Will the Real Brian Harring Stand Up?

Whenever there is a well-reported crime, police investigators will tell you that there are large numbers of strange persons coming forth to “confess.” It has recently come to our attention that someone located in central California is now claiming to be the Brian Harring who writes for TBR News. This Brian Haring, who can be found at this email address: Brian D. Harring  ferringb@gentoo.org , is a 23 year old computer hacker working for the U.S. government as a special contractor. The Fresno, California, firm that employs him is staunchly Republican and very vocal supporters of Bush and his administration. This faux Harring has posted, on an obscure website, a file of alleged correspondence from TBR news but unfortunately, our Brian Harring is much older and works in Alexandria, Virginia. Furthermore, our Brian Harring would never “out” himself or boast of his hacking adventures on adversarial sites. And TBR News has never written to him. (We never heard of him until two days ago) Also, the faux Harring has a very serious problem with his literary efforts while our Harring went to a major Ivy League school and writes very well and very clearly. He can be contacted at: Brian Harring  brianharring@yahoo.com This has all the ham-handed pseudo cleverness of a Karl Rove ploy and one would think that the irate government could find someone more sophisticated than a 23 year old hacker with delusions of grandeur to discredit our increasingly successful efforts at exposing the DoD casualty fraud..  Ed.

Post scriptum: Since this was posted, we have received considerable information about a clandestine hacking ring that is even more sensational than the Harring revelations about the false DoD casualty lists. (See the Voice of the White House above. Ed)

Mr. Harring’s many readers will be interested to note that he is now working on the Depleted Uranium scandal in addition to his landmark work on the false DoD figures.

More to come…Ed

We have received, from the “non-genuine” Brian D. Harring, of Fresno, California, some communications, including the following one. The “non-genuine” Mr. Harring is a computer codes specialist with strong views on the conduct of the military in Iraq. Ed.

“TBR News-   I'm guessing you've been following w/ rapt attention to see just how and when the US is going to thrust itself onto something pointy as of late...

Either way, found some humor in the whole POW geneva conventions (can't show them in a humiliating manner.... err yeah, right, fuck that- if they're released alive with about the same number of limbs going in, no complaints).

What makes me snicker is this lil writeup/article

Thus far, the iraqi have been behaved regarding how prisoners are treated... of course, the US can't boast the same...bdh”

One Rule for Them ...

Does the US support the Geneva Convention or doesn't it?

By George Monbiot. Published in the Guardian 25th March 2003

Suddenly, the government of the United States has discovered the virtues of international law. It may be waging an illegal war against a sovereign state; it may be seeking to destroy every treaty which impedes its attempts to run the world, but when five of its captured soldiers were paraded in front of the Iraqi television cameras on Sunday, Donald Rumsfeld, the US defense secretary, immediately complained that "it is against the Geneva Convention to show photographs of prisoners of war in a manner that is humiliating for them."1

He is, of course, quite right. Article 13 of the third convention, concerning the treatment of prisoners, insists that they "must at all times be protected ... against insults and public curiosity."2 This may number among the less heinous of the possible infringements of the laws of war, but the conventions, ratified by Iraq in 1956, are non-negotiable. If you break them, you should expect to be prosecuted for war crimes.

This being so, Rumsfeld had better watch his back. For this enthusiastic convert to the cause of legal warfare is, as head of the defense department, responsible for a series of crimes sufficient, were he ever to be tried, to put him away for the rest of his natural life.

His prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba, where 641 men (nine of whom are British citizens) are held, breaches no fewer than 15 articles of the third convention. The US government broke the first of these (article 13) as soon as the prisoners arrived, by displaying them, just as the Iraqis have done, on television. In this case, however, they were not encouraged to address the cameras. They were kneeling on the ground, hands tied behind their backs, wearing blacked-out goggles and earphones. In breach of article 18, they had been stripped of their own clothes and deprived of their possessions. They were then interned in a penitentiary (against article 22), where they were denied proper mess facilities (26), canteens (28), religious premises (34), opportunities for physical exercise (38), access to the text of the convention (41), freedom to write to their families (70 and 71) and parcels of food and books (72).3

They were not "released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities" (118), because, the US authorities say, their interrogation might, one day, reveal interesting information about Al Qaeda. Article 17 rules that captives are obliged to give only their name, rank, number and date of birth. No "coercion may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever." In the hope of breaking them, however, the authorities have confined them to solitary cells and subjected them to what is now known as "torture lite": sleep deprivation and constant exposure to bright light.4 Unsurprisingly, several of the prisoners have sought to kill themselves, by smashing their heads against the walls or trying to slash their wrists with plastic cutlery.5

The US government claims that these men are not subject to the Geneva Conventions, as they are not "prisoners of war", but "unlawful combatants". The same claim could be made, with rather more justice, by the Iraqis holding the US soldiers who illegally invaded their country. But this re-definition is itself a breach of article 4 of the third convention, under which people detained as suspected members of a militia (the Taliban) or a volunteer corps (Al Qaeda) must be regarded as prisoners of war.

Even if there is doubt about how such people should be classified, article 5 insists that they "shall enjoy the protection of the present Convention until such time as their status has been determined by a competent tribunal."6 But when, earlier this month, lawyers representing sixteen of them demanded a court hearing, the US Court of Appeals ruled that as Guantanamo Bay is not sovereign US territory, the men have no constitutional rights. Many of these prisoners appear to have been working in Afghanistan as teachers, engineers or aid workers. If the US government either tried or released them, its embarrassing lack of evidence would be brought to light.

