Military Resistance:

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1.19.13

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Military Resistance 11A16

[Thanks To Dennis Serdel]

Warlord:
Obamas Man In Afghanistans Oruzgan Province:
Accusations Of Corruption And Collusion That Swirl Around Him.
Although He Has Been Accused Of Corruption And Drug-Running Allegations He Denies Matiullah Has Made Himself Indispensable To U.S. Interests

Oruzgans Lucrative Opium Crop Gets To Market Primarily Via Roads Controlled By Matiullahs Men

Gen. Matiullah Khan: PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times

Like other Afghan strongmen supported or tolerated by American forces, he has the gunmen and the iron fist to hold off the Taliban, even at the cost of undermining the very government institutions the U.S. is trying to bolster. Despite attempts to sideline warlords, men like Matiullah remain in power because the weak and corrupt central government has little authority, especially in remote areas, and U.S. forces need strong military allies where the Afghan army is unreliable.

January 12, 2013 By David Zucchino, Los Angeles Times. Special correspondent Hashmat Baktash contributed to this report TARIN KOWT, Afghanistan A shy boy with filthy hands and a shabby tunic approached the great man, bowed and tried to kiss his hand. Gen. Matiullah Khan was seated like a sultan on a cushion in his hojra, his airy receiving room. He barely looked at the boy. He nodded to an aide, who withdrew a thick wad of Pakistani rupees from his pocket and handed it to Matiullah. The most powerful man in Oruzgan province, a warlord and tribal leader turned police chief, glanced at the cash. Then Matiullah pressed the entire roll into the boys hand. "Nobody helps the people; its up to me," Matiullah said as the boy withdrew. Thousands of desperately poor Afghans in this remote province rely on Matiullah for charity and protection. And his presence here is equally important to the U.S. military, which views Oruzgan as a linchpin in southern Afghanistan. It relies on Matiullah to support a U.S. special forces team and to secure the crucial supply road from Kandahar to Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital. Matiullah is Americas go-to man in Oruzgan, a mountainous badlands that was a Taliban stronghold before Matiullah beat the insurgents back. Not much happens in Oruzgan without Matiullahs blessing. He approves government appointments and directs government services. He says he has paid from his own pocket to build 75 mosques, two schools, a hospital and his own modern police headquarters. Although he has been accused of corruption and drug-running allegations he denies Matiullah has made himself indispensable to U.S. interests. Like other Afghan strongmen supported or tolerated by American forces, he has the gunmen and the iron fist to hold off the Taliban, even at the cost of undermining the very government institutions the U.S. is trying to bolster. Despite attempts to sideline warlords, men like Matiullah remain in power because the weak and corrupt central government has little authority, especially in remote areas, and U.S. forces need strong military allies where the Afghan army is unreliable. President Hamid Karzai formalized Matiullahs control over Oruzgan by naming him police chief in August 2011. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force says its convoys have suffered only three attacks on the Kandahar-Tarin Kowt supply road in the last two years.

For the last decade, Matiullahs gunmen have secured the winding dirt road, earning the chief millions of dollars in fees from trucking companies that contract with ISAF to deliver supplies to Tarin Kowt. He says he pays 1,200 gunmen to protect the convoys, in addition to his cops stationed at posts along the road meaning he makes a profit from security provided in part by government-paid police. ISAF spokesmen deflected questions about Matiullahs relationship with coalition forces, referring a reporter to the Afghan Interior Ministry, which directs the Afghan National Police. Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi denied that Matiullah was involved in the opium trade a claim made by his political rivals or that he maintained a private militia.

A Base For U.S. Special Operations Task Force Southeast Is Just 200 Yards From His Sprawling Compound
Matiullah is literally at the center of the coalition military presence here. A base for U.S. Special Operations Task Force Southeast is just 200 yards from his sprawling compound, which is powered by an enormous generator in a province with no electricity service. An Australian special operations base lies across a muddy field. The chiefs compound overlooks a busy military airport where Apache attack helicopters soar toward the mountains day and night to support Special Forces operations. His reception room is festooned with photos of him posing with U.S. Special Forces soldiers. There are framed certificates of appreciation from a series of Special Forces teams. One, from a commander in April 2011, reads: "Your superior work ethic, professionalism, expertise and bravery are the epitome of the Special Forces motto: The Quiet Professionals." U.S. special operations commanders declined to answer questions about Matiullahs role or allow interviews with the U.S. team here. Matiullah said special operations teams visited his compound often, and that he supplied them with security and intelligence. "They are my good friends," he said. "They dont know who are our friends in Oruzgan and who are our enemies. I know very well, so they rely on me." Enemies from rival tribes have portrayed Matiullah as a warlord with his hands on the levers of graft. Matiullah dismisses the accusations with a wry smile.

