From Waking Planet (http://www.wakingplanet.com )
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/iraqtragedy07may04.shtml
May 7, 2004

C H R O N I C L E S Edition 18

May, 2004

Last year, US soldiers commandeered the local school in Falluja. When parents peacefully protested the shut down and occupation of their children's school, our troops opened fire on them. Fifteen innocent civilians were killed. Human Rights Watch investigated and confirmed that the crowd was unarmed. This happened in the first week of the occupation.

When the siege began on Falluja a month ago, civilians were again targeted. In contravention of the Geneva Convention, the city was sealed, the power station bombed, water cut off, and the bridge to the main hospital was closed. After what looked like another shock and awe bombardment of the city, Iraqi doctors had to treat the stream of wounded in a makeshift clinic set up in a car garage. Humanitarian workers report that US snipers have aimed at ambulance drivers and even at people just leaving their houses.(http://news.bbc.co.uk) As of April 30, at least 880 have died. People who have seen the soccer fields turned into graveyards report that many of the casualties were women and children. Seven hundred and forty US soldiers have given their lives to this war.

Amnesty International has been reporting regular incidents of abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners for months, but it took a young soldier of conscience to show the world the photos the media could not ignore.

From the bloody repression of peaceful demonstrators, to arbitrary arrests, abuse of prisoners, the confiscation of press freedoms, to favoring foreigners over Iraqis for jobs and contracts; our policies have failed and the blunders continue. Like creating a new flag without consulting with the people. Like appointing Salem Chalabi to try Saddam. Salem is the nephew of ex-felon and US puppet, Ahmed Chalabi. As Naomi Klein says, we have to "deChalabify" Iraq. (www.commondreams.org) As long as he holds any power, the Iraqi people will resist.

Like appointing John Negroponte as the US envoy to Iraq. He was ambassador to Honduras, 1981-85, during the worst human rights abuses in that country's history. He helped implement Reagan's illegal intervention in the Nicaraguan civil war in the Iran Contra scandal. Negroponte also lied to congress about the murder, kidnapping and torture abuses of the CIA trained Honduran military unit, Battalion 3-16. An embassy official reported that Negroponte forced him to omit an "exhaustive gathering of human rights violations" from a 1982 State report. Washington must think he has what it takes to crush rebellion. www.truthout.org

Remember Firdos Square where Saddam's statue was toppled? Now there are new razor wire barriers blocking the streets to the square. Loud speakers warn the public to stay away, because the military is trying to prevent anti-American demonstrations there. What the media touted as the symbol of the Iraqi's liberation has now become a symbol of an occupation gone terribly wrong.

"End Timers" Have Infiltrated the Highest Levels of Government
Editor's note: I realize that the following article seems a bit "over the top". But I think millions are being caught up in a dangerous, mass delusion and we had all better take notice and begin talking about it!

The "Left Behind" series has sold over 40,000,000 copies. They represent a fictionalized account of the apocalypse. What is scary is that millions reading these books believe it is happening, that we are near the end of time. They actually are rooting for Armageddon! When it happens, they, being the "true believers", will be wafted up out of their clothes and ascend to heaven in what they call, the Rapture. (raptureready.com helps prepare believers) The rest of us heathens will endure demon locusts, plaques, and fires, but 144,000 Jews will "be saved" by converting to Christianity. For this "biblical prophecy" to come true, Israel has to be strong and even expand its territories. This will bring the antichrist and Armageddon and prepare the way for the Second Coming of Christ. The end-timers and extreme Zionists have formed a strange and dangerous alliance.

It would be easy to discount these insane beliefs, except for the fact that many currently ruling our country believe them! Attorney General, John Ashcroft, the Senate leader, Bill Frist, and the House leader, Tom DeLay are all believers. DeLay says he is on a mission from God to "promote a biblical worldview in American politics."

Even the President has been indoctrinated. One of his mentors is Promise Keeper, (PK) Tony Evans, a dominionist from Texas who believes in the seizure of earthly power by God's people (Christians) to restore the earth to God's control. PK'ers also believe that women should be subservient. Evans says that feminists are "frustrated women unable to find the proper male leadership."

Then there's the Council for National Policy. It is a highly secretive organization of clout, money, radical right wing ideology and end-time fanaticism. It's members are leaders and financiers of apocalyptic Christian groups, the John Birch Society, the Klu Klux Klan and other racist organizations, pro-Nazi groups and other unsavory organizations.

Past and present members of this extreme right wing Council include: Ashcroft, Tommy Thompson, former Health and Human Services Sec., Oliver North, Phyllis Schlafly, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Jesse Helms, Edwin Meese, Dick Armey, Jack Kemp, John Sununu, and a number of other Washington leaders and State Senators and Representatives. Bush refuses to make a transcript of a speech he gave to the group public. (http://watch.pair.com/cnp.html)

Recently, Bush was asked how he thought history would judge him. He said it wouldn't matter because we would all be dead; a possible, chilling new meaning in the context of these fanatical beliefs.

Bush Campaign Ad Distortions
Factcheck.org, a nonpartisan web site devoted to getting the facts right, says the Bush administration is persisting in repeating distortions of Kerry's voting record on defense. Under Bush's logic (is that an oxymoron?) Cheney and Bush the elder would be opponents of "weapons vital to winning the war on terror," because they voted against the AH64 Apache helicopter and the Bradley fighting vehicles just a few years after Kerry did.

