Military Resistance:

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1.26.13

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Military Resistance 11A22

Thanks to SSG N (retd) & Phil G, who sent this in. SSG N (retd) writes Deja Vu all over again.]

Over 1,000 Afghan Army Soldiers Killed In Six Months: Steps Should Be Taken To Reduce Corruption In A Bid To Encourage Afghan Security Forces Not To Flee

An Increase In Afghan Troops Escaping From Their Duties As Compared To Last Year The Militants Are In A Better Position
January 25 2013 By Sayed Jawad, Khaama Press [Excerpts] According to reports at least 1,100 Afghan national army soldiers have been killed during the last six months. Philip Hammond said the statistics shows an increase in Afghan army casualties and Afghan troops escaping from their duties as compared to last year. Gen. Richard Barrons said roadside improvised explosive device (IED) attacks are the main motive behind increasing casualties of the Afghan security forces. Afghan government officials last year also confirmed that over 80% of the Afghan security forces casualties are due to roadside improvised explosive device explosions. In the meantime the British Gen. Richard Barrons said lack of proper logistics and health care program are also main reasons behind growing Afghan security forces casualties. He also said Afghan security forces fleeing from their duties also increased by 3.1% in October last year. Gen. Richard Barrons insisted that Afghan security forces should have proper leadership, better wage roll and food, and also further steps should be taken to reduce corruption in a bid to encourage Afghan security forces not to flee from their duties. Also British defense minister Philip Hammond pointed towards the recent attacks by militants in capital Kabul and warned that the militants are in a better position.

AFGHANISTAN WAR REPORTS

Michigan Sgt. Dies Of Afghan Wounds

January 23, 2013 U.S. Department of Defense News Release No. 036-13

Sgt. Mark H. Schoonhoven, 38, of Plainwell, Mich., died Jan. 20, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device on Dec. 15, 2012 in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 32nd Transportation Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Hampton Soldier Killed In Afghanistan

Defense Department January 19, 2013 By Hugh Lessig, Daily Press Sgt. David J. Chambers of Hampton returned from his first combat tour in Afghanistan with injuries to his ear and shoulder. That didnt stop him from going back a second time. "He felt like the Army was his family," said his mother, Julie Mason Chambers. When he left for Afghanistan again in November, he told her, "Im leaving one family to go to another." Chambers, 25, was killed Wednesday he came across an improvised explosive device during a foot patrol in the Panjwai district, Kandahar province. The district is considered a Taliban stronghold. The 2005 Kecoughtan High School graduate was based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Chambers had tried college after high school, but it really didnt suit him, his mother said. He entered the Army in May 2009 and thats where he "found his way," she said.

After completing basic and advanced training at Fort Benning, Ga., he served in Afghanistan from June 2010 to May 2011 with the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. At the time, he was based in Germany. In October 2011, he arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. There, he continued to work hard and train. "He made sergeant," his mother said. "Dave felt a responsibility he had men under him now, and he had to keep them alive." A stellar high school student, he was a happy-go-lucky guy who liked bowling and spending time on the computer. But he was serious about warfighting, and his mother knew he had seen some horrific things. "He never tried to worry us," she said. "And the military trained him very hard and very good." His awards and decorations include a Purple Heart from wounds received during his first deployment, plus the Army Achievement Medal with 3rd oak leaf cluster; Meritorious Unit Commendation; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 campaign star; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO medal; Combat Infantryman Badge; and Drivers Badge. In his brief military career, his education included two years of college credit and completion of the Warrior Leader Course. "I just want people to know he was a good soldier," his mother said.

Decorated Army Sergeant From Chester Killed In Afghanistan

January 12, 2013 BY BRANDON SHULLEETA, Richmond Times-Dispatch A decorated 28-year-old Army sergeant from Chester died in Afghanistan on Thursday when his unit was attacked, an Army spokesman said. Sgt. Aaron X. Wittman was patrolling by vehicle when he was shot and killed by smallarms fire, said Kevin M. Larson of the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. Wittman, a graduate of The Citadel, was in his second deployment in Afghanistan and had previously been awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals, Larson said Friday. Wittman died in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team and 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart. His brother, Nick Wittman, 31, of Quantico, said Aaron Wittman was a guy who got along with everybody. He just lived every minute of his life. He loved fishing. He loved crabbing, Nick Wittman said, adding that the sergeant was very outgoing and had many friends. His brother said Aaron Wittman was passionate about his military service and adamant that the soldiers he oversaw received top-notch training and preparation. Im proud of him, and Im proud of his service, Nick Wittman said. Larson said he was unable to provide specifics about the combat encounter.

3 Georgian Soldiers Wounded In Afghanistan

25 January 2013 by N. Kirtskhalia, Trend Three Georgian soldiers wounded in Afghanistan. As the Ministry of Defense of Georgia told Trend, Corporal Erekle Kharshiladze and Sergeant Iago Kakulia were injured in Taliban attack on Georgian patrol. The two soldiers were slightly injured and their condition is stable. Both were taken to hospital in Landstuhl in Germany. Private Guram Chomakhidze blown up on a mine while on patrol. He was seriously injured and taken to Bastion hospital. His condition is stable at this time. After stabilization of the health Chomakhidze will also be sent to Germany for treatment. Georgian contingent in Afghanistan has 1600 people. The main part of Georgian troops are in Helmand province.