You would hesitate to describe these prisoners as lucky, unless you knew what had happened to some of the other men captured by the Americans and their allies in Afghanistan. On 21 November 2001, around 8,000 Taliban soldiers and Pashtun civilians surrendered at Konduz to the Northern Alliance commander General Abdul Rashid Dostum. Many of them have never been seen again. As Jamie Doran's film "Afghan Massacre - Convoy of Death" records, some hundreds, possibly thousands, of them were loaded into container lorries at Qala-i-Zeini, near the town of Mazar-i-Sharif, on 26 and 27 November.7 The doors were sealed and the lorries were left to stand in the sun for several days. At length, they departed for Sheberghan prison, 120 km away. The prisoners, many of whom were dying of thirst and asphyxiation, started banging on the sides of the trucks. Dostum's men stopped the convoy and machine-gunned the containers. When they arrived at Sheberghan, most of the captives were dead.8

The US Special Forces running the prison watched the bodies being unloaded. They instructed Dostum's men to "get rid of them before satellite pictures can be taken."9 Doran interviewed a Northern Alliance soldier guarding the prison. "I was a witness when an American soldier broke one prisoner's neck. The Americans did whatever they wanted. We had no power to stop them."10 Another soldier alleged, "They took the prisoners outside and beat them up and then returned them to the prison. But sometimes they were never returned and they disappeared."11

Many of the survivors were loaded back into the containers with the corpses, then driven out to a place in the desert called Dasht-i-Leili. In the presence of between 30 and 40 US Special Forces, both the living and the dead were dumped into ditches. Anyone who moved was shot. The German newspaper Die Zeit investigated the claims and concluded that "No one doubted that the Americans had taken part. Even at higher levels there are no doubts on this issue."12 The US group Physicians for Human Rights visited the places identified by Doran's witnesses and found that they "all ... contained human remains consistent with their designation as possible gravesites."13

It should not be necessary to point out that hospitality of this kind also contravenes the third Geneva convention, which prohibits "violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture", as well as extra-judicial execution. Donald Rumsfeld's department, assisted by a pliant media, has done all it can to suppress Jamie Doran's film, 14 while General Dostum has begun to assassinate his witnesses.15

It is not hard, therefore, to see why the US government fought first to prevent the establishment of the International Criminal Court and then to ensure that its own citizens are not subject to its jurisdiction. The five soldiers dragged in front of the cameras yesterday should thank their lucky stars that they are prisoners not of the American forces fighting for civilization, but of the "barbaric and inhuman" Iraqis.

www.monbiot.com

References:

1.                    Donald Rumsfeld, 23 March 2003. Transcript of CBS Face The Nation. United States Department of Defense. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2003/t03232003_t0323sdcbsface.html

2.                    Convention (III), relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

3.                    These were the conditions in Camp X-Ray. In Camp Delta, to which the prisoners have been moved, most of these omissions still appear to apply, and their confinement has become still stricter, though they are now permitted to exercise for two 15-minute sessions a week (Katty Kaye, 11 January 2003. No fast track at Guantanamo Bay. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/americas/2648547.stm). The Convention suggests that they should be able to exercise freely.

4.                    Duncan Campbell, 25 January 2003. US interrogators turn to 'torture lite'. The Guardian.

5.                    Frank Gardner, 24 August 2002. US bides its time in Guantanamo. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/from_our_own_correspondent/2212874.stm

6.                    Convention (III), as above.

7.                    Afghan Massacre - Convoy of Death, now available on video from ACFTV, Studio 241, 24-28 St Leonards Road, Windsor, SL4 3BB, United Kingdom. Or through www.acftv.net. All published details checked on March 24th 2003 with Jamie Doran.

8.                    ibid.

9.                    ibid.

10.                 ibid.

11.                 ibid

12.                 Giuliana Sgrena and Ulrich Ladurner, Masar-i-Scharif Während des Afghanistan-Feldzugs gab es in Masar-i-Scharif ein Massaker. Zeugen sagen, US-Soldaten hätten daran mitgewirkt. Ein Beweis ist das noch nicht. Eine Spurensuche. Die Zeit. No date given. The cited text appeared, in translation in: Peter Schwarz, 29 June 2002. Further evidence of a massacre of Taliban prisoners. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/jun2002/afgh-j29.shtml

13.              Physicians for Human Rights, 2002. Preliminary Assessment of Alleged

U.S.: 11 GIs charged with assault on suspected insurgents

BAGHDAD (AP) — Eleven American soldiers have been charged with violation of military law in connection with alleged assaults on suspected insurgents captured in the Baghdad area, the U.S. command announced Saturday.

A U.S. statement said the charges, which were filed Wednesday, followed a complaint by a soldier assigned to Task Force Baghdad that "other soldiers had allegedly assaulted some suspected terrorists."

"None of the insurgents required medical treatment for injuries related to the alleged assault," the statement added. "Only one of the suspected terrorists remains in custody of coalition forces at this time."

Names of the soldiers and their unit were not released, and the statement gave no further details of the alleged assaults.

U.S. and Iraqi soldiers have been involved in a major counterinsurgency mission in Baghdad — Operation Lightning — since May 28. The operation is credited with reducing suicide car bombings in the capital, despite a wave of attacks Friday that killed more than 30 people, including some attackers.

The operation involves sweeps through neighborhoods known as insurgent hotspots and raids of suspected rebel safe houses. About 1,700 people have been rounded up since the end of May but some 500 of them have been released, Iraqi officials said this week.

According to the U.S. statement, the Army's Criminal Investigation Division has begun an investigation into the allegations. The outcome will determine whether prosecutors recommend that the senior command here order the soldiers to stand trial.

"All Task Force Baghdad soldiers are expected to act appropriately and to treat all persons under their control with dignity and respect. Allegations of illegal activities will always be thoroughly investigated," said Lt. Col. Clifford Kent, a Task Force Baghdad spokesman. "The unit involved has been pulled off line to complete the inquiry and retraining."

