Tag Archives: Operation Iraqi Freedom

No new propaganda under the sun

Posted on by
Reply


Did you think Operation Iraqi Freedom photographers invented the warplanes-at-sunrise theme? Here’s a propaganda shot circa WWI, where the crack of dawn obviously had to be hand tinted on the original monochrome. Is that any more a manipulation than the digital ultra-vibrance our embeds contrive today? The caption under this photograph, reproduced in The Nations at War: a Current History published in 1914 when the “Great War” was yet “the World’s Greatest War,” reads: “A French armed biplane in pursuit of a German Taube aeroplane.” That’s for the folks on the homefront. In reality the German Dove has probably swooped upon the heavier Farman bomber whose forward gun was mostly used to strafe infantrymen.

What freedom means to me: not what it used to

Posted on by
1

As the next ships are mobilized to challenge the siege of Gaza, NYC supporters of Israel paraded a “True Freedom Flotilla” around the harbor. This point may already be moot, “Freedom” doesn’t mean what it used to. Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom are exercises in duplicity, and “Freedom of Speech” is hollow. The Oslo Freedom Forum was packed with globalization ringers. Freedom Fries were just embarrassing. The Smithsonian exhibit about America’s wars is entitled “The Price of Freedom.”

If this guy dies in custody… (“Operation Iraqi Freedom” my wrinkly old ARSE…)

Posted on by
1

First off everybody who has supported Bush and especially his war will be equally to blame…
Since allegedly the Ba’ath Regime torturers were put out of business, the ones who ALSO tortured the same journalist-cum-Activist, that means that the ones who broke his hand and two ribs were ones organized, trained, armed and paid by Uncle Sugar. And Trained By United States Military Personnel In How To Hurt People.

As of this morning, the BBC were reporting that he was being held at a U.S.A.F. base hospital.

And without benefit of counsel. The U.S. Military can claim they’re not responsible for his treatment, his injuries, the same way they “didn’t actually accelerate the lynching of Saddam Hussein”, but they’ll once more be LYING.

The United States Air Force now has custody over him, and THEY are now the ones denying him any Human Rights.

They’re probably giving him drugs to ENHANCE the pain. That’s what they’re like and one of the reasons I’m glad I got out before they could brainwash ME into accepting that kind of bullshit as Standard Operating Procedure.

It’s ALSO… proof positive that the “Operation Iraqi Freedom” name for the invasion and occupation of the Oil fields and just by a coincidence the allegedly Sovereign Nation in which the Oil Fields are located, was and still is so much Imperialistic Bullshit Lying Propaganda.

Not that anybody who supported Bush or McCain will give a DAMN about those uppity peasants in Iraq or even in the West Side of Colorado Springs.

If you do, then do something about the Corrupt Evil your soon-to-be-former President has allowed our nation to become.

The Punk-in-Chief won’t listen to left wing sources who criticize him, and the Right Wingers have maintained a Thunderous Deafening Silence on ANY of his abuses.

To the supporters of Mr Bush’s War, “Freedom” is just a word they use to convince the Ignorant to allow them to continue.

Once an unrepentant soldier, always a…

Posted on by
Reply

Iraq liberatorA bumper sticker ahead of me read ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE. Next to it was LESS MEAN, LESS LEAN, STILL A MARINE. It got me thinking about the soldiers who come back from war, in light of later revelations of their true brutality. A suppressed investigation in the Mekong Delta 1968-1969, resurfaced in this month’s Nation: “A My Lai a Month.” Operation Speedy Express produced a casualty ration of 40:1, with Vietnamese civilians accounting for an estimated 92%. In view of atrocities which turn out to have been pervasive, what are we to conclude about our veterans? These men are still what? are always what?

The preponderance of our dehumanized ex-soldiers are not in the street committing serial murder and rape, at least not in American streets. The Vietnam vets who suffered are now antiwar. The others unrepentant have been perpetrating the wars that followed –should we be surprised– with the same ferocity and collateral damage? Suppressing the crimes committed in Vietnam, out of concern for the fragile consciences of our vets, has only served to grant license to the war-fueled sadists who still command our inhuman arsenal.