During the mission, Georgia has lost 20 people killed and more than 90 injured.

POLITICIANS REFUSE TO HALT THE BLOODSHED THE TROOPS HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THE WAR

Resistance Action:
Local Counter-Terrorism Chief And 9 Police Killed In Kunduz

[Graphic: flickr.com/photos]

25 January, 2013 PakTribune & January 26, 2013 Associated Press & By RFE/RLs Radio Free Afghanistan Kunduz: Ten police officers, including the local counter-terrorism chief, were killed in a bombing in northern Afghanistan on Saturday. Shortly after 5 p.m. (1230 GMT) a man driving a motorbike detonated a large bomb at a busy roundabout in the north city of Kunduz near a group of police officers, provincial police chief spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini said. Five other police officers were wounded in the bombing. ***************************************************

The Explosive Device Was Planted Near A Police Ring Of Steel

January 24 2013 By Mirwais Adeel, Khaama Press A relatively heavy explosion rocked northern Balkh province of Afghanistan on Thursday evening. The incident took place in central Mazar-e-Sharif city at Darwaza-e-Jamhuri area near the city shrine, provincial security commandment and central bank.

Provincial security chief spokesman Sher Jan Durani said the explosive device was planted near a police ring of steel by the militants and went off while an Afghan police officer got closer to the stall. Mr. Durani further added that the police officer became suspicious of the explosive device and the blast took place after the device was thrown away by the officer. He said the police officer was injured following the blast and has been taken to the hospital for treatment. In the meantime local residents said the area was shaked by a relatively heavy explosion which was followed by gun fire however police sources said that the firing took place to control the situation in the area. *************************************************** Officials in the eastern Afghan province of Ghazni say a policeman was killed in an attack. Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the deputy provincial governor, told RFE/RL that the bomber detonated his explosive vest on January 26 near a police post in the Qale Sabaz area, killing one police officer. *************************************************** HERAT: Two border police personnel were killed and two women sustained injuries in a roadside bombing in Nimroz province on Thursday. An IED ripped through a border police vehicle in Zaranj City, capital of Nimroz, the provincial deputy police chief Abdul Rahim Chaghansori told AIP. Two borders policemen were killed while two women passing nearby were injured in the blast, he added.

IF YOU DONT LIKE THE RESISTANCE END THE OCCUPATION

Afghan And Foreign Combined Force Raided House

Wife Of Muhammad Naeem Was Gunned Down

Two Children Of Mullah Muhammad Naeem Were Also Injured
The Combined Force Did Not Find Any Armed Opponents
25 January, 2013 PakTribune KABUL: A woman was killed and two minors were injured when the Afghan and foreign combined force raided house of a local council chairman in Tagab district of Kapisa province in the wee hours of Thursday. Following tip-offs that some armed opponents were hiding in the house of Tagab district local council chairman, Mullah Muhammad Naeem, the Afghan and foreign combined force raided his house in Anarjo village near the district headquarters, the Tagab governor Abdul Qudoos Safi told the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP). Wife of Muhammad Naeem was gunned down when she resisted search of the house, he added. The combined force did not find any armed opponents during search of the area, Safi maintained. Meanwhile, an area resident told the AIP that the combined force shot dead the woman when she tried to get her husband released from the combined force. He said the combined force wanted to arrest Mullah Muhammad Naeem but set him free after killing his wife. The troops arrested and took away a neighbour of Mullah Muhammad Naeem, he maintained. Another area resident told the AIP that two children of Mullah Muhammad Naeem were also injured in the raid. Such kind of attacks by combined forces have increased recently, causing casualties to Taliban and civilians. The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the AIP that their fighters were not in the house, and that those who suffered casualties in the attack were civilians.

The U.S. Military Has Blacklisted Afghanistans Largest Private Airline, Alleging It Is Smuggling Bulk Quantities Of Opium On Civilian Flights To Tajikistan
The U.S. Action Underlines How Deeply The Drug Trade Is Entrenched In Afghanistan

January 25, 2013 by MARIA ABI-HABIB, Wall Street Journal [Excerpts] KABULThe U.S. military has blacklisted Afghanistans largest private airline, alleging it is smuggling "bulk" quantities of opium on civilian flights to Tajikistan, a corridor through which the drugs reach the rest of the world. Kam Air was barred this month from receiving U.S. military contracts by U.S. Central Command chief Marine Gen. James Mattis, according to U.S. military officials. "I totally deny the allegations," the airlines president and founder, Zamari Kamgar, said after being told of the U.S. decision. It would be impossible to fly drugs out of the country as the airline is subject to thorough security checks at Afghan airports, he said, adding that the allegations were likely a conspiracy perpetrated by his competitors.