U.S. commanders have been especially sensitive to alleged mistreatment of detainees since the abuse of inmates at Abu Ghraib prison triggered a major scandal involving America's handling of prisoners both here and in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Bush Butcher’s Bill: Officially, 40 US Military Deaths in Iraq from 1 through 17 July, 2005 – Official Total of 1,881 US Dead to date (and rising)

U.S. Military Personnel who died in German hospitals or en route to German hospitals have very rarely been counted. They total about 6,210 as of 1 January, 2005. The ongoing, underreporting of the dead in Iraq, is not accurate. The DoD is deliberately reducing the figures. A review of many foreign news sites show that actual deaths are far higher than the newly reduced ones.  Iraqi civilian casualties are never reported but International Red Cross, Red Crescent and UN figures indicate that as of 1 January 2005, the numbers are just under 100,000.

by Brian Harring, Domestic Intelligence Reporter brianharring@yahoo.com

Note: There is excellent reason to believe that the Department of Defense is deliberately not reporting a significant number of the dead in Iraq. We have received copies of manifests from the MATS that show far more bodies shipped into Dover AFP than are reported officially. The educated rumor is that the actual death toll is in excess of 7,000. Given the officially acknowledged number of over 15,000 seriously wounded (and a published total of 25,000 wounded overall,), this elevated death toll is far more realistic than the current 1,800+ now being officially published. When our research is complete, and watertight, we will publish the results along with the sources In addition to the evident falsification of the death rolls, at least 5,500 American military personnel have deserted, most in Ireland but more have escaped to Canada and other European countries, none of whom are inclined to cooperate with vengeful American authorities. (See TBR News of 18 February for full coverage on the mass desertions) This means that of the 158,000 U.S. military shipped to Iraq, 26,000 deserted, were killed or seriously wounded. The DoD lists currently being very quietly circulated indicate almost 9,000 dead, over 16,000 seriously wounded (This figure is now over 24,000 Ed) and a large number of suicides, forced hospitalization for ongoing drug usage and sales, murder of Iraqi civilians and fellow soldiers, rapes, courts martial and so on –

I have a copy of the official DoD Army/Iraq casualty list. I am alphabetizing it with the reported date of death following. TBR will post this list and when this is circulated widely by veteran groups and other concerned sites, if people who do not see their loved one’s names, are requested to inform their Congressman, their local paper, us and other concerned people as soon as possible.

The government gets away with these huge lies because they claim, falsely, that only soldiers actually killed on the ground in Iraq are reported. The dying and critically wounded are listed as en route to military hospitals outside of the country and not reported on the daily postings. Anyone who dies just as the transport takes off from the Baghdad airport is not listed and neither are those who die in the US military hospitals. Their families are certainly notified that their son, husband, brother or lover was dead and the bodies, or what is left of them (refrigeration is very bad in Iraq what with constant power outages) are shipped home, to Dover AFB. This, we note, was the overall policy until very recently. Since it became well known that many had died at Landstuhl, in Germany, the DoD began to list a very few soldiers who had died at other non-theater locations. These numbers are only for show and are pathetically small in relationship to the actual figures (which we are now publishing.) You ought to realize that President Bush personally ordered that no pictures be taken of the coffined and flag-draped dead under any circumstances. He claims that this is to comfort the bereaved relatives but is designed to keep the huge number of arriving bodies secret. Any civilian, or military personnel, taking pictures will be jailed at once and prosecuted. Bush has never attended any kind of a memorial service for his dead soldiers and never will. He is terrified some parent might curse him in front of the press or, worse, attack him. As Bush is a coward and in denial, this is not a surprise.

This listing program is finished so act accordingly. If there is an actual variance of, say, 10 names, that is acceptable. 50 would indicate sloppiness and anything over 100 a positive sign of lying. As of June 16, TBR has received 32 new, unlisted names.

Brian Harring

Haven’t we had enough of this? (according to our email, 95% of our viewers’ responses to Mr. Harring’s explosive investigations have commented that they have certainly had enough. We have also been flooded with additions to the casualty lists that have to be carefully checked before an over future posting.  Ed)

Official DoD Casualty List for July, 2005

1

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Manny Hornedo, 27, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died June 28 in Tikrit, Iraq, where a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV while conducting convoy operations.  Hornedo was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1569th Transportation Company, New York, N.Y.

2

The Department of Defense announced today the death of eight soldiers and eight sailors who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Soldiers killed were: SSgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio. Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minn. Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Fla. Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind.

MSgt James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tenn. Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Conn. Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Va. Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla.

All of these soldiers were assigned to the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Ga. Sailors killed were: Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La. Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, N.H. Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, Calif. Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Ore. Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30, of Portville, N.Y. Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla. Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, W.Va. Healy, Patton and Suh were assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Fontan, Kristensen, Lucas, McGreevy and Taylor were assigned to SEAL Team Ten, Virginia Beach, Va. All 16 were killed while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that they were aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province on June 28.

4

Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Ryan J. Montgomery, 22, of Greensburg, Ky., died July 3 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV while his unit was conducting convoy operations.  Montgomery was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery Regiment, Campbellsville, Ky.