The president also claims a 1995 Kerry plan would "gut" intelligence services. Kerry proposed a 1% cut and many Republicans approved of a similar cut.

An ad lists a number of items that Kerry voted "no" on. There were no separate votes, as this ad would have you believe. There was only one vote for the $87 billion supplemental to fund the war. Kerry voted against it, because he was trying to find a way to pay for it without increasing our nation's deficit. He felt the richest Americans could sacrifice their tax cuts for the war effort, but the Republican controlled Senate defeated his proposal.

The truth is that it is Bush who is sending our troops to battle without proper armor. Military officials have asked Congress to fill shortfalls left by the President's budget, including $132 million for vehicle armor, $879 million for combat helmets and $40 million for body armor. (www.dailymislead.org).

At the time that an army study was published in Newsweek, May 3, 2003, 190 of our soldiers had been killed by landmines, explosive devices or grenade attacks. The report continues, "almost all were killed while in unprotected vehicles, which means that 1 in 4 of those killed in combat in Iraq might be alive if they had stronger armor around them. Thousands more, who were unprotected have suffered grievous wounds, such as loss of limbs."

The President's record on telling the truth..troubling.

Lettuce Be(a)ware! (excuse me for the pun, I have to have a little fun with this)

I've often been baffled by the sheer violence of this administration toward our natural world; mountain tops being blown off, sulfur, mercury and carbon dioxide gases increasing to dangerous levels (1 in 4 children in cities have asthma), our drinking water being contaminated. Last year, the administration forbade the EPA to even publicly discuss percholrate contamination. Perchlorate is the main ingredient in rocket fuel and the Pentagon and defense contractors could face billions in cleaning the mess up. Regulations on the chemical were frozen, despite new research that showed alarmingly high levels of percholrate in our water and food supply, including grocery store lettuces. Percholrate pollution has been linked to cancer and neurological problems in at least 20 states. (Rolling Stone, Dec, 03)

I know this bunch wants to rule the world. But why do they insist on destroying it at the same time? I think profits and power blind many to the suffering and destruction their policies produce, but an apocalyptic worldview distorts reality even greater. It is the ultimate carte blanche for destroying people, nature and the very fabric of life. When you think the end is near, the good of future generations no longer needs to be considered.

"Questioning flawed leadership is a requirement of this government. Failing to question, failing to speak out is failing the legacy of the Founding Fathers." Senator Robert Byrd

Just the Facts
Rev Franklin Graham, (son of Billy and friend of the Bushes) is lying in wait to attack Iraq with "20,000 Ambassadors of Christ". The Southern Baptist Convention is gearing up too.

In April of 2003, a UN commission on violence against women tried to pass wording that religion and custom should not be used to excuse such violence. It was tabled after objections by Iran, Egypt, Sudan and the US. Shameful!

The Bush administration is spending 12 times more on nuclear weapons research and production than on nonproliferation efforts to retrieve, secure and dispose of nuclear weapons worldwide. www.nrdc.org

In the US there are 20,000 more public relations experts doctoring the news than there are journalists writing it.

On Earth Day, Bush invited oil execs to a meeting with EPA officials to discuss reducing air pollution standards.

The richest 537 billionaires have more wealth than the poorest 170 countries combined. The billionaires saw their wealth increase by 36% last year alone.

Some Good Things
April 16 - 1,000 Bake Sales across the country raised over $750,000 for the Kerry campaign. Moveon.org organized the sales to highlight the difference in funding of the two men. In the first months of this election, Bush outspent Kerry 7 to 1 on TV ads. But Kerry has the grassroots support of millions backing him.

May 8, Trip to New Hampshire to target and mobilize voters. Leaving from Kingston. ($20-25 a person) Seats going fast! We will be attending a Dean rally, receiving a mini training and then each will be matched up with a local, NH volunteer to do house to house canvassing to identify how voters are likely to vote. Local people will do follow up with "undecideds" and will Get Out the Vote for Kerry supporters on Election Day. Write to Barbara@WakingPlanet.com. if you are interested in going, or to be on a list to receive further notice on future bus trips and local phone bank efforts to make a difference in this year's presidential election.

May 9, Mother's Day, Arts for Peace will again be remembering that the first Mother's day was to protest the carnage of the Civil War by women who lost sons. The Mother's Day Proclamation and flowers will be given to mothers on the vigil corner, (Main and N Front St in New Paltz) from 1-3pm.

June 19, 6-9pm, Opening of the "Imagine Peace" International Children's Art Show, Huguenot Creamery, sponsored by Arts for Peace and Women in Black, New Paltz. If children are interested in participating write to lunasongs@aol.com.

Thanks to Michele Riddell, SAFE Legacy and all who helped expose the scourge of depleted uranium poisoning of our troops and of Iraqis to the attention of our Senators! They have promised to sponsor legislation calling for the DU screening of our returning troops. It's a beginning and we applaud their efforts.

"Those who want victory against terror without addressing underlying grievances want an unending war." Ami Ayalon, head of Israel's Gen Security Service, 1996- 2000.

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Waking Planet Chronicles is published monthly. To receive this alternative news publication free on line, write to Barbara@WakingPlanet.com. And see the new world, peace flag at http://www.wakingplanet.com

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