The move underscores growing concerns among Western officials that the drug trade in Afghanistan is not only resurgent, but is also taking an increasingly open role in the countrys economy. In the past month, Kam Air has engaged in talks to merge with Afghanistans state-owned flag carrier, Ariana Afghan Airlines, both sides have said. The deal could see the Afghan carrier absorb Ram Airs debts, say people familiar with it. Mr. Kamgar said he expects the Kam Air-Ariana deal to go through and that his management team would take over the combined entity, which he said would plan to open direct routes to U.S. and European airports. A spokesman for Afghanistans Transportation Ministry, which runs Ariana, said he was "not aware of the smuggling of drugs by Kam Air" and wasnt aware of the U.S. investigation. The U.S. action underlines how deeply the drug trade is entrenched in Afghanistan, which the United Nations has said provides more than 90% of the worlds illicit opiates. While the U.S. and allies from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have fiercely engaged the Taliban over the past 11 years, the coalition has failed to cut away at the opium trade that helps finance the insurgency. Opium cultivation spread in recent years to provinces once considered "poppy free." While blight and poor weather in recent years have cut into Afghanistans opium and heroin exports, poppy cultivation rose 18% in 2012 from the previous year, according to the U.N.s Office on Drugs and Crime. "Export earnings from Afghan opiates may be worth $2.4 billionequivalent to 15%" of gross domestic product, the UNODC said in a report last year. "The corruption, crime and impunity the narcotic problem causes on the society, governance and more specifically, families and individuals, is not only devastating for Afghanistan but equally to many of the surrounding countries," said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, the Afghanistan representative of the UNODC. The latest move follows two separate U.S. investigations, reported last year by The Wall Street Journal, into allegations that the U.S.-funded Afghan Air Force was smuggling drugs and weapons around the country. Kabul denied those allegations. The investigations, led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the military coalition, have stalled because of lack of cooperation from Afghan authorities, according to U.S. officials. Kam Air operates a fleet of some 16 planes, including Boeing 767 and 747 aircraft and Antonov cargo planes. The task force believes that domestic passenger routes have been used to ferry opium around the country, according to a U.S. official in Kabul. But the investigation is focused on Central Asia, the official said. "Kam Air is flying out bulk quantities of opium," the official said.

Kam Air flies cargo to many destinations. But its only scheduled Central Asian passenger route is between Kabul and Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The poorest former Soviet republic, Tajikistan suffers from political instability and porous borders. High-level government protection for drug smugglers has made the country a trafficking route for Afghan opium to reach the world, Western law-enforcement officials have said. Kam Airs Mr. Kamgar said the company has provided logistic services to the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan but said he couldnt immediately characterize the scope of the business. The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan currently has no contracts with the airline, though it has been on its list of authorized cargo carriers, an official said.

MILITARY NEWS

Chaos, Stupidity And Empires Falling Out Plague French Military In Mali:
French Government Complains Obama Regime First Promised And Then Refused Badly Needed Assistance:
Its Not Worth The Trouble To Bring In Planes Full Of Troops If They Dont Have Food, Water, Mosquito Nets, All That, Said Another French Major

The French Dispatched A Delegation To Bamako With Cash To Buy 300 Mattresses
Another senior U.S. official defended Washingtons level of support for the French, calling it a "tough love" approach. The message to France and other European allies, this official said, was that Washington wont foot the bill as global policeman at a time when European powers are cutting defense investments. January 23, 2013 By ADAM ENTOUS and JULIAN E. BARNES in Washington and DREW HINSHAW in Bamako, Mali, Wall Street Journal [Excerpts] Frances attack on Islamic extremists in Mali this month is exposing major strains in the Western worlds security strategy. As the French assault gained steam in West Africa, France sought help from its allies only to find that the U.S. and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization states either werent ready or couldnt offer much. Canada and the U.K. quickly ponied up three cargo planes, two of which broke down en route.

The Biggest Breakdown, However, Played Out Between The U.S. And France
By far the biggest breakdown, however, played out between the U.S. and France, as Washington sent what Paris saw as mixed messages about U.S. levels of commitment to taking on an al Qaeda affiliate in Mali before and after the French attack began. French officials involved in planning the Mali campaign say they had expected quick, robust U.S. military support based on comments by Pentagon officials in a series of private meetings, including one last October in Paris about how to tame violence in North and West Africa. According to French officials in attendance, the message that day from Michael Sheehan, the Pentagons point man for special operations, seemed clear: Stop the group known as AQIMal Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreband its allies from creating a desert safe haven. NATO officials at the meetings also say U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panettas message to France and other allies on the sidelines of a NATO summit last fall was that the Pentagon would do "whatever it takes" to help with an intervention in Mali against AQIM.

Senior U.S. defense officials dispute those accounts, saying Washingtons messages to France may have been "lost in translation." During the meetings, the U.S. officials said, neither Mr. Panetta nor Mr. Sheehan directly urged France to use force and didnt promise specific support. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said the White House wants to speed the transition from the current French campaign to one led by African forces, "so that its sustainable over the long term." Another senior U.S. official defended Washingtons level of support for the French, calling it a "tough love" approach. The message to France and other European allies, this official said, was that Washington wont foot the bill as global policeman at a time when European powers are cutting defense investments. Moreover, U.S. defense officials said France shouldnt be surprised by the American response given the unilateral nature of the operation they launched. "We werent consulted. We were informed when they went in. This isnt a combined operation," the senior U.S. defense official said. French officials say they consulted their American counterparts. One senior French official sized up the feeling in Paris after the White House balked at Pariss request for air tankers to refuel French fighters over Mali. "We are doing the job without you," the official said. The White House did agree, however, to provide several cargo planes for a few weeks. It initially asked France to reimburse the costs, though the U.S. later backed down on that. The White House is still considering providing air tankers for refueling, officials say, as well as more advanced surveillance aircraft that could aid French targeting.