5

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Rafael A. Carrillo, Jr., 21, of Boys Ranch, Texas, died June 28 in Baghdad, Iraq, where an enemy mortar detonated near his HMMWV.  Carrillo was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Sgt. Chad M. Mercer, 25, of Waycross, Ga., died June 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, where his M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle rolled over while conducting combat operations.  Mercer was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, Fitzgerald, Ga.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Staff Sgt. Jeremy A. Brown, 26, of Mabscott, W.Va., died July 3 in Mosul Iraq, from injuries sustained earlier that day in Tal Afar, Iraq, where the HMMWV in which he was riding accidentally rolled over.  Brown was assigned to the Army's 66th Military Intelligence Company, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

6

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two sailors who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colo.  Dietz was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two, Virginia Beach, Va. Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y.  Murphy was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Both died while conducting counter-terrorism operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.  Coalition forces located the service members while conducting a combat search and rescue operation July 4 in Kunar Province.  Both sailors’ whereabouts had been unknown since June 28.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  They died on July 5, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations.  Both soldiers were assigned to 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo. Killed were:Staff Sgt. Scottie L. Bright, 36, of Montgomery, Ala.Cpl. Lyle J. Cambridge, 23, of Shiprock, N.M.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Christopher W. Dickison, 26, of Seattle, Wa., died July 5, in Baqubah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol.  Dickison was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pvt. Anthony M. Mazzarella, 22, of Blue Springs, Mo., died July 5, in Taji, Iraq, when the HMMWV in which he was riding accidentally rolled over.  Mazzarella was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment, 1st Armor Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

10

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Deyson K. Cariaga, 20, of Honolulu, Hawaii, died on July 8, in Al Hammadi, Iraq, when the HMMWV in which he was riding struck a land mine.  Cariaga was assigned to the Army National Guard's 229th Military Intelligence Company, 29th Separate Infantry Brigade, Oahu, Kalaeloa, Hawaii

11

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Goodrich, 32, of Allegheny, Pa.Lance Cpl. Ryan J. Kovacicek, 22, of Washington, Pa.

Both Marines died July 10 from enemy indirect fire while conducting combat operations in Hit, Iraq.  They were assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3^rd Battalion, 25^th Marine Regiment, 4^th Marine Division, Moundsville, W.Va.  During Operation Iraqi Freedom their unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team-2, 2^nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, 29, of Cupertino, Calif, died while conducting counter-terrorism operations in Kunar province, Afghanistan.  Coalition forces located the service member while conducting a combat search and rescue operation July 10 in Kunar province.  Axelson was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

12

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.Lance Cpl. Kevin B. Joyce, 19, of Ganado, Ariz., died June 25 after falling into the Pech River while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 2^nd Battalion, 3^rd Marine Regiment, 3^rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Spc. Hoby F. Bradfield Jr., 22, of The Woodlands, Texas, died July 9 in Tal Afar, Iraq while he was conducting a dismounted cordon search.  Bradfield was assigned to the Army’s 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Pfc. Eric P. Woods, 26, of Omaha, Neb., died on July 9 in Tal Afar, Iraq.  His HMMWV struck an improvised explosive device that caused the vehicle to overturn.  Woods was in the area to evacuate another soldier who had been wounded.  Woods was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

13

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Sgt. Timothy J. Sutton, 22, of Springfield, Mo., died on July 11 in Baghdad, Iraq, where his HMMWV struck a land mine.  Sutton was assigned to the Army's 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

14

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Benyahmin B. Yahudah, 24, of Bogart, Ga., died on July 13 in Baghdad, Iraq, where a vehicle borne improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol.  Yahudah was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

17

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Tricia L. Jameson, 34, of Omaha, Neb., died on July 14 in Trebil, Iraq.  Jameson, a health care specialist was responding to a casualty incident when a secondary improvised explosive device detonated near her location. Jameson was assigned to 313th Medical Company, Army National Guard, Lincoln, Neb.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Timothy J. Hines, Jr., 21, of Fairfield, Ohio, died on July 14 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from wounds sustained on June 19 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV.   Hines was assigned to the 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Jared D. Hartley, 22, of Newkirk, Okla., died July 15 in Taji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Hartley was assigned to the 125th Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Travis S. Cooper, 24, of Macon, Miss., died on July 16, in Balad, Iraq, from wounds sustained the previous day in Baghdad, Iraq, when an inprovised explosive device exploded near the vehicle he was searching. Cooper was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment, Starkville, Miss.

The Full, Official U.S. Army Iraqi Casualty list, Alphabetized

This is a fully alphabetized list of the official number of U.S. Army dead in Iraq from the beginning of the Iraqi war through June 6, 2005.

There are many more deaths that have not appeared on the official lists because the DoD has taken the tricky tack of loading dying and probable fatalities onto aircraft and flying them out of Iraq to bases and hospitals outside of that country. So, if a GI is dying or has every expectation of dying, he or she is loaded on an aircraft and their subsequent deaths are not publicly reported as “Combat Deaths.” Of course the families or survivors are certainly notified of the death but the public is not.

The purpose of publishing this alphabetical name list (which I will update monthly) is to encourage the families and friends of survivors to contact us with the names of these unreported casualties.

We suggest supplying the name, rank and unit of the individual as well as contact information for verification.

We have encountered serious objections to our publishing the original DoD pdf file that lists the actual dead, injured, deserters and so on so we are getting around this by publishing the original cover page and then reformatting the information contained inside the cover.

Because there are over a hundred pages of the dead alone, this project will take some time because I am doing it myself, without any assistance and please do not volunteer to assist me.

And to those who keep writing to me in care of TBR News wanting to know my name and address “so they can help me” or “because if you don’t give me your name, SS number and address, I just can’t believe a word you say.” I can tell you that I have been around the academic world long enough to have learned not to give away my lengthy research to someone eager to get the credit, and the money, for my work.

They say that for an academic (or any writer for that matter) to steal from one person is plagiarism while stealing from many (like the late Steven Ambrose) is really research.  And yes, I am working on a book and yes, I have a publisher so be good enough to bug off and do your own work.

As far as the demanders of my name and address are concerned, go spy on your neighbors and then run, panting, to the FBI to get your plastic G-Man pin and tin toy badge. Or better still, stick your head in a chipper and turn it on.

And to the hysterical and jealous bloggers who claim I don’t exist or are made out of paper, I wish you would stop babbling because I laugh so hard I get a stricture. A word of advice to same: Take your Midol like good little girls and kiss the rabbit goodnight.

