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How the U.S. Army Kills Its Own Soldiers A horrifying, exclusive report from JoAnn Wypijewski on the grim secrets of Fort Sill, Oklahoma. How a sadistic drill sergeant tortured basic trainees, amid brutal indifference that led to the death on March 19,2006,of 21-year-old PFC Matthew Scarano. Dead Movement Marching? Cockburn and St Clair assess the failures of the national antiwar groups, even as popular opposition to the war tops 60 per cent. Stalin or Confucius? Chris Reed on the Secrets of the Garden of Bliss, otherwise known as North Korea. CounterPunch Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember, we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition of CounterPunch. Please support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation for the online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! |
Today's Stories March 27, 2006 Patrick
Cockburn March 25 / 26, 2006 Alexander
Cockburn Patrick
Cockburn Ralph
Nader Christopher
Reed Jeff
Ballinger Joseph
Massad Brian
Cloughley Chris
Floyd Elaine
Cassel Dave
Zirin John
Chuckman Sharon
Smith Christopher
Fons Chris
Kromm John
Bomar Ron
Jacobs Maymanah
Farhat St.
Clair / Walker / Vest Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
March 24, 2006 Cockburn
/ Sengupta / Duff P. Sainath Todd
Chretien Marty
Omoto Michael
Carmichael Peter
Phillips Gabriel
Kolko Website
of the Day
March 23, 2006 Charles
V. Peña Joe
DeRaymond Robert
Fisk Jonathan
Cook Tom
Engelhardt Joshua
Frank Norman
Solomon Robert
Fitch / Joe Allen Patrick
Cockburn CounterPunch
News Service Website
of the Day
March 22, 2006 David
MacMichael Juan
Santos Paul
Craig Roberts Patrick
Cockburn Ramzy
Baroud Jason
Leopold Dennis
Perrin William
Blum Jeffrey
St. Clair Website
of the Day
March 21, 2006 Paul
Craig Roberts Winslow
Wheeler Tom
Engelhardt Arnold
Oliver Earl
Ofari Hutchinson Mike
Whitney William
A. Cook Sophia
A. McLennen
March 20, 2006 Paul
Craig Roberts Dave
Lindorff Ralph
Nader Diane
Christian Jeff
Halper Harry
Browne Norman
Solomon Patrick
Cockburn Website
of the Day
March 18 / 19, 2006 Cockburn
/ St. Clair Werther Chris
Kromm Patrick
Cockburn Elaine
Cassel S. Brian
Willson Fred
Gardner Brian
Cloughley Laura
Carlsen Eamon
Martin Julie
Hilden Alison
Weir Jeffrey
St. Clair Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
March 17, 2006 Eduardo
Galeano Greg
Moses Richard
Falk / David Krieger Cindy
and Craig Corrie Amira
Hass Mike
Marqusee James
Petas and Robin Eastman-Abaya Website
of the Day
March 16, 2006 Norman
Solomon Tom
Philpott Heather
Gray Amira
Hass Missy
Comley Beattie Sen.
Russell Feingold Lucinda
Marshall Andrew
Bosworth Clancy
Sigal Website
of the Day
Jonathan
Cook Winslow
Wheeler Diane
Christian Ron
Jacobs Missy
Comley Beattie Jared
Bernstein Noam
Chomsky Website
of the Day
March 14, 2006 Earl
Ofari Hutchinson Dave
Lindorff Kevin
Zeese Todd
Chretien Jason
Kunin Thomas
Palley Cockburn
/ St. Clair Website
of the Day
March 13, 2006 Uri
Avnery Dave
Lindorff Mike
Whitney David
Green Jeremy
Scahill Mike
Ferner Corey
Harris Paul
Craig Roberts Website
of the Day
Alexander
Cockburn Ralph
Nader Paul
Craig Roberts Ben
Tripp John
Strausbaugh Landau
/ Hassen Robert
Bryce Gary
Leupp Fred
Gardner Ron
Jacobs Jonathan
Scott Ramzy
Baroud Jordan
Flaherty John
Chuckman Joe
Allen Julia
Kendlbacher St.