The War-Weary U.S. Is Reluctant To Intervene, While Other Countries, Particularly In Debt-Ridden Europe, Are Less Able To Do So
The war-weary U.S. is reluctant to intervene, while other countries, particularly in debt-ridden Europe, are less able to do so. The tension is a dramatic example of a growing trans-Atlantic disconnect. On the one hand, the U.S. complains about European allies unwillingness to spend on defense, citing Libya in 2011 when, lacking adequate ammunition supplies, drones and tankers, they turned to Washington.

Meanwhile, some allies complain that U.S. policy in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere is driven by American interests and priorities. France launched its Mali offensive on Jan. 11. Within a week, Paris flew about 2,000 soldiers to its former colony with a mission: reclaim two tiny farming towns that al Qaeda and its allies in Mali had swarmed days earlier. By the 10th day, Paris had expanded that mission to include land assaults on towns nestled in the prickly desert occupied by Islamist gunmen. Logistical problems arose quickly. France made urgent requests for cargo planes, air refueling tankers and a surge of sophisticated American surveillance aircraft to monitor rebel communications and movements. As the U.S. deliberated over how to respond, Britain offered the temporary use of two C17 cargo planes. One of the planes experienced mechanical problems and was grounded in France, British officials said. The Canadian Royal Air Force contributed one of its C-17s, for an initial period of one week, but it suffered a "generator issue" and was also grounded, according to a spokesman for Canadas Minister of National Defence. Officials say the U.K. and Canada quickly found other planes to replace the ones that broke down. Denmark and Belgium are also providing help with transport, French officials say.

The French Also Shipped Bottled Water To Mali Before Soldiers Finally Found A Vendor In Bamako
On Jan. 14, the missions fourth day, a French detachment arrived in Bamako, Malis capital, without mosquito nets and spent four nights battling the swarming pests. Cargo space is limited, French officials said, and some things were overlooked initially because of the rushed nature of the operation. The French also shipped bottled water to Mali before soldiers finally found a vendor in Bamako. Skeptical of the need for a big U.S. role, the White House so far has authorized the Air Force to ferry a mechanized infantry battalion of about 800 French troops to Bamako. The U.S. hasnt responded to the request for air refueling tankers needed by the French air force to keep up the pace of attack sorties in support of ground troops. A senior U.S. official also said the French should have known that "when you start using military force, those are presidential decisions, not DOD decisions," referring to the Department of Defense. Obama administration officials who question the need for more U.S. involvement in Mali say France has unique advantages operating there. Mali is a former French colony, and France has extensive intelligence networks there as well as longstanding military-to-military relations.

The French perception of mixed U.S. messages was compounded by what they view as other perceived slights. For instance, the White House nixed plans for a day trip by Mr. Panetta to Paris this past Sunday, NATO officials said, as part of a tour of other European capitals. Officials worried the visit might raise expectations about Washingtons level of military support in Mali at a time the White House is trying to extricate the U.S. from the war in Afghanistan, NATO officials said. French options for help from European allies or NATO are limited because of budget woes across the continent. "The allies will do their best, but they are keeping support minimal at the moment because of the many questions of how long the mission will be and how deep it goes. It is a very complex crisis," said Heather Conley, the Europe Program Director for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. NATO is giving only limited help because of the "political, psychological trauma of Afghanistan," she added. "There is reluctance to go into a conflict without a clear exit strategy." French military capabilities, however, are uneven. The country has developed advanced fighter planes. But its air refueling tankers are old and, in some cases, in disrepair, hence the request for U.S. help. Washingtons reluctance has prompted the French to appeal to other allies, including the Canadians, this time for air tankers, NATO officials said. In the 2011 NATO air campaign against Libya that ousted Moammar Gadhafi from power, the mission relied heavily on the U.S. for refueling planes and armed drones. That effort was supported by European countries including France. But Libya was a relatively easy lift, compared with Mali. The front line was basically Europes backyard a short flight across the Mediterranean from bases in Italy, Germany and Spain.

Togo Dispatched 145 Troops. They Needed To Borrow The Presidents Jet, Which Seats Only 45. "Theyre 145 Here, But They Dont Have A Vehicle"
Getting to Mali is trickier. The vast nation is landlocked, its capital days of travel time from the nearest port. Reaching Timbuktu is famously difficult: the desert heart of al Qaedas insurgency is protected by hundreds of miles of rocks and dunes in every direction. It took a recent convoy of French forces three days to get to Bamako from the closest major port in the Ivory Coast. Alternatives under review include Malis railroad, which France already built oncein 1924and today would need to rebuild.