Brian Harring

For list: Click here

The U.S. Department of Defense Casualty Statistics-

I have put together a comprehensive analysis of the Iraqi War casualties from the beginning of the war in March of 2003 and continuing through the occupation and resistance to date.. I show a chronology supported with documents of the official death lists, and the then the official Supplemental List  of the actual deaths and injuries from the DoD The actual death tolls are far in excess of the official ones posted by the DoD. They have initially not publicly reported any deaths outside the theater of operations, i.e., hospital deaths at Walter Reed, Landstuhl in Germany and so on., however, with increasing negative publicity, the DoD is now including a very few names of military personnel who have died in hospital out of theater.

Note: We have been sent, by:  http://icasualties.org/oif/Dow.aspx,  the following “official” Pentagon list of all U.S. military personnel who have died in all military hospitals “outside the Iraqi theater” since the beginning of the war. This list indicates that only 25 soldiers have died since March of 2003 in the Landstuhl Military Hospital center ion Germany and 34 more in other medical facilities! Note that the DoD has released the figures of over 15,000 wounded sent to the Landstuhl facility alone since March of 2003 and for anyone but a Republican hawk to believe this ludicrous farce is asking too much of the American people.

Official and Actual Casualties of the Iraqi/Afghanistan War:

December,  2003  Part 8

Official DoD Casualty list of  December, 2003

1

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Aaron J. Sissel, 22, of Tipton, Iowa, was killed on Nov. 29 in Haditha, Iraq. Sissel was traveling in a convoy when his vehicle was hit by enemy fire. The Soldier died as a result of his injuries. Sissel was assigned to the 2133rd Transportation Company, Army National Guard, based in Centerville, Iowa. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Stephen A. Bertolino, 40, of Orange, Calif., was killed on Nov. 29 in Haditha, Iraq. Bertolino was traveling in a convoy when his vehicle was hit by enemy fire. He died as a result of his injuries. Bertolino was assigned to Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Troop, Regimental Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based in Fort Carson, Colo. The incident is under investigation.

2

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Uday Singh, 21, of Lake Forest, Ill., was killed on Dec. 1 in Habbaniyah, Iraq. Singh died of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his patrol. Singh was assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, based in Fort Riley, Kan. The incident is under investigation.

3

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Raphael S. Davis, 24, of Tutwiler, Miss., was killed Dec. 2 in Tampa, Iraq. Davis died of injuries suffered when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Davis was assigned to B Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion, Army National Guard, based in Calhoun City, Miss. The incident is under investigation

4

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Ryan C. Young, 21, of Corona, Calif., died on Dec. 2 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., of wounds he received Nov. 8 in Fallujah, Iraq.  Young died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle.  Young was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, based in Fort Riley, Kan. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Chief Warrant Officer Clarence E. Boone, 50, of Fort Worth, Texas, died on Dec. 2 in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Boone died as a result of a non-combat related injury.   Boone was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Infantry Division, based in Fort Hood, Texas. The incident is under investigation.

8

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Arron R. Clark, 20, of Chico, Calif., was killed on Dec. 5 in Baghdad, Iraq.  Clark was on a convoy mission when an improvised explosive device detonated.  He died as a result of his injuries.  Clark was assigned to the 440th Signal Battalion, 22nd Signal Brigade, V Corps, based in Darmstadt, Germany. The incident is under investigation.

9

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Ray J. Hutchinson, 20, of League City, Texas, was killed Dec. 7 in Mosul, Iraq.  Hutchinson was returning from a patrol when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle.  He died as a result of his injuries. Hutchinson was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Jason G. Wright, 19, of Luzerne, Mich., was killed Dec. 8 in Mosul, Iraq. Wright was on security duty when his vehicle came under fire from a passing vehicle.  Wright died as a result of his injuries. Wright was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. The incident is under investigation.

11

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.   The soldiers were killed on Dec. 8 in Ad Duluiyah, Iraq, when their vehicle flipped into a canal.  The soldiers are: Staff Sgt. Steven H. Bridges, 33, of Tracy, Calif. Spc. Joseph M. Blickenstaff, 23, of Corvallis, Ore. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Christopher J. Rivera Wesley, 26, of Portland, Ore., died Dec. 8 in Ad Duluiyah, Iraq. Wesley was in a Stryker vehicle when it flipped into a canal.  He died as a result of his injuries. Wesley was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based in Fort Lewis, Wash. The incident is under investigation.

12

The Department of Defense announced today the identity of an Army soldier supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom who has been listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN). Spc. Todd M. Bates, 20, of Bellaire, Ohio, was on a river patrol on the Tigris River south of Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 10 when his squad leader fell overboard.   Bates dived into the water and did not surface.   Bates has been placed in duty status whereabouts unknown.  He is assigned to the 135th Military Police Company, Army National Guard based in Brookpark, Ohio. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Aaron T. Reese, 31, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, died Dec. 10 south of Baghdad, Iraq. Reese was on a river patrol on the Tigris River when he fell overboard. Reese was assigned to the 135th Military Police Company, Army National Guard based in Brookpark, Ohio. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Richard A. Burdick, 24, of National City, Calif., was killed Dec. 10 in Mosul, Iraq.   Burdick was in a convoy when his vehicle was hit by an improvise explosive device.   He died as a result of his wounds.   Burdick was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based in Fort Campbell, Ky. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Jerrick M. Petty, 25, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was killed Dec. 10 in Mosul, Iraq.  While guarding a gas station, Petty was attacked by enemy forces.  He died of his injuries.  Petty was assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. The incident is under investigation.

14

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Jeffrey F. Braun, 19, of Stafford, Conn., died Dec. 12, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq.  Braun died from a non-hostile gunshot wound.  Braun was assigned to Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, N.C. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spec. Marshall L. Edgerton, 27, of Rocky Face, Ga., was killed Dec. 11 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Edgerton was killed when his camp was attacked with an improvised explosive device.  He died of his injuries.  Edgerton was assigned to Company A, 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, N.C. The incident is under investigation.