Clair / Walker / Pollack / Vest Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
March 10, 2006 Ben
Rosenfeld Lila
Rajiva Saree
Makdisi Elena
Shore Joshua
Frank Dave
Zirin Aura
Bogado
March 9, 2006 John
Walsh Annie
Zirin Brian
McKenna Chris
Floyd Rachard
Itani Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Wylie
Harris Alexander
Cockburn Website
of the Day
March 8, 2006 Patrick
Bond Brian
Concannon, Jr. Pat
Williams Lance
Selfa Mokhiber
/ Weissman Walter
Brasch Vijay
Prashad Website
of the Day
March 7, 2006 Werther John
Blair Dave
Lindorff Mike
Whitney Warren
Guykema Sen.
Russell Feingold Robert
Jensen Norman
Solomon Bernie
Dwyer Website
of the Day
Ralph
Nader Dave
Zirin Vanessa
Redgrave Walter
A. Davis Joshua
Frank Nate
Mezmer Paul
Craig Roberts Website
of the Day
Alexander
Cockburn Jennifer
Van Bergen Steven
Higgs Winslow
T. Wheeler Ron
Jacobs Rev.
William E. Alberts Colin
Asher Fred
Gardner "Pariah" John
Scagliotti Seth
Sandronsky Joan
Roelofs Arjun
Makhijani Ardeshr
Ommani Diana
Barahona Ben
Tripp St.
Clair / Socialist Worker Staff Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend March 3, 2006 Laura
Carlsen John
V. Whitbeck Chris
Floyd Mohamed
Hakki Pratyush
Chandra John
Scagliotti Website
of the Day
March 2, 2006 Paul
Craig Roberts Dave
Lindorff Ramzy
Baroud Saul
Landau Joe
Allen Steve
Shore Denise
Boggs Norman
Finkelstein Website
of the Day
March 1, 2006 Mairead
Corrigan Maguire Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Faheem
Hussain Antony
Loewenstein Elizabeth
Schulte Mike
Whitney John
Ryan Michael
Donnelly Tom
Reeves Website
of the Day
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March 27, 2006 The Honorable Stand of Ben Griffin "I Did Not Join the British Army to Conduct American Foreign Policy" By ROBERT BILLYARD If there is any hope of saving Afghanistan booting out the Americans is an essential first step "I did not join the British Army to conduct American foreign policy," said British soldier Ben Griffin, a member of the SAS-Britain's elite commando force. Griffin has resigned from the army in disgust after witnessing "dozens of illegal acts" by American troops, claiming they viewed all Iraqi' s as "untermenschen"-the Nazi term for races regarded as sub-human. Griffin is not alone in making this accusation. It has been made by others. He is not the first nor will he be last combatant to register his disdain for the moral depravity surrounding wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As reported in The Telegraph UK:
Griffin is no ordinary soldier. The SAS is the British equivalent of Canada' s JTF2, America's Delta Force, Green Berets and Special Forces. In World War II parlance these groups were known as commandos, they operate behind enemy lines destroying selected targets and gaining intelligence. They are trained to kill and no trick is too dirty in getting the job done. But now as with many initiatives started with a somewhat noble purpose it appears these groups are out of control. The dark side of these forces is that they can operate under highest secrecy, with no political accountability, and no adherence to international law such as the Geneva Conventions. They can conduct clandestine warfare and torture with little accountability. Even now US Special Forces are operating in Iran. Griffin's claims are substantiated in a NY Times article of March 20th 2006 - US abuses extend beyond Abu Ghraib- The article outlines how US Special Forces have a network of detention /torture centres established across Iraq. To avoid being detected and their activities being traced they undergo regular name changes and move under even deeper security once detected. Griffin is the first SAS member to resign in protest. The fact that he does makes one wonder about the nature of the atrocities he has seen for the very essence of these commandos is their mental and physical toughness and their willingness to be absolutely ruthless. He has been granted an honourable discharge; no doubt because the British government wants to dodge the publicity that a court martial would generate. It is now the stated policy of the US that it will conduct pre-emptive, simultaneous and serial warfare as necessary. Consequently we have two regional wars being waged at the same time; one becomes a precursor for the other, as still others loom on the horizon. The question has to be asked: Why, given the mess the Americans have made in Iraq would any country commit to a very similar war in Afghanistan under American direction; especially when we hear from an SAS soldier such as Griffin that the American military' s "gung ho trigger happy attitude" has blown any chance of winning the hearts and minds of Iraqi's? The conclusion we might draw is that America's motives are not to win hearts and minds, not to liberate, but to vanquish. Canadian General, Rick Hillier, has been traveling our country hyping the need to go to war. He feels the need to go over to Afghanistan and kill "scumbags." Maybe he is spending too much time in the company of his American counterparts. Hillier might be reminded that the vast majority of casualties in both these wars have been civilian. Both conflicts are rife with both accidental and deliberate targeting of civilian populations. This is the era of the ignoble soldier leaving the civilian