He considers himself a man of the people and his government rivals as thieves who steal salaries, weapons and equipment meant for his 3,160-man police force. Elders in villages a three-hour drive from Tarin Kowt praise Matiullah for opening the only roadway from the capital and lining it with police checkpoints after years of Taliban assassinations and kidnappings. But they complain that security has not brought help from the central government in faraway Kabul. "When the Taliban were here, the government said they couldnt give us schools and clinics because there was no security," said Abdul Manan, a leader in the village of Marabat. "Now we have security, but where is the government?"

A Decade Ago, Matiullah Was A Lowly Highway Cop

Matiullah rose from outwardly humble origins. A farmers son, he never attended school. He is illiterate; his police officers read aloud from official papers before the chief signs them. He writes his name laboriously on each document. A decade ago, Matiullah was a lowly highway cop. He has since built a power base through guile and savvy, and via his hereditary role as a leader of the powerful Popalzai tribe. Matiullah said he protected Karzai, a fellow Popalzai, when Karzai took refuge in Oruzgan as the U.S.-led invasion was toppling the Taliban regime in 2001. Matiullah then commanded a mountain militia that waged a guerrilla war against the Taliban in Oruzgan, the birthplace and former power base of the Talibans spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar. "During the Taliban time, the people trusted Mullah Omar. Now they trust Matiullah Khan," said police Lt. Col. Abdullah Sultani, the chiefs liaison to the Interior Ministry. Matiullah is close to Karzai, who presides over a kleptocracy in which his cronies have access to graft and sweetheart contracts. The chief was also close to Karzais half brother Ahmed Wali Karzai, the political boss of Kandahar who was assassinated in July 2011 and had been described by U.S. officials and others as flagrantly corrupt. Now Matiullah lives in a mansion on a compound that includes a radio station, swimming pool, rose garden, guest quarters and mosque. Many of his radio station employees double as police officers. He travels in a fleet of Humvees painted green, protected by a phalanx of cops and gunmen. He says the Taliban, under orders from Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistans intelligence agency, has tried to assassinate him at least six times. He claims the Pakistani agency directs and controls the Afghan Taliban. Matiullah looks nothing like the aging, paunchy warlords the U.S. relies on elsewhere in Afghanistan. At 38, he is slender and physically fit, with a trimmed beard and thinning black hair combed into a widows peak. He wears a neatly pressed gray wool police

generals uniform, or a pristine white shalwar kameez, the baggy Afghan tunic and trousers. He smiles often and projects an air of calm and civility. People here say many things about Matiullah, but on this much they agree: He has brought a measure of stability to a province that two years ago was dominated by the Taliban. "Before Matiullah, the police chiefs were afraid to send their men out of Tarin Kowt," said Faiz Mohammed, a district governor in Oruzgan. "Matiullah has chased away the Taliban. Now the roads are open and the police are in their posts there day and night." In 2010, then-Oruzgan Police Chief Juma Gul Himat told the New York Times that Matiullahs security company was "an illegal business" that he tried to shut down. Now an official at the Interior Ministry in Kabul, Himat says that though Matiullahs police could use more discipline, the chief has delivered security. "Ive talked to a lot of villagers and elders in Oruzgan, and theyre all thinking positive about Matiullah Khan," Himat said. A large neon sign over the guest quarters features a photo of Matiullah and a message: "The hero of peace and unity." His photo is pasted to the windshields of police vehicles. It adorns the walls of rural police posts and the main traffic circle in Tarin Kowt.