15

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Jarrod W. Black, 26, of Peru, Ind., was killed Dec. 12, 2003, in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.  Black's convoy was hit by an IED.  Black died of his injuries.  Black was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment based in Fort Riley, Kan. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Rian C. Ferguson, 22, of Taylors, S.C., died Dec. 14, 2003, outside forward operating base Quinn, Iraq.  Ferguson fell from the light medium tactical vehicle in which he was a passenger.  Ferguson died of his injuries.  Ferguson was assigned to the Regimental Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment based in Fort Carson, Colo. The incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Kimberly A. Voelz, 27, of Carlisle, Pa., was killed Dec. 14, 2003, in Iskandariyah, Iraq.  Voelz was responding to an explosive ordnance disposal call when an improvised explosive device detonated.  Voelz was assigned to the 703rd Explosive Ordnance Detachment based in Fort Knox, Ky. The incident is under investigation.

16

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Kenneth C. Souslin, 21, of Mansfield, Ohio, died Dec. 15 at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq.  Souslin died of non-combat related injuries.  He was assigned to the 440th Signal Company, 22nd Signal Brigade, V Corps, Darmstadt, Germany. The incident is under investigation

17

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Nathan W. Nakis, 19, of Corvallis, Ore., died on Dec. 16 in Mosul, Iraq.   Nakis was in a convoy returning to Mosul when he lost control of his vehicle after driving through an oil-soaked area. Nakis was assigned to Company B, 52nd Engineer Battalion (Heavy), Army National Guard, based in Albany, Ore. The incident is under investigation.

19

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Christopher J. Holland, 26, of Brunswick, Ga., was killed on Dec. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq.  Holland was part of a dismounted patrol when his unit was ambushed with small arms fire.  He died as a result of his injuries.  Holland was assigned to Battery A, 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division, based in Smith Barracks, Germany. The incident is under investigation.

22

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Charles E. Bush Jr., 43, of Buffalo, N.Y., was killed on Dec. 19 in Balad, Iraq.  Bush was in a convoy when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.  Bush was assigned to the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, 352nd Civil Affairs Command, U.S. Army Reserve, based in Riverdale Park, Md. The incident is under investigation.

he Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Glenn R. Allison, 24, of Pittsfield, Mass., died on Dec. 18 in Baghdad, Iraq. Allison died during physical training.  Allison was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Drum, N.Y. The incident is under investigation.

23

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldiers were killed on Dec. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device struck their convoy.  Killed were: 1st Lt. Edward M. Saltz, 27, U.S. Army Reserve, of Bigfork, Mont., and Pfc. Stuart W. Moore, 21, of Livingston, Texas. Both Soldiers were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division, based in Giessen, Germany. The incident is under investigation.

26

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. Theodore L. Perreault, 33, of Webster, Mass., died on Dec. 23, 2003, in Camp Bulkeley, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  Perreault died of non-combat related injuries.  Perreault was assigned to 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard, Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Command Sgt. Major Eric F. Cooke, 43, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was killed on Dec. 24, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq.  Cooke was in a convoy vehicle that struck an improvised explosive device.  Cooke was assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, based in Ray Barracks, Friedberg, Germany. This incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The soldiers were killed on Dec. 24, when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device on Highway One near Samarra, Iraq. Killed were: Maj. Christopher J. Splinter, 43, of Platteville, Wis. Capt. Christopher F. Soelzer, 26, of South Dakota. Sgt. Benjamin W. Biskie, 27, of Vermilion, Ohio. The soldiers were assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, based in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. This incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Michael E. Yashinski, 24, of Monument, Colo., died on Dec. 24, 2003, in Kirkuk, Iraq.  Yashinski died of injuries sustained while running a communication wire.  Yashinski was assigned to the 501st Forward Support Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy. This incident is under investigation.

27

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The soldiers were killed on Dec. 25 in Baquba, Iraq, when their living area came under mortar attack.   Killed were: Staff Sgt. Thomas W. Christensen, 42, of Atlantic Mine, Mich. Staff Sgt. Stephen C. Hattamer, 43, of Gwinn, Mich. The soldiers were assigned to the 652nd Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, based in Ellsworth, Wis. This incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Charles G. Haight, 23, of Jacksonville, Ala., was killed on Dec. 26, 2003, in Iraq.  Haight was in a convoy vehicle which struck an improvised explosive device.  Haight was assigned to the 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Group, based in Fort Lewis, Wash. This incident is under investigation.

28

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Michael G. Mihalakis, 18, of San Jose, Calif., died on Dec. 26, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq.  Mihalakis died as a result of injuries sustained in a non-combat vehicle accident at the Baghdad International Airport.  Mihalakis was assigned to the 270th Military Police Company, 49th Military Police Battalion, 100th Troop Command, California Combat Support Command, Army National Guard, based in Fairfield, Calif. This incident is under investigation.

29

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pvt. Rey D. Cuervo, 24, of Laguna Vista, Texas, was killed on Dec. 28 in Baghdad, Iraq.  Cuervo was on a mounted patrol when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle._ _ Cuervo was assigned to 1st Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based in Fort Polk, La. This incident is under investigation.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Curt E. Jordan, Jr., 25, of Green Acres, Wash., died on Dec. 28 near Bayji, Iraq.  Jordan died of non-combat injuries.  Jordan was assigned to the 14th Combat Engineer Battalion (Corps) (Wheeled), 555th Combat Engineer Group, based in Fort Lewis, Wash. This incident is under investigation.

30

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Capt. Ernesto M. Blanco, 28, of Texas, was killed on Dec. 28, in Qaryat Ash Shababi, Iraq.  Blanco was conducting a support mission when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle. Blanco was assigned to 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, N.C. This incident is under investigation.

