[Thanks to Mark Shapiro, who sent this in.]

“No Matter What We Do, There Are Insurgents Everywhere”

“I Don’t Think We Are Making Any Progress”

“This Message Brought To You By ‘Death’ — Coming To An OP Near You Soon”

August 12, 2006 By Julian E. Barnes, L.A. Times Staff Writer [Excerpts]

RAMADI, Iraq

At Post 3, when the hours on watch seem to stretch on and the heat gets overwhelming, Lance Cpl. David Hill picks up a walkie-talkie and starts speaking in his best over-the-top local radio announcer voice.

"Good afternoon, all gov center and IP posts.  This is WKIL coming to you from the rooftops of Ramadi," Hill intones to his small audience of fellow Marines.

"Hope you are all enjoying yourselves out there.  It is about 120 degrees, and the heat has climbed from suicidal to insane."

As the summer wears on in Iraq, the attacks on Ramadi's government center are subsiding.  But rising in their place are the heat, the boredom and the complaints — about the sandbags Marines must carry, about the Ramadi mission, about the war.

Marines often brag that their mission is to kill people and break their toys.  But for the Marines of Kilo Company, stuck on the roof of Ramadi's government center and Iraqi police headquarters, simply killing insurgents doesn't feel like progress.

And so the frustration rises with the mercury for these troops, most on their second deployment to Iraq and their second summer in Al Anbar province's scorching desert.

Insurgents have regularly attacked the government center, trying to prevent the provincial government from functioning.  Kilo Company has fortified the posts on the roof, manned around-the-clock by Marines charged with returning gunfire and killing assailants who fire rockets and plant roadside bombs.

Kilo's commander, Andrew Del Gaudio, a 30-year-old from the Bronx, says the Marines are making a difference.  "We are killing people," he says, referring to insurgents.  Attacks on the government center have decreased because slain insurgents have not been replaced, he says.

"There are not nearly as many fighters now," Del Gaudio says. "Is that a form of progress?  I don't know.  Does it allow the governor to meet with his people? Does it allow the Iraqi army time to grow stronger?  Yes.  Therefore, it is worthwhile."

It would be nice, he says, for Kilo to be able to win the trust of Iraqis, but that is impossible in the neighborhoods around the government center, where the fighting remains fierce and most residents have fled.  "It is still a red zone, and it has to be dealt with accordingly," Del Gaudio says.  "You can't give a soccer ball to a guy with an AK-47 who wants to kill you."

The Marines on the roof say they hope Del Gaudio is right about the progress.  But their frustration is clear.  Few say they intend to reenlist.

"I hope I am out before the next war comes," says Lance Cpl. Brodey Vann, a 20-year-old from Pinellas Park, Fla.

"No matter what we do, there are insurgents everywhere," Vann says.  "I don't think we are making any progress."

For hours each day, the troops stare at the abandoned buildings that surround the government center.  All of the structures have been pockmarked with bullet holes. A few are starting to collapse.  The Marines have given many of the crumbling buildings names — "Ghost Hotel" or "Swiss Cheese."

Some Marines count the hours they have stared into the bleak landscape; more than 720. Some try to estimate the hours remaining before they return home.

For others, every day is Groundhog Day.  Like the Bill Murray movie, the days here endlessly repeat themselves.

"You know it's not the same day," says Pfc. Brian Terry, a 21-year-old from High Point, N.C., assigned to Kilo's 2nd Platoon.  "But it feels like the same day."

Last year the Marines here, part of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment, were stationed in Fallouja and charged with helping rebuild the area after the November 2004 assault.

Terry's partner on post, Lance Cpl. Jerod Zimmerman, a 21-year-old from Charlotte, N.C., misses the reconstruction work and the friendly interaction with residents. Here in Ramadi, he sits on the roof waiting to shoot people who shoot at him.

"Out there, it was easier to see you were helping people," he says. "And you miss that. Well, I miss that. I won't speak for the entire Marine Corps. It is a lot easier to understand why you are there if you are able to see immediate results.  Out here, it's different. It's harder to see the influence you have."

The feelings are similar in the 4th Platoon, standing watch on the other shift. At Post 4, the heat is stifling.  There is no breeze.  The only relief comes from a fan. Lance Cpl. Jay Reed, 21, of Syracuse, N.Y., stares out at the buildings, his eyes never leaving the landscape.

"Last year was a different mission, geared toward building their city and helping the people," Reed says. "So you could see more progress, I guess. This year, this building is our mission, making sure nothing happens to this building…. I am sure someone in this city has seen improvement, but not from this building."

Reed wears some of his bitterness scrawled on his Kevlar helmet: "Suicide = Solution."

"The Kevlar says it all," he declares.