There is also the twisted, muddy Niger River, which the French floated down to conquer Mali in the first place, fighting on foot and on horseback, 130 years ago. The logistical bottlenecks are mounting as African armies prepare to deploy up to 5,000 troops under a United Nations mandate to reinforce the French. Last week, the tiny country of Togo dispatched 145 troops. It took two days and four separate flights for the troops to arrive, because they needed to borrow the presidents jet, which seats only 45. "Theyre 145 here, but they dont have a vehicle," said a French major in Mali, who identified himself only by his first name, Eric, per French army protocol.

"Its Not Worth The Trouble To Bring In Planes Full Of Troops If They Dont Have Food, Water, Mosquito Nets, All That"
On the back lot of Bamakos airport, France is struggling to build a war machine capable of liberating a country twice its area. "Its not worth the trouble to bring in planes full of troops if they dont have food, water, mosquito nets, all that," said another French major, who identified himself by his first name, Renaud. One recent Thursday in Bamako, 400 French soldiers walked off a plane, but a French major who identified himself as Didier said there were only 100 open beds. So the French dispatched a delegation to Bamako with cash to buy 300 mattresses.

Troops Invited:
Comments, arguments, articles, and letters from service men and women, and veterans, are especially welcome. Write to Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657 or email contact@militaryproject.org: Name, I.D., withheld unless you request publication. Same address to unsubscribe.

ANNIVERSARIES

January 26, 1784:

Prophetic Anniversary:

Ben Franklin Says The Imperial Eagle Is A Thieving Piece Of Shit

Carl Bunin Peace History January 21-27 Benjamin Franklin, noting the bald eagle was a bird of bad moral character who lived by sharping and robbing, expressed regret it had been selected to be the U.S. national symbol. In fact, Franklin was critical of the bald eagle for its habit of scavenging for food and stealing from other birds. You may have seen him perched on some dead tree, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fishing-hawk, and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to its nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him, Franklin said.

January 27, 1969: A Strike For Liberation

Carl Bunin Peace History January 21-27 In Detroit, African-American auto workers, known as the Eldon Avenue Axle Plant Revolutionary Union Movement, led a wildcat strike against racism and poor working conditions at Chrysler. Since the 1967 Detroit riots, African American workers had organized groups in several Detroit auto plants criticizing both the auto companies and the UAW leadership. These groups combined Black-Power nationalism and workplace militancy, and temporarily shut down more than a dozen inner-city plants. The most well-known of these groups was the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement, or DRUM. They criticized both the seniority system and grievance procedures as racist. Veterans of this movement went on to lead many of the same local unions.

January 27, 1847: Citizens Defeat Slavehunters

Carl Bunin Peace History January 21-27 Since 1832, Michigan had had an active antislavery society. Quakers in Cass County, Laura Haviland in Adrian and former slave Sojourner Truth in Battle Creek were only a few of the many Michiganians who worked on the Underground Railroadan informal network that assisted escaping slaves. Southern concern over the Underground Railroad will lead Congress to pass a more stringent Fugitive Slave Law in 1850. In 1854 opposition to the extension of slavery prompted Michiganians to meet in nearby Jackson to organize the Republican Party. Several hundred citizens of Marshall, Michigan, helped former slaves escape to Canada rather than be returned to their owner by bounty hunters. Adam Crosswhite and his family, escaped Kentucky slaves, were tracked to the abolitionist town of Marshall by Francis Troutman and others. Both black and white residents detained the bounty hunters and threatened them with tar and feathers. While Troutman was being charged with assault and fined $100, the Crosswhites fled to Canada. Back in Kentucky, the slavemaster stirred up intense excitement about abolitionist mobs in Michigan.

GOT A COMMENT?
Comments, arguments, articles, and letters from service men and women, and veterans, are especially welcome. Write to Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657 or email contact@militaryproject.org: Name, I.D., withheld unless you request publication. Same address to unsubscribe.

OCCUPATION PALESTINE

Fifteen Year Old Saleh Elamareen Shot In The Head By An Israeli Soldier In Aida Refugee Camp

January 23, 2013 International Solidarity Movement Bethlehem, Occupied Palestine On Friday January 18th at approximately 3.20 pm, fifteen year old Saleh Elamareen was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier in Aida refugee camp, Bethlehem. Today Wednesday 23 January he was pronounced dead. Salah Elamareen was outside the Lajee Refugee Centre when he was shot through the left forehead. The Centre lies some distance from the wall itself. At the time of the shooting eyewitnesses have said that protests were not happening, and that the people of Aida were simply watching the soldiers from afar. This is supported by video documentation of the incident, which shows a group of youth carrying Elamareen after he was shot. Two of the doctors who treated Elamareen did not rule out previous rumours that he was shot with a dumdum bullet, due to the fragmentation of the bullet within his head. Another doctor has claimed it was definitely a dumdum bullet in his opinion.