The Chief Also Denies Accusations By Rivals That He Has Colluded With The Taliban
Matiullah is not charitable toward other provincial officials appointed by the Kabul government. He regards the Oruzgan governor, Amir Mohammad Akhundzada, with a mixture of scorn and pity, saying he "does nothing but sit in his office." He is contemptuous of Afghan army units, saying theyre afraid to leave their bases except for major operations. The governor declined to discuss Matiullah, saying he was busy. Maj. Gen. Zahir Azimi, the Afghan army spokesman in Kabul, said the army had had great success in Oruzgan, working closely with Matiullahs police. Despite Matiullahs successes, the Taliban still maintains a presence here. Insurgents have mounted two deadly suicide bombings in Tarin Kowt in recent weeks, and roadside bombs are a constant threat. On Dec. 26, a turncoat police officer and Taliban cohorts killed three of Matiullahs cops and wounded two others as the men slept inside a police post less than three miles from Matiullahs office. Oruzgans lucrative opium crop gets to market primarily via roads controlled by Matiullahs men. Yet he denies any role in drug trafficking, saying his police recently seized and burned 3 tons of opium on a local road, arresting 18 men.

The chief also denies accusations by rivals that he has colluded with the Taliban. "Impossible," he said. "Im fighting them.... Im stronger than they are, so why would I need to work with them?" ISAF convoys have been well protected from the Taliban on the Kandahar-Tarin Kowt road, he said. But over the last decade, he said, 470 of his men have been killed in Taliban attacks there. Each week, dozens of supplicants line up in Tarin Kowt to implore Matiullah for cash or help. He recently boosted teachers salaries by $100 a month each, he said. He pays for student scholarships in Kabul, and for food and clothing for the poor and dispossessed. "The government is supposed to provide all this, but they dont. I do," he said. And still the demands come. A police officer approached the chief at his desk to request money for a police training course in Kabul. The Interior Ministry had refused to pay, he complained. Matiullah shrugged and reached into his pocket. He withdrew a bundle of cash the size of a pomegranate and peeled off several large bills. The officer bowed and saluted. Next was a leathery old man with a soiled cloak and calloused hands. In a high, squeaky voice, Haji Abdul Wadud poured out a tale of woe: Heavy rain had flooded his village in nearby Shamansor. He had pleaded with the governor for help but was turned away. And another thing: The village could use a mosque, he told the chief. Matiullah gave a dry laugh. He told an officer to help the man write a letter to the governor demanding help. The chief himself would sign it. "If he doesnt help you, come back to me," Matiullah said. And the mosque? the old man asked. Matiullah patted the elders bony arm. "Its winter now, and rainy," he said. "But in the spring you will have your mosque."

AFGHANISTAN WAR REPORTS

Foreign Occupation Servicemember Killed Somewhere Or Other In Afghanistan:

Nationality Not Announced

January 16, 2013 AP A foreign servicemember died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today.

British Soldier Dies From Afghan Combat Wounds

16 January 2013 London Evening Standard A British soldier has died in hospital from wounds suffered in combat in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today. The serviceman, from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancasters Regiment, was wounded in fighting in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand Province on January 14. He was flown back to the UK for treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, but died earlier today. His next of kin have been informed.

The Colony Soldier Laid To Rest

Jan 8, 2013 By Catherine Ross, NBCUniversal, Inc. Family and friends gathered Tuesday to lay Sgt. Enrique Mondragon to rest. The 23-year-old The Colony resident was killed in action on Christmas Eve during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Mondragons father, Sergo Martin del Campo, told NBC 5 in Spanish that his son is an American hero and said his service was a source of pride. Thanks to the young mans strong faith, the family is sure he is serving a new mission in heaven, he said. Maj. General David Quantock, Army provost marshal general, delivered messages from Mondragons fellow soldiers. "Those of us who were close to him know what kind of man he was on a daily basis and knew that he was what right looked like, and his soldiers knew he would scale the tallest mountains to help them if they needed it," he read. "I guarantee that this young man saved soldiers on the battlefield, and that will continue because his spirit, his dragon spirit, lives in the soldiers that he led," he said. "Hell be

forever missed by this great Army, and youll always have that Army family with you," he added, addressing the family. Mondragon was buried at Dallas Fort-Worth National Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Katie, and his 2-year-old daughter, Beverly.

