Standing in the Gardens of Stone

Need someone with ULTIMATE MORAL AUTHORITY to declare that American troops in Iraq are thugs committing heinous atrocities against the civilians?

The IVAW is there for you!

With extraordinary honesty, these veterans — medics, MPs, artillerymen, snipers, officers and others — revealed disturbing patterns of behavior by American troops: innocents terrorized during midnight raids, civilian cars fired on when they got too close to supply convoys and troops opening up on vehicles that zip past poorly marked checkpoints, only to discover that they'd shot a 3-year-old or an elderly man. The campaign against a mostly invisible enemy, many veterans said, has given rise to a culture of fear and even hatred among U.S. forces, many of whom, losing ground and beleaguered, have, in effect, declared war on all Iraqis.

Well, power to the people, right on! - the IVAW is there for you, too, man!

Meanwhile, a motley crew of antiwar groups, including Iraq Veterans Against The War, CODEPINK, ANSWER, and MoveOn.org, are organizing a week of demonstrations in Washington beginning September 15. The "mobilization" will be kicked off with a "Die-In," sponsored primarily by ANSWER and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW)... "The die-in will be led by an Honor Guard of Iraq Veterans Against the War who will simulate a 21-Gun Salute before taps is played to initiate the die-in."

Need some guys to lend much-needed credence to your protest of wounded troops at Walter Reed? Dial 1-800-IVAW, baby!

Bruhns spent several Friday nights outside the main gate to Walter Reed in 2005 with the terrorist supporting Marxist front group Code Pink after the group became notorious for taunting wounded soldiers with signs like "Maimed for a Lie" and "Enlist Here and Die for Halliburton."

Bruhns is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. IVAW called our soldiers in Iraq war criminals in testimony before the World Tribunal on Iraq in Istanbul, Turkey in 2005. The tribunal endorsed the terrorists in Iraq and their killing of American soldiers.

Bruhns is currently featured in a pro-surrender ad by Votevets.org that was directed by Oliver Stone.

The IVAW will be there for you!

A long time anti-war activist and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) member Reppenhagen - although he hails from Manitou Springs, Colorado, is often called upon to make appearances posing as an audience member during John "Jack" Murtha speeches and appearances. Following Murtha's declarations, "audience members" will be invited to address the congressman. Reppenhagen will be one of the first, announce his status as a veteran of Iraq, and praise Murtha for his courage.

...Another such planted soldier at that meeting was "Sgt. John Bruhns, 29, of Philadelphia" - who, in an amazing coincidence, also appears in the Nation's article, revealing the terrors of house raids:

As the Alpha Company team leader, Sergeant Bruhns was supposed to be the first person in the door. Skeptical, he refused. "So I said, 'If you're so confident that there are a bunch of Syrian terrorists, insurgents...in there, why in the world are you going to send me and three guys in the front door, because chances are I'm not going to be able to squeeze the trigger before I get shot.'"

So...

As Sergeant Bruhns ran security out front, his fellow soldiers smashed the windows and kicked down the doors

(Note: some reimbursement for travel expenses may be required depending on recent donor generosity; consult your local precinct committee chair for scheduling.)

On mid summer nights in Baghdad it stays hot even after the sun sets, as the breeze dies and a day's worth of heat radiates out from the rocks and the pavement and the concrete walls - the garden of stones in which we live in Iraq. But mid-summer is past, and though the hottest part of the day is still hot the duration is diminished, and the moment when the outside feels bearable comes earlier in the night. Pausing for a moment outside tonight I felt a warm desert breeze that didn't induce a sweat - the temperature had fallen to a mere 99 degrees, and it was only 10:30 PM.

There are new faces in the DFAC these days. Tents that were empty are now full. Lines that were long are now longer. There are new faces in the mirrors above the communal sinks. But for every new face there's one about to depart.

You can spot the new guys from a ways away. Their uniforms are a slightly newer shade. Get a little closer and other details become clear. Sharper edges. Bare right sleeves (the combat patch is earned almost immediately, but rarely issued before 30 days in.) But there's something else they've got - a way they move through the crowds. They haven't yet blended into the background, they stand out, they swagger, they exude confidence and pride, because yea verily they are the baddest sunsabitches in the valley. They are ready to get down to business.

They are here to win.

A few reports of what the old crew has been up to in Iraq over the past week - none of which will be in your newspaper:

Six terrorists killed, 25 suspects detained, al-Qaeda network disrupted
Golden Dragons detain five suspected insurgents
MND-B Apache crews engage RPG firers
2nd IA Soldiers capture confessed ‘key AQI financier’ in Nineveh
Al-Qaeda leader killed, 18 suspected terrorists detained
Troops detain 16 suspected Shia extremists
16 suspected car-bomb cell members captured during Operation Nijmegen III
VBIED emplacer caught in the act, previous attack video found
Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces detain extremist death-squad member
Kadamiyah car bomb kills 5 civilians, injures 15
Coalition Forces destroy explosives, kill two terrorists, detain 10 suspects
Coalition forces kill one, detain two in search for smugglers of Iranian weapons
Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces dismantle al Qaeda in Iraq cell, detain 46
Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces detain AQI leaders near Kirkuk
Operation Gecko: Concerned citizens lead Coalition Forces to cache, destroy militia safehouse
MND-C Apache crews destroy al-Qaeda safehouse
Operation Hit and Run results in eight detained
Iraqi Army stops car bomber from attacking bridge north
Iraqi Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain militant extremist leader, ten others
Iraqi Forces, U.S. Special Forces kill one insurgent, detain 17 others during Jazirah Desert patrol
Stryker Soldiers capture three suspected AQI terrorists
Coalition forces disrupt al-Qaeda network, detain five suspects
Iraqi Security, Coalition Forces detain 16 suspected terrorists
Citizens turn in weapons cache to Wolverines
Iraqi Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain 36, destroy three large weapons caches
Seven detained in raid southeast of Baghdad
Coalition Forces liberate nine Iraqis, kill eight terrorists
14 terrorists killed, 6 suspects detained near Muqdadiyah
Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition detains 16 suspected extremists
Transfer of Diyala security headquarters marks milestone
Primary school reopens in New Baghdad

“And let me be clear, the violence in Anbar has gone down despite the surge, not because of the surge. The inability of American soldiers to protect these tribes from al Qaeda said to these tribes we have to fight al Qaeda ourselves. It wasn’t that the surge brought peace here. It was that the warlords took peace here, created a temporary peace here.” - Sen Chuck Schumer, September, 2007

AR RAMADI, Iraq November 26, 2006

Al Qaeda terrorists attacked the Abu Soda tribe in Sofia Nov. 25. In response, Coalition Forces provided support to the Abu Soda’s fight against Al Qaeda.

“The American’s have come to the aide of the Abu Soda tribe. They have understood the dire situation [that the Abu Soda are currently battling the Al Qaeda], because [the Americans] see it as a fight against a common enemy,” said Sheikh Ahmed, Sheikh of Abu Resha.

After establishing positive identification, Coalition Forces conducted air strikes and fired artillery at Al Qaeda forces attacking the Abu Soda Tribe.
<...>
The Abu Soda and Abu Mahal are both members of the Sahawat Al Anbar (Awakening Council) started by Sheikh Sittar of the Abu Resha tribe.