For Marines, the work at the government center rarely ends.  There are multiple long shifts at the guard posts.  And when they are off the roof, there are night foot patrols, construction work, cleanup duty and assignments tearing down old outposts and building new ones.

Worst of all is sandbag duty.  The troops groan whenever they spot the sandbag truck arrive and dump another load that has to be carried to the roof.

They struggle to find some mental escape.  For Reed and his partner, Lance Cpl. Ryan Gianoulis, 23, of Beechwood, N.J., the shift on the roof begins with complaints. When that is over, they talk about how long it is until they go home. Then they talk about women and getting married.

"Then about the last two hours I sing songs," Reed says. "Little duets."

Reed and Gianoulis have renditions of "Jingle Bells," the Eagles' "Take It Easy" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer."  But their favorite must be "Jackson." Gianoulis sings the Johnny Cash part. Reed channels June Carter Cash.

"We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout," Reed croons.  "We've been talking about Jackson, ever since the fire went out."

Late in the shift, the music at Post 3 is often interrupted by Hill's WKIL "broadcast."

Most days, after Hill, a 23-year-old from Tampa, finishes his commentary on the threat level at downtown Ramadi's various OPs, or outposts, he throws in a few "sponsorships," each colored by frustration with the insurgents who attack the Marines or the unending work schedule.

One recent evening, he closed his broadcast this way:

"This message brought to you by 'Death' — coming to an OP near you soon."

MORE:

JCS Chair Hears It From Unhappy Troops In Iraq

Aug 13 AFP News

[You’ll have to cut through the reporter’s pro-war propaganda here.  You can bet that if this is what’s happening in front of the Chair of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff, what the troops are saying to each other less publicly would take the paint off the walls.

[This is a stunning indicator of the coming resistance to this war in the armed forces.]

The top U.S. general dropped into this volatile city Sunday to hear what was on the minds of Marines doing battle daily with a resilient and deadly insurgency.

Some of what he heard sounded like a sign of creeping doubt — not about the Marines' mission but about the wider purpose it is supposed to be serving as the U.S. war death count tops 2,600.  [What the fuck ever that means.  And it’s more like full bore flat out galloping fed up with this bullshit doubt, not “creeping” at all.]

On his first visit to Fallujah as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace stood before 1,300 troops, mostly Marines, and assured them that the American public supports them. And he predicted that Americans would continue to support the war.

How much more time, one Marine asked, should the Iraqi government be given to achieve the political unity necessary to stabilize the country?  [Meaning, “How much more time are we stuck in this shithole for no good reason?”]

"I guess they have as long as it takes," Pace replied, quickly adding, "Which is not forever."  [Looks like somebody just blinked.]

Pace argued that setting a deadline by which the United States would withdraw its support would risk pushing the Iraqis into political decisions that are unviable.  On the other hand, he said, "You do not want to leave it open ended."  [“I’m really dancing now.  Hope they don’t notice.”]

Another Marine wanted to know if U.S. troops would stay in Iraq in the event of an all-out civil war.

Pace repeated what he told a Senate committee last week: a civil war is possible, but not expected.

He did not say what the United States would do if it actually happened.

Another asked what the United States would do if the Iraqi government did not support extending the U.N. resolution that authorizes the presence of American and other foreign troops in Iraq. Pace said the Iraqis already have said they favor extending the U.S. mandate, which expires in December.

One Marine wound up his question about the pace of U.S. troop deployments to Iraq by asking, "Is the war coming to an end?"  [There it is.  The kind of question that keeps an Imperial General up at night, sweating.]

Pace didn't answer directly.  [And everybody there saw it and heard it, and knows exactly what it means when he dodges, ducks, and runs away from that question.  He’s scared to give a direct answer.  As in frightened to give a direct answer.  As in pissing his pants.  Excellent.]

He said Pentagon officials and military leaders are trying to keep enough troops in Iraq to achieve the mission of training Iraqi troops to take over the security mission, while avoiding having so many that it creates an Iraqi dependency.

Pace did not explicitly mention the political debate in Washington over when to withdraw from Iraq, but the senior commander of U.S. forces in western Iraq, Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer, said in an interview Sunday that he is concerned about the effects of that debate.

Asked about the tenor of some of the questions put to Pace by Marines who seemed to harbor doubts about the long-term viability of the U.S. military mission, Zilmer said he is confident that virtually every Marine here is satisfied that their work is noble and just.  [What a stupid lie.  And everybody knows it’s a stupid lie.  And every troop who hears it knows why a piece of shit like Zilmer tells such a stupid lie.  He’s scared too.  The truth?  He can’t handle the truth.]

"But they are not immune to the discussions they see in public communications," Zilmer said. "Like all of us, they want to be assured that what we're doing is the right thing for the nation.  Watching the Iraqi national government develop here has not been easy."