POLITICIANS REFUSE TO HALT THE BLOODSHED THE TROOPS HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THE WAR

Taliban Attack Targets Afghan Spy HQ In Kabul:

An NDS Official Expressed Concern Over How The Attackers Had Managed To Penetrate One Of The Most HeavilyGuarded Areas Of The Capital
17 January 2013 Peninsula News Paper KABUL: A squad of bombers attacked the national intelligence agency headquarters in heavily-fortified central Kabul yesterday, killing at least two guards and wounding dozens of civilians, officials said. Five attackers were killed in the midday attack on the National Directorate of Security (NDS), which is playing an increasingly important role in the war against Taliban insurgents. The Taliban claimed responsibility in a text message to AFP, saying a large number of intelligence workers were killed and wounded. There were five attackers involved. The first detonated a car bomb at the gate, the other four were shot dead by police and NDS guards as they approached, Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said, adding that about 30 civilians were wounded. A senior police officer said two guards from the National Directorate of Security intelligence agency were killed and others wounded.

A second car full of explosives was found nearby and defused. The huge explosion was heard throughout Kabuls diplomatic district, and witnesses said windows were shattered in nearby Chicken Street, a popular shopping destination for Westerners. Journalists at the scene said it was swarming with security forces moments after the attack. An NDS official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern over how the attackers had managed to penetrate one of the most heavily-guarded areas of the capital, which includes the police HQ and the Interior Ministry. Its a big facility and very, very sensitive, with a very high security installation and system, he said.

More Resistance Action

16 January 2013 TOLOnews Two National Directorate of Security (NDS) staff have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Uruzgan province while attempting to defuse another bomb nearby, the day after an NDS police officer was shot dead in the same area. NDS personnel on Wednesday morning identified an improvised explosive device (IED) on the road in the Garmab Manda area of Tarin Kowt district and had started to work on defusing it when a second IED detonated nearby, killing two staff and wounding a third from the intelligence agency. The incident happened some hours after an NDS officer was killed close to the agencys offices in Tarin Kowt late Tuesday night by unknown men, who escaped. Urozgans intelligence chief Khan Mohammad said that two unknown men on motorbikes shot at the police officer and killed him before riding away.

IF YOU DONT LIKE THE RESISTANCE END THE OCCUPATION

Afghan Local Police Units

Recruited And Trained By American Special Ops Troops

Have Been Involved In Serious Abuses, Including Rapes And Murders

The Afghan Security Forces Have Committed Abuses, Including Extrajudicial Killings Of Civilians And The Mistreatment Of Prisoners
Defending The Afghan Local Police, U.S. Colonel Bryant Said Show Me A Police Program Anywhere In The World That Is Perfect
January 16, 2013 By ROD NORDLAND and THOM SHANKER, The New York Times Company [Excerpts] Azam Ahmed and Habib Zahori contributed reporting. KABUL, Afghanistan The American military has suspended the transfer of detainees to some Afghan prisons out of concern over continuing human rights abuses and torture, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said Wednesday in response to questions about the subject. In addition, the American-led coalition said that it had asked the Afghan government to investigate allegations of torture by Afghan Local Police units that have been trained and advised by American Special Operations forces. Transfer of prisoners to Afghan control throughout the country was restored last year, after it had been cut off in response to a United Nations investigation published in October 2011 that found widespread use of torture at prisons run by Afghan police and intelligence agencies. Now a second United Nations report on the subject is to be released, possibly as early as next week, and according to American officials the move by the security assistance force was prompted by revelations expected in that report. United Nations officials involved, however, had no comment. There have also been a series of concerns raised about the Afghan Local Police units, which are recruited and trained by American Special Operations troops in villages in

heavily contested areas. Some of those units have changed sides, and been involved in serious abuses, including rapes and murders. Both actions by the International Security Assistance Force were apparently in anticipation of legal provisions informally known as the Leahy law, after its champion, United States Senator Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat which prohibit Defense and State Department financing to foreign government agencies that practice torture or other human rights abuses and take no action to punish those responsible. It is known that the Afghan security forces have committed abuses, including extrajudicial killings of civilians and the mistreatment of prisoners, said Tim Rieser, foreign policy aide to Senator Leahy. They have not been accountable in ways Senator Leahy believes they should be. A spokesman for the Special Operations Component Command in Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Tom Bryant, said there had been no financing cutbacks under the Leahy law to the Afghan Local Police program. There has been some misbehavior by A.L.P., there are members who have violated Afghan law and who do things they shouldnt do, Colonel Bryant said. Show me a police program anywhere in the world that is perfect.