population to make the greatest sacrifice, in part, a political expediency to keep casualties to a minimum and also because a lot of remote controlled high-tech weaponry isn't very discriminating or reliable, and is too often used based on faulty intelligence. US four star general Tommy Franks maintains there is no need to keep body counts. But of course the real reason is his press attaché won't allow it. Iraqi casualties, mainly civilian, are in the tens of thousands, and as Griffin rightly indicates "untermenschen" is an American franchise in both countries. Afghanistan has suffered imperialist affections for the last thirty years. The country's problems started in 1978 when the US deposed the Marxist government of Noor Mohammad Taraki for no other reason than that it was Marxist. This was during the Cold War and communist paranoia was rampant. Even though Taraki's government was progressive and temporarily brought peace and stability to the country it was considered ideologically incorrect. In the ensuing years the former USSR and the USA through their various intrigues ensured that Afghanistan remained in a constant state of war. The reason Afghanistan is in the mess it is today begins and ends largely with the reprehensible machinations of the US. Like Iraq, the real reason Afghanistan was attacked was not because it was a threat but it was seen as an easy target. Both countries were exhausted from years of warfare. To its surprise, the US had to deal with tenacious counter-insurgencies. Now the pacifying of Afghanistan has been turned over to NATO but this is mere window dressing. NATO troops from countries other than the United States are there only in token numbers. The vast majority of troops will still be American. Though the commander of NATO forces will be British, Lt. General David Richards, his deputy will be American. Air support will be American and the US will still maintain troops in the country not under NATO command. So even though this initiative will be under the name of NATO its real presence will still be predominantly American. Afghans have every reason to distrust America's motives and its continued presence will be a compelling reason to fight on. The US created this conundrum and is therefore disqualified from being part of the solution. The task of this multinational force is handicapped from the outset by the American presence. Where a UN/NATO force, excluding American forces, might succeed this is not going to happen. The US is not going to release its hold on the jugular of Afghanistan as its ultimate interest in the country is not peace and reconciliation but strategic. On this critical occasion when the UN could be an effective instrument of mediation the US has deliberately undermined it, considering it a hindrance to its neo-imperialist ambitions. It is apparent the solution to Afghanistan is both military and humanitarian, but by its very structure there is every indication American militarism and its "gung-ho trigger happy attitude" will continue to prevail despite NATO involvement. As Peggy Mason of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre points out in her excellent Globe and Mail analysis:
As Amyas Godfrey, a London based military analyst states; "It will take the pressure off America and the idea that America is perpetrating a war against Muslims nations." Of course, America is not perpetrating war against Muslim nations. It is simply that when Muslim nations impede America's neo-imperialist juggernaut they will be erased, reduced to cannon fodder in unconscionable numbers. Afghanistan and Iraq become profound examples of how, when a superpower, insisting on a self-serving belligerent unilateralism, scorns international law, convention, and genuine multilateral values the result is anarchy-an anarchy which is, escalating, mutating and ominous. There is a global hesitation to be critical of America's current behavior. It brings forth the predictable accusation of anti-Americanism but this a stupid clichéd response at a time when clearly America's actions demand censure and its motives must be regarded with greater skepticism. Ben Griffin, like Scott Ritter, the former UN weapons inspector who vainly tried to warn the world Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, becomes another oracle that something is seriously amiss in a deafening silence. Amyas Godfrey also states, "Americans don't like to be under the command of other nations." This is cloying understatement. The simple reality is they won't be. It may only be a matter of time before Lt. General David Richards also declares, "I did not join the British Army to conduct American foreign policy" Robert Billyard is an artist and writer living in
Langley, British Columbia. He can be reached at: robertjb@shaw.ca
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from CounterPunch Books! The Case Against Israel By Michael Neumann Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair Sick of sit-on-the-Fence speakers, tongue-tied and timid? CounterPunch Editors Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St Clair are available to speak forcefully on ALL the burning issues, as are other CounterPunchers seasoned in stump oratory. Call CounterPunch Speakers Bureau, 1-800-840-3683. Or email beckyg@counterpunch.org. |