Zilmer noted the calls by some in Congress for a U.S. troop withdrawal to begin this year.

"That plays back here," he said. "People hear that.  It does create the question: Is there the national commitment behind what we're doing over here?" 

[Dumb fuck doesn’t get it.  Remember that poll earlier this year?   79% of the troops in Iraq say they all should come home no later than 12.31.06, and 29% are for immediate withdrawal.  Never mind that silly bullshit about “national commitment.”  Everybody knows that’s gone.  His problem is the troops see through the bullshit too, and they have had enough.  One way, or another, they will be making that known to the Zilmers of the world.]

IRAQ WAR REPORTS

Three U.S. Soldiers Killed,

Four Wounded

13 August 2006 AP

The Associated Press reported Saturday that three Americans were killed and four others were wounded, including a civilian, when militants attacked a U.S. patrol Friday in northeastern Afghanistan.

Slain Austin Marine Remembered As A Proud Father

8/5/2006 By: Allison Toepperwein, News Channel of Austin

Family members of an Austin Marine say their hearts are broken after learning he was killed in Iraq. Sgt. George M. Ulloa Jr., 23, died Thursday after his tank was hit by a roadside bomb. He was a tank gunner who was on his second tour of duty in Iraq.

His wife, Maria, said she’s trying to be strong now that their three children no longer have a father.

"The first time I ever saw him cry was that day I walked down the aisle," she said.

Their six-year-old son Victor is known as George Jr. because he takes after his father so much. Five-year-old Luz was nicknamed “light bug,” and their youngest daughter, Rosalinda, or “Ro Ro” is one-and-a-half.

"He used to love to rock them. He liked to see them dressed up and he would make them wear pantyhose just because he thought they were cute," Maria said.

Anything George wanted, he tried to find a way to make it happen. That's why he joined the Marines. In late 2004, George was deployed to Iraq. He missed his youngest daughter's birth.

So, when he came home in March 2005, he made up for lost time. He learned how to play soccer so he could coach Victor’s team.

It was difficult for the Ulloas to explain to their children why daddy had to leave again this past March.

"He explained to them what he was doing and why he was doing it, and they understood and they were proud of him … (But) our son doesn't understand. Our oldest daughter is confused. She just wants him home. Our youngest doesn't know," Maria said.

George loved being a Marine. Maria said he sang the kids cadences instead of lullabies. But more than anything, he loved being a father.

"His kids can always be proud of what he did and why he did it. And they can always know they can look up to him. And there's no reason for me to be ashamed or hurt, because he's OK," Maria said.

Maria said she'll tell her kids stories about their father, and said every time she looks at them she sees a reflection of George.

The family has no word on when a memorial service might be held.

“Right Now, The Americans Only Control The Twenty Metres Around Each Humvee”

8.1.06 by Jon Bright, Open Democracy [Excerpt]

Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, the award-winning photojournalist, talks to openDemocracy about occupation, insurgency, and how his country fell apart.

"Right now, the Americans only control the twenty metres around each humvee.  Very soon we're going to come to the situation where the Americans will look at the Shi'a militia as their protectors: the Shi'a are so strong now."

So would it be better for this occupation army to leave?

"As long as you have Americans in Iraq and this scene in Baghdad (of an occupation army), it will create feuds, and it will push people to fire an RPG at this thing.

REALLY BAD PLACE TO BE:

BRING THEM ALL HOME NOW

A U.S. soldier at a bus damaged in a car bomb attack in Kirkuk July 29, 2006.  REUTERS/Slahaldeen Rasheed (IRAQ)

AFGHANISTAN WAR REPORTS

Mainer Killed In Afghan Combat

August 13, 2006 By KELLEY BOUCHARD, Portland Press Herald Writer

A 19-year-old Wiscasset man killed in combat in Afghanistan was remembered Saturday by family and friends for his good humor, his sense of honor and his beautiful smile.

Army Pfc. Andrew Small was killed Friday by hostile fire during a routine platoon patrol, according to a statement from Gov. John Baldacci. Small was with the 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Drum, N.Y.

Small is the youngest of four sons of Terrence and Cynthia Small of Shea Road in Wiscasset.  The couple learned of his death Friday afternoon when an Army official visited their home.

"We're doing as well as can be expected, under the circumstances," Cynthia Small said in a telephone interview Saturday night. "I will miss his big heart and his beautiful smile."

Small said her son had wanted to join the Army since he was a small boy, following in the footsteps of several other family members who served in various branches of the military. He joined the mountain infantry division because he wanted to make a difference.

"I would just as soon he peeled potatoes," his mother said. "Before he left, he said, 'If something should happen to me, I want people to be proud of me.' And we are."