MALI WAR REPORTS

The Good News:

There Was Nothing To Suggest The French Were Being Overwhelmed On The Ground
The Bad News:
The Wording Of The Good News
Jan 18, 2013 By Louis Charbonneau, Reuters French troops initial clashes with Islamist militants in Mali have shown that the desert fighters are better trained and equipped than France had anticipated before last weeks military intervention, French and other U.N. diplomats said.

The realization that the fighting could be bloodier than anticipated in the weeks -or months -- ahead might make Western countries even more reluctant to get involved alongside France. The diplomats were speaking after French forces had their first encounters with Islamist fighters in recent days. "Our enemies were well-armed, well-equipped, well-trained and determined," a senior French diplomat said. A number of diplomats said it was clear that the initial French assessments of the militants had underestimated their strength. It is a view that French officials do not dispute. "They are better trained, I think, than the French had anticipated at the beginning and are fighting harder than had been anticipated," a senior Western diplomat said. Other envoys noted that the 2,000 promised Chadian troops, who are known for their desert-fighting expertise, have yet to arrive and it remains to be seen how they will perform. Diplomats said that the overly optimistic assessments of the Islamists were understandable in what several envoys described as "the fog of war," where clarity is rare and precise information and accurate intelligence are often hard to come. The senior Western diplomat said there was nothing to suggest the French were being overwhelmed on the ground and pointed to the achievement of Paris initial objective, which was halting the militants offensive. Nicolas van de Walle, a professor at Cornell University, said the rebels have demonstrated "superior knowledge of this very difficult terrain, their ability to slip across foreign borders and their impressive mobility." French forces total 1,400 troops, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday, and their numbers are expected to rise to 2,500. Foreign African troops have also begun arriving. Northern Mali fell under Islamist control after a March 2012 military coup in Bamako triggered a Tuareg-led rebel offensive that seized the north and split the West African nation in two. Last month, the U.N. Security Council approved an African-led force to help Malis government reclaim the north. That force is to be comprised of up to 3,300 troops, but is not expected to be deployed in the north before September. So far the entire Security Council - including the typically skeptical Russians - are supporting the French, diplomats say.

Despite that diplomatic backing, envoys say that Western nations have offered France little of the logistical support it has requested. The United States agreed to Frances request for airlift capacity for troops, and U.N. diplomats said Paris was still hoping Washington can provide drones and aerial refueling capacity.

SOMALIA WAR REPORTS

Somali Insurgents Attack City In Kenya:

Al-Shabab Has Threatened Revenge For Kenyan Military Involvement In Somalia
16 January 2013 BBC At least five people have been killed and four wounded in a shooting at a restaurant in the town of Garissa in eastern Kenya, local police say. Somali Islamist group al-Shabab is suspected of being behind the attack. A senior prison officer was among the dead. Several soldiers and police have been killed in Garissa in recent months. Al-Shabab has threatened revenge for Kenyan military involvement in Somalia in support of the UN-backed government. Gunmen burst into the building and opened fire at around 19:30 local time (16:30 GMT), The Standard newspaper reports. Three people were killed on the spot and two others died on the way to hospital, local media say. Police in the north-eastern region are on high alert following reports that contingents of militants from Somalia have crossed the border. Two recent incidents thought to involve al-Shabab in the capital Nairobi left at least 15 people dead, triggering increased tension between ethnic Somalis and other Kenyans. There have also been mass arrests of ethnic Somalis.

Somalia MP Accuses Foreign Occupation Troops Of Massacre In Leego Village

Jan 17, 2013 Garowe Online & AP MOGADISHU, Somalia A member of Somalia s federal parliament has accused African Union peacekeepers [translation: foreign occupation troops] of committing a massacre , Garowe Online reports. Somalia MP Dahir Amin Jisow told Somali media in Mogadishu on Thursday that AMISOM troops were responsible for killing civilians, including children when the troops opened fire on a religious school. Jesow said the attack in the village 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, took place around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Students of Islamic schools in Somalia often attend class in the early morning. Some 7 civilians were killed, including 5 young children under the age of 10 years old, who were studying at a Koranic school, " said MP Jisow. It is not the first time that AMISOM troops have been accused of committing civilian killings during military operations against Al Shabaab militant group.