Dumdum bullets expand after impact and are designed to cause maximum damage and pain. Due to the brutality of these bullets they are illegal under international law. Article 8 at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute in Kampala made the use of expanding bullets in non-international armed conflict a war crime. The Hague Convention also prohibits there use in international warfare. If the doctors are correct and a dumdum bullet was in-fact used, this would be another serious violation of international laws and standards by Israel. The head of the department under which he was treated at the government hospital said he was hit with the bullet in the left frontal section of the head, around the eye, causing large intracranial hemorrhaging. A number of doctors who looked at the patient concluded that the bullet exploded in the brain. The CT scan shows the shrapnel inside his skull. The entry wound shows significant impact to the skull, and there is no exit wound.

A Young Palestinian Woman Was Shot And Killed Today By Israeli Occupation Forces Riding In A Civilian Car

Women and children watch the funeral of Lubna Hanash in Bethlehem, Jan. 23. (Reuters/Ammar Awad) 01/23/2013 by Ali Abunimah, electronicIntifada.net [Excerpts] Lubna Hanash, a young Palestinian woman, was shot and killed today by Israeli occupation forces riding in a civilian car near Arroub refugee camp which is on the road between Bethlehem and Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank. Hanash was a fourth-year political science student at Al-Quds University, according to Al-Quds newspaper, and had been visiting her sister in Arroub camp. Reuters reported:

Witnesses said Lubna Hanash and her companions were walking to al-Arroub College when men in Israeli military uniforms travelling in a civilian car shot at the group. Maan news agency, which gave Hanashs age as 22, said: Witnesses told Maan that Israeli soldiers traveling in a civilian car opened fire at a group of people at the entrance to al-Arrub refugee camp south of Bethlehem. Lubna Munir Hanash, 22, was shot in the head and died from her injuries, medics said. Suad Yusuf Jaara was shot in the hand and transported to Ahli hospital in Hebron. Witnesses told Maan that after the shooting Israeli soldiers prevented an ambulance from arriving at the scene for around 10 minutes. Locals said there were no clashes in the area at the time. However, local sources reported that clashes broke out between Israeli occupation forces and youths near Arroub refugee camp following the passage of Lubnas body. Israeli occupation forces claimed according to Maan that soldiers were attacked by Palestinians who hurled multiple firebombs at them while they were traveling near al-Arrub. Soldiers returned fire and the circumstances of the incident are currently being reviewed. However such Israeli claims are routinely made to justify arbitrary killings of Palestinians and almost never result in credible investigations. In December, Muhammad al-Salaymeh, a Hebron teen, was shot dead on his 17th birthday in unexplained circumstances. Claims by the Israeli soldier who shot him that Muhammad had brandished a weapon and taken another soldier hostage, were proven false by video of the incident. Earlier on Wednesday, a Palestinian child, 15-year-old Salih al-Amarin, died of gunshot wounds inflicted by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem last week. Maan added that last Tuesday, 17-year-old Samir Ahmad Abdul-Rahim was the fourth Palestinian shot dead by Israeli forces in less than a week.

MORE:

Witness Reports Israeli Soldier Killed Lubna Munir Hanash In Cold Blood

She And Her Late Friend Were The Only Ones In The Area, Walking Around And Enjoying The Scenery

Suad Jaara was shot in the hand by an Israeli soldier who killed her friend Lubna alHanash near Hebron on Jan. 23. (MaanImages) 24/01/2013 Maan News Agency HEBRON "I saw an Israeli soldier on the main road firing gunshots haphazardly, so I put my left hand on Lubnas back, and grabbed her to try and run backward. A gunshot hit my hand, and I shouted as I ran. "I thought Lubna was running behind me until I reached the security guards of Al-Arrub College who took me to a clinic in the camp before an ambulance arrived and took me to hospital." This, says Suad Jaara, 28, is what she witnessed Wednesday afternoon when Israeli officers near al-Arrub refugee camp shot her and her friend Lubna al-Hanash. Lubna, 22, died hours later. Speaking to Maan, Jaara said Thursday that she and Lubna were walking on the campus of Al-Arrub College about 100 meters from the main road when they came under fire. "An Israeli soldier was shooting from his rifle while a white car was parked on the roadside. There was nobody in the area except Lubna and I. He was a criminal ... yes, a criminal who opened fired at us in cold blood killing Lubna and injuring me.

Jaaras testimony contradicts claims by the Israeli armys chief of central command on Channel 10 Wednesday evening that the woman was trying to hurl a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli vehicle. An army spokeswoman also told Maan on Wednesday that "soldiers were attacked by Palestinians who hurled multiple firebombs at them while they were traveling near al-Arrub. Soldiers returned fire and the circumstances of the incident are currently being reviewed." But Jaara says she and her late friend were the only ones in the area, walking around and enjoying the scenery. "Lubna arrived two days ago to visit her sister, who is married to my brother. She had heard about Al-Arrub College and she wanted to visit it. I accompanied her to campus and she admired the area because its in a charming natural landscape. When we decided to leave campus, a criminal fired at us and Lubna died a martyr." Jaara is an employee at the Ministry of Prisoners Affairs. Her brother Jihad was a gunman in Fatahs al-Aqsa Brigades in the Bethlehem area. He was deported to Ireland after the Nativity Church siege in 2002. [To check out what life is like under a murderous military occupation commanded by foreign terrorists, go to: www.rafahtoday.org The occupied nation is Palestine. The foreign terrorists call themselves Israeli.]