 For Supplemental List Click Here

Note: Here is a heartwarming article by a true conservative. God bless them for their compassion and understanding. Without them, America might be great once again.  -Brian Harring

Boots on the Ground, Hearts on Their Sleeves

by David Brooks
Op-Ed Page, New York Times
December 2, 2003

Soldiers in all wars are called upon to be heroes, but our men and women in Iraq are called upon to define a new sort of heroism. First, they must endure the insanity of war, fighting off fedayeen ambushes, withstanding the suicide bombings and mortars, kicking down doors and searching homes.

But a day or an hour or a few minutes later, they are called upon to enter an opposite moral universe. They are asked to pass out textbooks, improvise sewer systems and help with budgets. Some sit in on town council meetings to help keep the discussions on track. Some act like foundation program officers, giving seed money to promising local initiatives.

Trained as trigger-pullers, many are also asked in theater to be consultants and aldermen. They are John Wayne, but also Jane Addams.

Can anybody think of another time in history when a comparable group of young people was asked to be at once so brave, fierce and relentless, while also being so sympathetic, creative and forbearing?

When you read the dispatches from Iraq, or the online diaries many soldiers keep, or the e-mail they send home, you quickly sense how hard it is to commute between these two universes. Yet the most important achievements seem to occur on the border between chaos and normalcy.

At spontaneous moments, when order threatens to break down, the soldiers, aviators and marines jump in and coach the Iraqis on the customs and habits of democracy. They try to weave that fabric of civic trust that can't be written into law, but without which freedom becomes anarchy.

For example, in a New Yorker article, George Packer describes an incident in the life of Capt. John Prior. He was inside a gas station when a commotion erupted outside. A mob of people was furiously accusing a man of butting in line and stealing gasoline. Prior established that the man was merely a government inspector checking the quality of the fuel. Frazzled and exhausted, Prior took the chance to teach the mob a broader lesson: "The problem is that you people accuse each other without proof! That's the problem!"

Another soldier, who keeps a Weblog, collects toys and passes them out to Iraqi children. He brought a pile of toys to an orphanage, but the paid staff at the place rushed the pile to grab the toys for themselves — "like sharks in a feeding frenzy," he writes. He has learned that if he stations himself with an M-16 over the toys, things go smoothly.

Another soldier writes of his dismay at seeing Iraqi parents give their kids toy guns as presents after Ramadan. He wonders, Haven't they had enough death? Don't they realize how dangerous it is for a kid to wander the street with a piece of plastic that looks like an AK-47?

When you read the diaries and the postings of the soldiers in Iraq, you see how exhausted they are. You see that their feelings about the Iraqis are as contradictory as the Iraqis' feelings about them. You see their frustration and yearning to go home.

But despite all this, their epic bouts of complaining are interrupted by bursts of idealism. Most of them seem to feel, deep down, some elemental respect for the Iraqis and sympathy for what they have endured. Far more than the population at home, the soldiers in the middle of the conflict believe in their mission and are confident they will succeed.

When you read their writings you see what thorough democrats they are. They are appalled at the thought of dominating Iraq. They want to see the Iraqis independent and governing themselves. If some president did want to create an empire, he couldn't do it with these people. Their faith in freedom governs their actions.

Most of all, you see what a challenging set of tasks they have been given, and how short-staffed they are. And yet you sense that in this war, as in so many others, the improvising skill of the soldiers on the ground will make up for the cosmic screw-ups of the people up the chain of command.

If anybody is wondering: Where are the young idealists? Where are the people willing to devote themselves to causes larger than themselves? They are in uniform in Iraq, straddling the divide between insanity and order.

Illustrations of Grateful Iraqi Children, not accompanying article

Photos RWH Archive

128,000 Iraqis killed: 55% women & Children
July 18, 2005
United Press International

An Iraqi humanitarian organization is reporting that 128,000 Iraqis have been killed since the U.S. invasion began in March 2003.

Mafkarat al-Islam reported that chairman of the 'Iraqiyun humanitarian organization in Baghdad, Dr. Hatim al-'Alwani, said that the toll includes everyone who has been killed since that time, adding that 55 percent of those killed have been women and children aged 12 and under.

'Iraqiyun obtained data from relatives and families of the deceased, as well as from Iraqi hospitals in all the country's provinces. The 128,000 figure only includes those whose relatives have been informed of their deaths and does not include those were abducted, assassinated or simply disappeared.

The Great Depleted Uranium Scandal

Edited by Brian Harring, Domestic Intelligence Reporter

June 18, 2005

DU is what is left over after ordinary uranium has been enriched for use either in nuclear weapons or in reactors.

It is used in shells and projectiles to enhance their armor-piercing capacity.

When depleted uranium round strikes a solid object like a tank, it bursts into a burning spray of radioactive dust.

This dust can remain on site for years, and is claimed to have caused disease in both soldiers using the munitions and in the local populations affected.

The Iraqis claim US and British troops fired more than 940,000 depleted uranium projectiles during the 1991 conflict.

They were also used against Yugoslav tanks and other targets in Kosovo.

America and British coalition forces are using depleted uranium (DU) shells in the war against Iraq and deliberately flouting a United Nations resolution which classifies the munitions as illegal weapons of mass destruction

DU contaminates land, causes ill health and cancers among the soldiers using the weapons, the armies they target and civilians, leading to birth defects in children.

Professor Doug Rokke, ex-director of the Pentagon's depleted uranium project -- a former professor of environmental science at Jacksonville University and onetime US army colonel who was tasked by the US department of defense with the post-first Gulf war depleted uranium desert clean-up -- said use of DU was a 'war crime'.

Rokke said: 'There is a moral point to be made here. This war was about Iraq possessing illegal weapons of mass destruction -- yet we are using weapons of mass destruction ourselves.' He added: 'Such double-standards are repellent.'