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MILITARY NEWS

Pentagon Unsure Navys Newest Warship Can Survive Combat:

The Ships Guns May Be Dysfunctional While The Ship Is Traveling At High Speeds, Making Self-Defense A Problem

USS Freedom (Reuters/U.S. Navy/Lockheed-Martin) January 16, 2013 End the Lie [Excerpts] The Navy is sending one if its newest combat ships overseas, even though the Pentagon knows the ships guns dont properly function and is unsure whether the ship can even survive combat. The USS Freedom, one of the newest class of Littoral Combat Ships, has long been unable to pass inspections. The ship, which was commissioned in 2008, was designed to fight massive enemy fleets and is said to be one of the fastest ships in the Navy. The USS Freedom cost the US government $670.4 million but the expensive vessel has failed many of its inspections. In May 2012, the Navy inspection report disclosed that the ship had failed 14 of 28 inspection tests, including an assessment of its fire-fighting systems, communications, electrical systems and forward propulsion. But even eight months later, the ship continues to have its problems. J. Michael Gilmore, the Defense Departments director of operational test and evaluation, revealed his concerns in an annual study released by Congress on Tuesday. Gilmore believes the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is still not expected to be survivable in combat. He first expressed his concerns in 2011 when he predicted the ship would not survive in a hostile combat environment. Additionally, the ships 30mm and 57mm onboard guns exhibit reliability problems and may be dysfunctional while the ship is traveling at high speeds, making self-defense a problem, Gilmore reports.

Regardless of the failed inspection tests and the directors concerns, the Navy has sent the USS Freedom overseas for the next eight months. The ship is currently on its way to Singapore, where it will remain stationed as part of the Obama administrations attempt to provide greater focus on Asia. But in the case that the ship were to get attacked, it faces a very real chance of being unable to defend itself. Even though the LCS ship has been proven a flawed design, the US still plans to purchase more of them. The Navy wants to buy 55 of the new combat ships, including an alternate design of the USS Independence, which costs about $808.8 million per piece.

FORWARD OBSERVATIONS

At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. Oh had I the ability, and could reach the nations ear, I would, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.

The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose. Frederick Douglass, 1852

Rise like Lions after slumber In unvanquishable number, Shake your chains to earth like dew Which in sleep had fallen on youYe are many they are few -- Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1819, on the occasion of a mass murder of British workers by the Imperial government at Peterloo.

My Toy Soldiers Didnt Kill Civilians

From: Mike Hastie To: Military Resistance Newsletter Sent: January 19, 2013 Subject: My Toy soldiers Didnt Kill Civilians My Toy Soldiers Didnt Kill Civilians

The atrocities are always hidden in a sealed casket. Because pain is so deep it cries a silent weep. Buried so deep so voices will never speak. Camouflaged by a nation for eternity. A national shame that has such evil enormity. The Vietnam War. The Laotian War. The Cambodian War. You kill almost anything that moves. From the air, from the sea, from artillery, from on the ground, from deadly pesticides... You name it. Because the truth will never get back to the American people who paid for the wars. For the love of war profits is the root of all evil. Shame is so powerful, that the only way to conceal it, is to assassinate it. The only good Indian is a dead Indian. A national shame that has such evil enormity... Mike Hastie Army Medic Vietnam January 18, 2013 The water in a vessel is sparkling. The water in the sea is dark. The small truth has words that are clear. The great truth has great silence. -- Rabindranath Tagore Photo and caption from the portfolio of Mike Hastie, US Army Medic, Vietnam 1970-71. (For more of his outstanding work, contact at: (hastiemike@earthlink.net) T) One day while I was in a bunker in Vietnam, a sniper round went over my head. The person who fired that weapon was not a terrorist, a rebel, an extremist, or a so-called insurgent. The Vietnamese individual who tried to kill me was a citizen of Vietnam, who did not want me in his country. This truth escapes millions. Mike Hastie U.S. Army Medic Vietnam 1970-71 December 13, 2004

ANNIVERSARIES

January 18, 1943:

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising:
They Battled The Nazis On Streets And In The Courtyards, From Sewers And Rooftops, Showing A Will To Resist That Electrified The World
Remember Them Always

[Google.com]