Yesterday, a memorial was held in Missouri for William Doyle, of the infamous Tiger Force unit of the 101st Airborne, who went to his grave bragging about the civilians he’d killed, wishing he’d killed more. The 1965-67 atrocities of the Tiger Force were only revealed in 2004. They were not aberrations but results of the orders the soldiers had been given. This was true about the Free Fire Zones of Operation Speedy Express of the 9th Infantry Division, and for the My Lai raid by the Charlie Company. Few were prosecuted, and fewer punished. Lieutenant Calley served only four months for presiding over the murder of 400 Vietnamese villagers in 1968.

To be fair, each of these examples involved the US Army. The Marines have their own rap-sheet of war crimes that span more engagements than just America’s declared wars, especially in Central and South America. Already Iraq War veterans are trying to confess their deeds in Operation Iraqi Freedom. How many years before journalists are able to report the true crimes of the battle of Fallujah?

John O’Donnell, the city’s organizer of St Patrick’s Day parade, now caught in his own lies and hypocrisy

Posted on by
Reply

John O’Donnell says that his ‘rules’ prohibit social statements from being made by participants, so he had to have city police assault pro peace parade participants and then have us expelled from the parade. John and the City of Colorado Springs government and police are totally in bed together on this one, and it pays to see just what O’Donnell and the city government have been doing and saying in the past. Check it out below.

Thank God we have the internet to help expose liars and hypocrits like the Colordo Springs city police spokepeople (police blotter), the Gazette editors, and John O’Donnell. See just what John O’Donnell actually means when ordering folk to not make any social statements at St Pat’s Day.

===================================
Fort Carson veteran is St. Pat’s grand marshal
Sgt. Wong returned from Iraq in January

Sgt. Robert Wong, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, has been named grand marshal of the 22nd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 12 in Old Colorado City.

Fort Carson selected Sgt. Wong, who was the post’s Soldier of the Quarter for 2004, at the request of the Parade Committee for O’Donnell & Associates, a promotional firm that org-anizes the annual parade.

Hailing from Baltimore, Md., the sergeant is with the 759th Military Police Batallion, which returned from Iraq in January. A contingent of 10 soldiers, all sergeants, will escort him during the parade, according to Parade Committee Chair John O’Donnell.

“We are delighted to have Sgt. Wong as the Grand Marshall,” O’Donnell said. “As a representative of all of the active duty troops at Fort Carson, he serves as a reminder of all of the active members of the armed forces here and abroad. By honoring Sgt. Wong, we hope to honor our military family and friends who can not be with us during this joyful family event.”

To become Soldier of the Quarter, a soldier must be nominated by his own unit, and is then evaluated against nominees from other units, according to Lt. Justin Journeay of Fort Carson’s public affairs office.

More than 110 entries are scheduled for this year’s parade, including bands, floats, dancers, politicians and riding groups. Starting at noon, the parade will go east on Colorado Avenue from 27th to 17th Street.

The festivities will begin March 12 in Bancroft Park with the “5K on St. Patrick’s Day” Race at 10 a.m. The Children’s Fun Run will begin at 11 a.m. Runners can register online at http://www.csgrandprix.com, at the Runners Roost (107 E. Bijou) or on the day of the race at 9 a.m.

from Westside Pioneer article/press releases

Iraqi Freedom Bear

Posted on by
1

Limited Treasures commemorative teddy bearThis is Sam(TM) The All American Bear(TM). The tag reads: THIS IS NOT A TOY. Please keep away from children. For decorative and collector use only.
 
For sale only at the PX to US soldiers and their families, Sam is part of The Hometown Heroes Collection which commemorates Operation Iraqi Freedom among other presumably cuddly Defense Department outreach programs.
 
Now I don’t begrudge the military needing to plan its offensives ahead of time, but this souvenir teddy bear bears a copyright 2002.

Excuse our soldiers

Posted on by
Reply

This quote from James in particular, about too many cameras and too many people back home caring more for the Iraqis than for the soldiers. AS IF the soldiers had ordered themselves to go over there, and AS IF the name of the war wasn’t Operation Iraqi Freedom and AS IF the Iraqis actually invited us over there in the first place.