagon said the chemical had been used only to illuminate the battlefield, but had to backpedal when it turned out that one of the Army's own publications talked about using white phosphorus against insurgent positions, a practice well known enough to have one of those unsettling military nicknames: "shake and bake."

The Pentagon says white phosphorus was never aimed at civilians, but there are lingering reports of civilian victims. The military can't say whether the reports are true and does not intend to investigate them, a decision we find difficult to comprehend. Pentagon spokesmen say the Army took "extraordinary measures" to reduce civilian casualties, but they cannot say what those measures were.

They also say that using white phosphorus against military targets is legal. That's true, but the 1983 convention bans its use against "civilians or civilian objects," which would make white phosphorus attacks in urban settings like Falluja highly inappropriate at best. The United States signed that convention, but the portion dealing with incendiary weapons has been awaiting ratification in the Senate.

These are technicalities, in any case. Iraq, where winning over wary civilians is as critical as defeating armed insurgents, is no place to be using a weapon like this. More broadly, American demands for counterproliferation efforts and international arms control ring a bit hollow when the United States refuses to give up white phosphorus, not to mention cluster bombs and land mines.

The United States should be leading the world, not dragging its feet, when it comes to this sort of issue - because it's right and because all of us, including Americans, are safer in a world in which certain forms of conduct are regarded as too inhumane even for war. That is why torture should be banned in American prisons. And it is why the United States should stop using white phosphorus.
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For those who has not seen the Italian TV documentary:

Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre
http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm
http://www.rainews24.rai.it/ran24/inchiesta/video.asp

Cheney should resign! from Gordon Kobayashi

I just got the following letter from Gordon Kobayashi. I met Gordon through the Kucinich for President Campaign. I think this letter tells us precisely what's been wrong with USA and White House now. Please join the campaign!
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I just sent a personal message to all my representatives in Congress, I hope you will join me!

http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/73

Tell Congress to Demand Dick Cheney's Resignation

Dick Cheney is personally to blame for the illegal and disastrous invasion of Iraq. Behind the scenes, Cheney was in charge of the war planning effort. In public, Cheney uttered the Administration's most egregious and bald-faced lies - especially about Iraq's non-existent nuclear program. When his nuclear lies were exposed by Ambassador Joe Wilson, Cheney personally participated in the criminal campaign to destroy Joe Wilson by outing his wife. Cheney refuses to take any responsibility for the war or for his crimes, and his former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, committed perjury and obstruction of justice to keep Cheney fro m being indicted. The United States cannot tolerate a criminal hiding from Justice in the White House. Congress must demand Cheney's immediate resignation.

Thank you

42 years since JFK was assassinated!!

Today, Nov 22, marks 42nd anniversary of John F Kennedy's death. LoveEarth link sent me this and I was again shocked to see the film of how he was killed. It could not have been done by a single person, which still is the official story. It had to be at least three men to shoot him like that. Check it out for yourself.

www.john-f-kennedy.net/abrahamzapruderfilm.htm

The US is a country where someone can kill the most popular president and still can get away with it.

Who really killed the president?
Who really did the 911?

The press is not giving us the real answers!

This site is very helpful and eye opening for many, especially for most of Americans.
Please tell many people to look at the site.

Each one of us MUST become the media when the mass media does not work as it should! The future of the world is at stake, for our children and their children!

♪ Another Hibakusha (radiation victim): Dennis Kyne ♪ - 8 min 53 sec - 2.1MB

Gen is now in San Francisco and just met Dennis Kyne. He is another veteran from the first Gulf War and is suffering from the effects of Depleted Uranium (DU). Dennis was in the US Army for the Desert Storm operation in 1991. He became ill without knowing what the cause was.

http://www.denniskyne.com/

After he met Leuren Moret, an independent scientist who works on
radiation and public health issues with communities around the world, he started learning about DU, especially low level radiation and its affects on human beings.

He now is a great activist, advocating for the medical treatment of all the soldiers suffering from DU by the US government. He is constantly threatened and harrassed, etc, but he will not stop until he gets a positive result for all the people suffering from this deadly banned weapon.

We must stop the use of these illegal DU weapons. For that, working along with soldiers like Dennis and Gerald Matthew is very a important thing.

http://supportthetruth.blogspot.com/

Dennis Kyne with Cindy Sheehan in Crawford Texas. You can see in his hands a copy of the DVD Beyond Treason as Dennis passes it along to Cindy. This award winning documentary has been entered in many film festivals. Dennis is featured in this film which was previewed at Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas. Learn more about the documentary at www.beyondtreason.com

♪ DU and Gerald, Janis and Victoria Matthew! ♪ - 12 min 33 sec - 2.9MB

Today I had an opportunity to meet with Gerald and Janis Matthew and interpreted for them. They are visiting Japan from the US to inform the Japanese public and military of what has happened to him and their daughter after he went to Iraq as a US soldier. He was a driver for US Army carrying destroyed equipment and trucks, mostly of Iraqi origin, that was being moved from southern Iraq to Kuwait.

After he was discharged from the military, his wife got pregnant and their daughter was born missing three fingers on her right hand. He didn’t supect anything till doctor asked him if he was ever exposed to any chemical or radioactive materials. At that time, he had no idea if he had been or not.

However, not long after that he found out about DU (depleted uranium) and from that time on his wife started speaking out! Following her courageous lead, Gerald decided to reveal truth to help save not only his daughter but also all the other children affected by the radiation resulting from DU. He now advocates the total elimination of DU type weapons.

I was very moved by their story, especially when they talked about Victoria who is now 17 months old. It was amazing to see her come to her dad and hold his leg tight whenever he got upset or angry about the situation (especially when people asked questions about her missing fingers or when they stared at her hand out of curiosity). He now has started controlling his anger even though his symptoms are getting worse: his has migraines, swelling of his face and body, burning sensations, numbness, blurred vision, coughing, and more...

Gerard & Janise Matthew at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan on Nov.7 2005 (Photo by Yumi Kikuchi)

He is a fighter, and so is his daughter Victoria, Janise says. She wants her to grow up strong and to overcome the disability she has been born with. Please listen to what they have to say if you can!

They will be speaking at Meiji Gakuin University from 6:45pm to 8:45, on Monday, Nov.7. in Shirogane, Tokyo. Hope you do not miss this opportunity to meet and listen to them.

Late Breaking News!

Nov. 8th, 2005 - The English edition of the Daily Yomiyuri published this article about the Matthew family.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/20051108TDY04005.htm

Nov. 22nd, 2005 - The Japan Times published the following story:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/makeprfy.pl5?fl20051120x1.htm