DANGER: POLITICIANS AT WORK

United Nations Providing Money To The Tyrant Assad:

Funds Go To The Ministry Of Health, Which Is Used By The Criminal Regime To Permit That Public And Private Hospitals Become Torture Places
United Nations Staff Continue To Conduct Business As Usual In Shaking Hands And Taking Photos With Those Same Authorities
January 23, 2013 Local Coordination Committees of Syria, Uruknet In the face of the escalation of violence by the Syrian authorities over more than twenty two months, the main organs of the United Nations, including the General Assembly, and the Human Rights Council, have repeatedly expressed grave concerns over the continued use of heavy weapons by the Syrian authorities, the use of violence by the Syrian authorities against its population, and the failure by the Syrian government to protect its population. They have incessantly condemned in the strongest terms the continued, grave and systematic gross human rights violations by the Syrian authorities, such as arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the persecution and killing of protesters and human rights defenders, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and illtreatment of detainees, including children. Despite these condemnations, many United Nations agencies, involved in the Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan for Syria for the first six months of 2013, evaluated the financial requirements in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria to be more than 519 million USD, to be disbursed through the provision of support to the Syrian authorities. In particular the Response Plan identified a number of Syrian authorities, who shall be recipients of humanitarian assistance.

Such authorities include the Ministry of Health, which is used by the criminal regime to permit that public and private hospitals become torture places, in denying health treatment to civilian and in harassing doctors, including by creating black lists of doctors to be disbarred and whose properties to be confiscated, just because they discharge their professional duties in dispensing treatment to those injured by the violence of the regime. The Response Plan also identifies the Ministry of Education, which is used by the criminal regime to permit public and private schools to be bombarded by the regime, or become detention centers where the most horrible atrocities are taking place by the criminal regime. The Response Plan also identifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as recipient of funds, whose resources are fully mobilized to cover-up human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity that are committed by the Syrian authorities. Many from the public functionary corps working in such government bodies courageously resist, when they can, but in vain, regime abuses of their institutions. And they all know that all aid received by such government bodies, would either be stolen and diverted by the regime for private gain, or selectively distributed to places and people which are not needy, thereby exacerbating the human tragedy for hundreds of Syrian towns in real need. In Syria there is a catastrophe unfolding by action of the Syrian authorities. The Syrian People are traumatized by those authorities, with which the United Nations agencies intend to coordinate for humanitarian assistance. It is particularly bewildering for the ordinary Syrian, whose life and livelihood have been chattered, that whilst the United Nations is cognizant of the terrorizing role of the Syrian authorities, they continue to conduct business as usual in shaking hands and taking photos with those same authorities, which are, by action and omission, responsible for the inhuman conditions that Syria now lives in. The action of the United Nations is an affront to the hundreds of thousands of Syrian children who cannot go to school, or to hospital for treatment because of actions of the Syrian authorities. The Local Coordination Committees regrets this basic misjudgment of the United Nations, when the human tragedy has reached this appalling condition, by action of the public authorities which have no independence. The Local Coordination Committees call for a response against this step in our massive peaceful demonstrations next Friday. They further call for peaceful sit-ins to be organized overseas, so that the United Nations reconsider this much regrettable step. Glory to our Revolution and mercy to our Martyrs LCC

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CLASS WAR REPORTS

The Future Confronts The Past:

Tens Of Thousands Of Egyptians Rally Against Mousy Morsi:
Molotov Cocktails, Rocks, Teargas And Gunfire Marked The Second Anniversary Of The Egyptian Revolution

Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi demonstrate at Tahrir Square in Cairo January 25, 2013.(Reuters / Amr Dalsh)

An Egyptian protester shouts ant-President Morsi slogans as anti-riot forces block the entrance to the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Young Egyptian protesters look through a crack in a barrier towards security forces, as skirmishes break out, near Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 25, 2013. Egyptian opposition protesters are gathering in Cairos Tahrir Square to mark the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubaraks autocratic regime. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)

A boy in front of riot police and barbed wire at the presidential palace in Cairo January 25, 2013. Hundreds of youths fought Egyptian police in Cairo on Friday on the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak who protesters accuse of riding roughshod over the new democracy. Opponents of Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood allies began massing in Cairos Tahrir Square to revive the demands of a revolution they say has been betrayed by Islamists. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egyptian protesters dismantle the security wall erected by security in Tahrir Square on January 25, 2013 (AFP Photo / Mohammed Abed)

Egyptian protester uses a slingshot against with riot police near Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) 26 January, 2013 TV-Novosti & Wall Street Journal [Excerpts] More than 450 people have been injured and at least nine have been killed in two days of street clashes across Egypt as tens of thousands protest against President Mohamed Morsi and his party. Troops have been deployed in the city of Suez amid violence. Molotov cocktails, rocks, teargas and gunfire marked the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution. Earlier Saturday, Egyptian police used teargas to disperse crowds of angry demonstrators near the Interior Ministry headquarters in Cairo. Several policemen went to the top of an old building to fire tear gas and hurl stones at demonstrators. Dozens of protesters stood on top of the concrete wall separating Tahrir Square and Sheikh Rehan Square to hurl stones at officers, Egypt Independent reported. A reported 456 people have been wounded since the start of violent clashes in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez, Reuters says citing Egyptian officials. At least nine people are said to have been killed in clashes across the country. Eight of the dead, including a policeman, were shot dead in Suez, and another was shot and killed in the city of Ismailia, medics said.