Cghs.dadeschools.net & untitled [Excerpts] The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising On January 18th, 1943, the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto started. The rebels used guerrilla warfare techniques and improvised weapons against the Nazis. By that time, the half-million original inhabitants had been depleted to about 60,000 as a result of starvation, disease, cold, and deportation. The ghetto residents had organized an army, the Jewish Fighting Organization, ydowska Organizacja Bojowa, mostly unarmed and without equipment. They were joined by thousands of others. In January 1943, the S.S. entered the ghetto to round up more Jews for shipment to the death camps. They were met by a volley of bombs and the bullets from a few firearms which had been smuggled into the ghettos. Twenty S.S. soldiers were killed. Germans troops left the ghetto. Jews showed that they would fight and the Nazis had to give up their plans for the peaceful, orderly obliteration of the largest Jewish community in Europe. This was the start of the resistance. After the initial conflict, the main uprisings began. The amount of men and forces on both sides began to grow. The JFOs membership grew to 700 fighters organized into 22 divisions. Machine guns, some hand grenades, and about a hundred rifles and revolvers were smuggled in. Facing them were almost 3,000 crack German troops with 7,000 reinforcements available. Tanks and heavy artillery surrounded the ghetto. On April 19th, the Nazis returned. They invaded the ghetto and were heavily armed with machine guns and a tank. The Jews only had their improvised weapons, revolvers, and rifles. An author describes, They battled the Nazis on streets and in the courtyards, from sewers and rooftops, showing a will to resist that electrified the world. General Himmler promised Hitler that the uprising would be quelled in three days, and the ghetto would be destroyed.

It took four weeks. The ghetto was reduced to ruble following bomber attacks, gas attacks, and burning of every structure by the Nazis. Fifteen thousand Jews died in the battle, and most of the survivors were shipped to the death camps. Scores of German soldiers were killed. Some historical accounts report that 300 Germans were killed and 1,000 wounded, although the actual figure is unknown. The Germans took revenge on the resistors. They killed 56,000 Jews (20,000 were killed in the ghetto itself and the other 36,000 were gassed in the death camps).

OCCUPATION PALESTINE

Heroic Zionist Forces Attack Sheep Barns And Sheds Near Jericho: With Its Systematic Oppressive Procedures Targeting Everything That Is Palestine"
16/01/2013 Maan JERICHO Israeli forces on Wednesday demolished several sheep barns and sheds in al-Zur and Deir Hajla east of Jericho, the governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley said. Majid al-Fityani said that the structures belonged to al-Jahalin Bedouin clan. "With its systematic oppressive procedures targeting everything that is Palestine, Israel reflects the racist image of occupation," al-Fityani said. "The occupying state claims democracy and human rights while it practices some of the ugliest violations of the Palestinian peoples rights throwing aside all international conventions and covenants which guarantee that all peoples should live in dignity." A spokesman for the Israeli army unit responsible for humanitarian affairs in the occupied territories did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment late Wednesday.

Zionist Police Attack Palestinian Demonstration With Stun Grenades And Beatings:
They Had Gathered On Land Privately Owned By Palestinians
15 January 2013 Bab-Alshams, Occupied Palestine Following the violent eviction of Bab-Alshams (gateway of the sun) on Sunday around a hundred Protestors returned to the land which the Israeli Occupation Forces call E1. After the acceptance of Palestine as a non-member state to the UN, Israel announced the approval of a plan to expand by building some 4,000 residential units in this area. Such construction would effectively bisect the West Bank, effectively cutting it off from Jerusalem. The protestors arrived before 15:00 to the surprise of Israeli Police stationed in the area; two groups approached Bab-Alshams from different directions. As protestors moved up the hill Israeli Occupation Forces began to attack the demonstration initially with stun grenades. Activists remained steadfast and refused to leave the land which is privately owned by Palestinians. Israeli police began to outnumber protestors and then began detaining Palestinians violently. Slowly Israeli forces managed to push activists down the hill. Activists regrouped at the bottom of the hill, sat down and began to sing. The violence of the Israeli authorities then again increased, one women was beaten and suffered a head wound which required medical attention. At least two others were injured one male was bleeding heavily from the wrist, while others were being treated for shock. At-least 10 people were arrested most of which have now been released. Some remain in detention including an ISM cofounder Neta Golan. Update: 16 January: All the detainees from Bab Al Shams have been released!