She last spoke with her son on Tuesday, in one of their regular phone conversations.  As usual, he told her little about his life and work in Afghanistan.  Mostly they talked about what was happening back home in Maine. She updated him on the Red Sox. She told him that his brother, Joshua, a senior at the University of Southern Maine, and his fiancee had recently moved into a Westbrook condominium.

"It was regular chitchat," she said. "He was scratching the belly of a dog that was in camp that he thought was cute."

They ended the conversation with good-byes and I-love-yous.

"Stay safe," she told him.

Hall graduated from Wiscasset High School in 2005, receiving an Army GI Bill award. Friends and classmates remembered Small as a good student and a supportive person.

"We were all praying for him," said Shane Hill of Wiscasset, who had met Small in grade school.  "I remember, when we were kids, looking over and seeing him do a cartwheel down a hill. We were always there for each other."

Wiscasset High Principal Susan Poppish said she was heartbroken by the news of Small's death.

"He was an all-around good kid," she said. "He was always smiling. He liked to joke a lot. He was a good friend to a lot of kids.  Teachers liked him. He always did the right thing."

TROOP NEWS

THIS IS HOW BUSH BRINGS THE TROOPS HOME:

BRING THEM ALL HOME NOW, ALIVE

The graveside ceremony for U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kurt Dechen in Springfield, Vt., Aug. 11, 2006.  Dechen was killed by small arms fire on Aug. 3, his 24th birthday, while on foot patrol in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

War Resisting Marine’s Statement Brings On Investigation

June 17, 2006 Socialist Worker (Canada) [Excerpts]

War Resister Chris Magaoay, a former US Marine who has come to Canada to seek sanctuary because of his opposition to the Iraq War, has caused the Marine Corps to launch an investigation of a sergeant who was involved in training new recruits on how to behave once they went to Iraq.

“The sergeant told us what to do if we should happen to kill a civilian.  He said we should place an AK-47 rifle near the corpse and claim that the person was an insurgent.

He told us that the platoon would back the story, and we wouldn’t be punished,” Magaoay said.

Magaoay was speaking to a reporter from the BBC as part of a more general interview on his decision to desert the Marines and come to Canada.  “I didn’t really think anything would come out of what I said. But I’m glad the BBC took the issue up with the Pentagon, and there will be an investigation,” said Magaoay.

Magaoay, 20, is originally from Hawaii.  He joined the Marines more than a year ago, and was receiving the training given just before Marines are sent to Iraq.

“I was really shocked by what this sergeant said. I knew he was telling the truth, because we were just about to get deployed to Iraq, and he wanted us to know what really happens there,” Magaoay said.  “But I don’t think I could live with myself if I acted like that.”

Magaoay’s comments come at a time when the Marines are dealing with the alleged massacre at Haditha, Iraq, which occurred in November 2005.  

Magaoay came to Canada in March 2006 and has been involved with the War Resisters Support Campaign, which assists US Iraq War resisters who come to Canada and advocates for the Canadian Government to grant them sanctuary.

Another Recruiting Predator Caught

Sgt. Rickey Steinke

[Thanks to Mark Shapiro, who sent this in.]

8/9/2006 By: News 8 Austin Staff

A U.S. Army recruiter from San Marcos is facing criminal charges after investigators say he made sexual advances toward a 17-year-old girl.

Sgt. Rickey Steinke, 30, is accused of taking a Gary Job Corps student to his office saying he needed to measure her for uniforms, police said.  He told her his office was at his apartment.

Steinke is accused of making sexual advances towards her.  He was charged with official oppression since he was acting as a public servant at the time.

Steinke was removed from his recruiting duties.

Anyone with information about this case should call the Criminal Investigations Division at the San Marcos Police Department at (512) 753-2300.

British Anti-War Activists Close Down Air Force Base

8.12.06 By Simon, Indymedia.org.uk

A protest called at very short notice outside the main gates of RAF Brize Norton had the unexpected effect of closing the main gates, and possibly the entire base, to all traffic for nearly two hours.

Brize Norton is one of the RAF bases reportedly being used to refuel planes delivering bombs from the US to Israel for use in the ongoing massacre of Lebanon.

Meanwhile a peace camp is being established nearby to watch for further such flights.

Some Israeli Troops Say They Refuse To Attack Civilians:

“Taking Part In This War Runs Contrary To The Values Upon Which I Was Brought Up”

Aug 9, 2006 IRIN News

Called up to serve in the conflict against Hezbollah, reserve soldier Israeli Tom Mehagel decided he couldn't fight.

"I don't believe that Hezbollah has any goal but destroying Israel," the artillery staff sergeant told IRIN.  "But we shouldn't use our force against civilian