According to a August 2002 report by the UN sub commission, laws which are breached by the use of DU shells include: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the Charter of the United Nations; the Genocide Convention; the Convention Against Torture; the four Geneva Conventions of 1949; the Conventional Weapons Convention of 1980; and the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, which expressly forbid employing 'poison or poisoned weapons' and 'arms, projectiles or materials calculated to cause unnecessary suffering'. All of these laws are designed to spare civilians from unwarranted suffering in armed conflicts.

DU has been blamed for the effects of Gulf war syndrome -- typified by chronic muscle and joint pain, fatigue and memory loss -- among 200,000 US soldiers after the 1991 conflict.

It is also cited as the most likely cause of the 'increased number of birth deformities and cancer in Iraq' following the first Gulf war.

'Cancer appears to have increased between seven and 10 times and deformities between four and six times,' according to the UN sub commission.

The Pentagon has admitted that 320 metric tons of DU were left on the battlefield after the first Gulf war, although Russian military experts say 1000 metric tons is a more accurate figure.

In 1991, the Allies fired 944,000 DU rounds or some 2700 tons of DU tipped bombs. A UK Atomic Energy Authority report said that some 500,000 people would die before the end of this century, due to radioactive debris left in the desert.

The use of DU has also led to birth defects in the children of Allied veterans and is believed to be the cause of the 'worrying number of anophthalmos cases -- babies born without eyes' in Iraq. Only one in 50 million births should be anophthalmic, yet one Baghdad hospital had eight cases in just two years. Seven of the fathers had been exposed to American DU anti-tank rounds in 1991. There have also been cases of Iraqi babies born without the crowns of their skulls, a deformity also linked to DU shelling.

A study of Gulf war veterans showed that 67% had children with severe illnesses, missing eyes, blood infections, respiratory problems and fused fingers.

Rokke said: 'A nation's military personnel cannot willfully contaminate any other nation, cause harm to persons and the environment and then ignore the consequences of their actions.

'To do so is a crime against humanity.

'We must do what is right for the citizens of the world -- ban DU.'

He called on the US and UK to 'recognize the immoral consequences of their actions and assume responsibility for medical care and thorough environmental remediation'.

He added: 'We can't just use munitions which leave a toxic wasteland behind them and kill indiscriminately.

'It is equivalent to a war crime.'

Rokke said that coalition troops were currently fighting in the Gulf without adequate respiratory protection against DU contamination.

Predictably, both the Pentagon and the British Ministry of Defense officially deny that there is any significant danger from exposure to DU ammunition. And while it is conceivable that the US led attacks on Iraq's nuclear power stations could be a contributory factor, most researchers point to DU as the most likely source of both deformities and cancers. The rising number of cases in Iraq, particularly in the South where the greatest concentration of DU was fired, is simply staggering. Iraqi physicians have never encountered anything like it, and have made the perfectly reasonable point that similar increases in cancer and deformities were experienced in Japan after the two US atomic bomb attacks. Cancer has increased between 7 and 10 fold; deformities between 4 and 6 fold.

Yet the US was well aware of the potential effects on civilians and military personnel of the chemical toxicity and radiological properties of DU ammunition long before the Gulf war began, as the following excerpts of a US Army document categorically state:

"Aerosol DU (Depleted Uranium) exposures to soldiers on the battlefield could be significant with potential radiological and toxicological effects. [...] Under combat conditions, the most exposed individuals are probably ground troops that re-enter a battlefield following the exchange of armor-piercing munitions. [...] We are simply highlighting the potential for levels of DU exposure to military personnel during combat that would be unacceptable during peacetime operations. [...DU is..]... a low level alpha radiation emitter which is linked to cancer when exposures are internal, [and] chemical toxicity causing kidney damage. [...] Short-term effects of high doses can result in death, while long-term effects of low doses have been linked to cancer. [...] Our conclusion regarding the health and environmental acceptability of DU penetrators assume both controlled use and the presence of excellent health physics management practices. Combat conditions will lead to the uncontrolled release of DU. [...] The conditions of the battlefield, and the long term health risks to natives and combat veterans may become issues in the acceptability of the continued use of DU kinetic penetrators for military applications."

- Excerpts from the July 1990 Science and Applications International Corporation report: ' Kinetic Energy Penetrator Environment and Health Considerations', as included in Appendix D - US Army Armaments, Munitions and Chemical Command report: 'Kinetic Energy Penetrator Long Term Strategy Study, July 1990'

The US was also well aware of the long-term dangers of DU contamination, and played it down, as the following memo and document make clear:

"There has been and continues to be a concern regarding the impact of DU on the environment. Therefore, if no one makes a case for the effectiveness of DU on the battlefield, DU rounds may become politically unacceptable and thus be deleted from the arsenal. I believe we should keep this sensitive issue in mind when action reports are written."

- Lt. Col. M.V. Ziehmn, Los Alamos National Laboratory memorandum, March 1st 1991

"Soldiers may be incidentally exposed to DU from dust and smoke on the battlefield. The Army Surgeon General has determined that it is unlikely that these soldiers will receive a significant internal DU exposure. Medical follow-up is not warranted for soldiers who experience incidental exposure from dust or smoke. [...] Since DU weapons are openly available on the world arms market, DU weapons will be used in future conflicts. The number of DU patients on future battlefields probably will be significantly higher because other countries will use systems containing DU. [...] DU is a low-level radioactive waste, and, therefore, must be disposed of in a licensed repository. [...] No international law, treaty, regulation, or custom requires the United States to remediate the Persian Gulf war battlefields."

- Report by the US Army Environmental Policy Institute: 'Health and Consequences of Depleted Uranium use in the US army', June 1995

Following the end of the Second World War, both Germans and Japanese military personnel were tried, and very often executed, for identical activities. They lost, it should be noted, but the outcome in Iraq is far from certain.

What hath the DoD Wrought!