Suez saw some of the worst clashes between police and protesters, who set ablaze a government building that once housed the citys local government. Troops have been deployed to the city and tanks are in the streets, RTs Bel Trew reports. Street battles continue between security forces and protesters in Tahrir Square, Bel Trew reported from Cairo. In Cairo, groups of people have been engaging in fights, firing birdshot and hurling Molotov cocktails at each other during the day, Ahram Online reports. There also has been the sound of heavy gunfire. Some of the thousands protesters marching for Tahrir were reportedly attacked by men throwing rocks and glass near the bureau of the Muslim Brotherhoods official website Ikhwan Online. While protesters blame the attacks on Brotherhood men, the Islamist group claims numerous attempts to raid their offices, Ahram Online says. In Alexandria hundreds of demonstrators took part in a march, while the city court building remained the center of protest activity. rowds of protesters approached the governorate headquarters and engaged in violent clashes with the police. Protesters broke up the pavements and threw rocks. Ahram online reported sounds of gunfire and what appeared to be snipers on the rooftops of nearby buildings. Police have been ordered to deal with protesters firmly after a number of attempts to storm the court building were reported, Ahram Online added citing a police source. The protesters continue to demand the overthrow of the regime embodied by chants such as Escalation, escalation! A revolution all over again! Relatives of Egyptian revolutionary icon Khaled Said, the young man brutally beaten to death by the police in 2010, also joined Fridays protests. I want justice and order; I want to get rid of the Muslim Brotherhood. I am not happy with anything that happened over the past six months; they were worse than Mubaraks 30 years, Saids sister told Ahram Online. Voicing Egyptian protesters frustration with the elections, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood-shaped constitution and government, she said they have disregarded the interest of Egyptians and only went after their own. We are beyond the point of dialogue now, they have separated people through their judgmental discourse, Saids sister added. Muslim Brotherhood made a dirty deal with the military behind the backs of the majority of the population and theyre going against the interest of a secular state, which the majority of the Egyptian people want, author and geopolitical analyst William Engdahl told RT.

According to Engdahl, while Muslim Brotherhood is the best organized force in the country, they are so preoccupied with this Sharia agenda, this islamization, creating this state which de facto is emerging to be an Islamic fascist regime that they neglected the real functioning of economy and let it remain in shambles. Theres only one party that will decide the future of Egypt, and thats the people of Egypt, editor of Al-Quds newspaper, Khaled El Shami, told RT. El Shami believes that Morsi, along with Muslim Brotherhood have no say in whats happening in Egypt today as theyve already disregarded the main goals of revolution: dignity, freedom, social justice. Early Friday morning saw heavy clashes between youths and police in Cairo. The protesters were throwing petrol bombs and firecrackers. Police retaliated with plumes of teargas. Reports say police set several tents on Tahrir square ablaze using incendiary bombs thrown by protesters. Protesters accuse Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood of failing to comply with the purposes of the revolution. They demand greater democracy, claiming that Morsis party has usurped power. On Monday three people were killed and a dozen more injured in clashes that erupted after a bystander was hit by a bullet fired by police chasing a suspected drug dealer in the north of Cairo. On the same day activists in another Egyptian city, Alexandria, were sprayed with teargas as police tried to disperse the crowds waiting outside the court where several police officers are standing trial for the killing of civilians during the 2011 uprising.

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A Metro Depot In Athens Has Been Stormed By Up To 300 Riot Police To Break Up A Sit In By Striking Staff
The Capitals Underground Lines Remained Shut For The Ninth Day

The underground remained shut for a ninth day as most workers continued a strike against wage cuts [GALLO/GETTY] [Thanks to Alan Stolzer, Military Resistance Organization, who sent this in.] 25 Jan 2013 AlJazeera A metro depot in Athens has been stormed by up to 300 riot police to break up a sit in by striking staff in the Greek capital. The raid took place at about 0200 GMT on Friday morning and at least 10 workers were detained and then released, an official said on condition of anonymity. The capitals underground lines remained shut for the ninth day as most workers continued a strike against wage cuts.

Prime Minister Antonis Samarass government has taken a hard line on the strike despite criticism from the smallest party in his three-party government. "When labour action is judged illegal and abusive, the law has to be implemented," government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told state television. Police told the AFP news agency that the strikers had occupied the premises on Thursday. Their demonstration was staged to oppose government plans to reduce their pay in line with wages in the broader public sector. The governments cuts are part of the countrys massive EU-IMF loan bailout. Hundreds of unionists gathered outside the metro depot after the police raid in support of the strike. They reacted by calling for a general transport standstill on Friday. The government said strikers had shown contempt for court rulings that had declared the metro strike illegal earlier this week.
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