The Death Of A Palestinian Bird Hunter:

Just Three Days After The Fatal Shooting Of Anwar Al-Malouk Near Jabalia, The Israeli Military Has Murdered Another Palestinian Civilian Despite A Supposed Ceasefire
January 16, 2013 The International Solidarity Movement Beit Lahiya, Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestine Just three days after the fatal shooting of Anwar Al-Malouk near Jabalia, the Israeli military has murdered another Palestinian civilian despite a supposed ceasefire being in place. Mustafa Abu Jarad, 20, was one of a group of bird hunters working on a plot of land in an area north of Beit Lahiya in the very north of the Gaza Strip, over a kilometre away from the border fence. From the border, the Israeli army began firing heavily in their direction and immediately targeted Mustafa directly in the forehead. The group had thrown themselves onto the ground and when the situation calmed enough for them to move they realised that Mustafa had been hit. The bullet went straight through Mustafas head leaving a massive exit wound. He was rushed to Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip but was quickly transferred to Al Shifa, Gazas main hospital, due to the severity of his injuries. He arrived in a critical condition and underwent emergency surgery to remove bone fragments from the remaining part of his brain and to relieve internal bleeding. Unfortunately, he had sustained a massive brain trauma and his prognosis was bleak. He died in the ICU a few hours after the operation as his family anxiously waited for news. Mustafas older brother, Loay, was killed two and a half months ago whilst active with the Palestinian resistance. Mustafa had no involvement with the resistance himself. He was trying to earn a little extra income for his family whilst he completed his studies.

The latest attacks increase the number of Palestinian casualties since the ceasefire announcement to more than 80, according to officials in Gaza. To further flout the ceasefire agreement, several Israeli military vehicles were reported to have breached the border with Gaza this morning in an agricultural area east of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to Maan News Agency. After continual violations of the November ceasefire, committed by the Israeli military against Palestinian civilians, the question remains: When will the international community take notice and furthermore take action to prevent an escalation of bloodshed? [To check out what life is like under a murderous military occupation commanded by foreign terrorists, go to: www.rafahtoday.org The occupied nation is Palestine. The foreign terrorists call themselves Israeli.]

DANGER: POLITICIANS AT WORK

The War On Kids Rolls On:

A Few Students Playfully Throwing Peanuts At One Another Ended In Five Black Male High School Students Being Arrested For Felony Assault:
Others Handcuffed For Not Wearing A Belt
19 January 13 By Nicole Flatow, ThinkProgress [Excerpts] A recent Department of Justice lawsuit that called the criminalization of school disciplinary offenses as minor as dress code violations so arbitrary and severe as to "shock the conscience" publicized some of the most egregious punishment at Meridian, Mississippi's schools. But perpetuation of what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline is not limited to that one city or county, and it's nothing new, according to a new report by several civil rights organizations. Stories highlighted by the report reveal that school punishment in other Mississippi counties is as bad, if not worse, and exemplify the severity and scope of the problem: In 2000, what began with a few students playfully throwing peanuts at one another on a school bus ended in five Black male high school students being arrested for felony assault, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. When one of the peanuts accidentally hit the white female bus driver, the bus driver immediately pulled over to call the police, who diverted the bus to the courthouse where the students were questioned. The Sheriff commented to one newspaper, "(T)his time it was peanuts, but if we don't get a handle on it, the next time it could be bodies." More recently, in 2009 in Southaven, DeSoto County, armed police officers responded to an argument between three students on a school bus by reportedly arresting a half dozen Black students, choking and tackling one Black female student, and threatening to shoot the other students on the bus between their eyes. In 2010, in Jackson Public School District, until a lawsuit was filed, staff at one school regularly handcuffed students to metal railings in the school gymnasium and left them there for hours if they were caught not wearing a belt, among other minor infractions.

For example, one 14-year-old boy was reportedly handcuffed to the railing when he wore a stocking cap to class, threw his papers on the ground, and refused to do his school work. Severe over-punishment is imposed in a discriminatory and arbitrary manner, with three times as many black students receiving out-of-school suspensions as white students. In Meridian, Miss., the problem of criminalizing school infractions is perpetuated by a policy of school officials calling police to discipline students.

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