JUDY WOODRUFF: The government confirmed today that corn, soybeans, and other crops are among the hardest-hit casualties of the worst drought the country has faced in decades.
The U.S. Agriculture Department today predicted the lowest average corn yield in 15 years. The USDA now projects 10.8 billion bushels of corn to be produced. That is down 17 percent from its forecast just last month of 13 billion bushels. It's a result of severe lack of rainfall, conditions that have spread across even more of the U.S. breadbasket.
Nearly a quarter of the country is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought, according to this week's Drought Monitor report, published by the federal government and the University of Nebraska. Their weekly map shows areas of the worst drought, marked here in red and burgundy, grew by 2 percent from the week before. The drought and drop in corn production will increase food prices here at home and abroad.
Margaret Warner takes it from here.
MARGARET WARNER: To better understand this latest news about corn production and the likely impact of the drought on food supplies in the U.S. and around the world, we turn to Ron Nixon, who has been covering this story for The New York Times.
Ron, thank you for being with us.
First of all, let's just start with how big a blow is this news about corn and soybeans to overall food production?
RON NIXON, The New York Times: Good evening, Margaret.
I think the overall effect is analysts had anticipated that the corn yield would be low, but they were expecting it to be a bit higher than what the government report actually showed. So this means that you will have an increase in feed prices, and the resulting impact of that is higher meat, poultry, dairy product. So, it's much higher than people thought it would be.
And the government, it's just -- with corn, soybeans, meat also down.
MARGARET WARNER: And corn is also an essential ingredient, or corn derivatives, in a lot of processed foods as well.
Ricardo Lopez and William D'Urso (Los Angeles Times) report:
The U.S. is the world's largest producer of corn, but harsh weather conditions in Europe and Brazil also are reducing the global supply of grains such as corn, a key ingredient in processed foods, animal feed and ethanol fuel.
"Corn is the single most important commodity for retail food," said Richard Volpe, an economist for the USDA. "Corn is either directly or indirectly in about three-quarters of all food consumers buy."
On costs, USDA notes:
In relation to the current drought, many people ask: What does this mean for food prices? Here we try to provide a response and the necessary context on food price inflation. The info graphic is based on data from the USDA Economic Research Service’s analysis of retail food prices and the food dollar, or all the factors that affect what we pay for food. The graphic helps to demonstrate how the current drought, or any event that affects prices for raw farm commodities, ultimately has a marginal effect on what we pay at the grocery or restaurant. Primarily, the graphic demonstrates two important pieces of information:
1. In the bar chart, food price inflation is expected to be close to the historical average this year and just slightly above that next year. As you can see, recent spikes from 2008 and 2011, especially, outpace current forecasts.
2. In the grocery cart model, you see that raw farm commodity prices (the price of things like a bushel of corn or soybeans) are just one of many factors affecting retail food prices. In fact, commodities make up about 14% of the average retail food purchase, so even if all commodity prices doubled, retail food prices would increase by about 14%. Together, factors such as energy and transportation costs, labor costs, processing and marketing costs all play a much more significant role.
On July 25th, ERS forecast that we will likely see impacts on retail food prices within two months for beef, pork, poultry and dairy. Yet the full effects of the increase in corn prices for packaged and processed foods (cereal, corn flour, etc.) will likely take 10-12 months to move through to retail food prices, and should have little to no effect until that time.
For additional information, see USDA ERS resources: A Revised and Expanded Food Dollar Series A Better Understanding of Our Food Costs (PDF) and Food Price Outlook web page.
Inflation in the midst of a recession. The economy just got worse.
This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for today:
Friday,
August 10, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, the US State Dept issues
a warning, look who's spinning the illegal war now, the effects of the
KBR burn pits claim another life, and more.
Starting in the United States. Mark McCarter (Huntsville Times) reports,
"Russell Keith, who served as a paramedic in civilian life and during
two tours of duty in Iraq, died Wednesday at age 53. He suffered from
Parkinson's disease that he believed was related to his exposure to burn
pits while serving in Balad." Services will be held tomorrow at 11:00
a.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home with the burial at Jefferson Memorial Gardens.
November 6, 2009, we covered the Democratic Policy Committee
hearing that Russell Keith testified at. He explained, "While I was
stationed at Balad, I experienced the effects of the massive burn pit
that burned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The ten-acre pit was located
in the northwest corner of the base. An acrid, dark black smoke from the
pit would accumulate and hang low over the base for weeks at a time.
Every spot on the base was touched by smoke from the pit; everyone who
served at the base was exposed to the smoke. It was almost impossible to
escape, even in our living units,"
Then-Senator Byron Dorgan was the Chair of the DPC and he stated at that hearing:
Today
we're going to have a discussion and have a hearing on how, as early as
2002, US military installations in Iraq and Afghanistan began relying
on open-air burn pits -- disposing of waste materials in a very
dangerous manner. And those burn pits included materials such as
hazardous waste, medical waste, virtually all of the waste without
segregation of the waste, put in burn pits. We'll hear how there were
dire health warnings by Air Force officials about the dangers of burn
pit smoke, the toxicity of that smoke, the danger for human health.
We'll hear how the Department of Defense regulations in place said that
burn pits should be used only in short-term emergency situations --
regulations that have now been codified. And we will hear how, despite
all the warnings and all the regulations, the Army and the contractor in
charge of this waste disposal, Kellogg Brown & Root, made frequent
and unnecessary use of these burn pits and exposed thousands of US
troops to toxic smoke.
Dire warnings
were ignored. Service members and contractors came back to the US with
sicknesses resulting from that exposure and they have had to fight
continually to try to have their illnesses and conditions recognized.
Russell Keith was part of those who came forward and spoke out. He also
was part of the class action lawsuit against KBR. KBR has still not
had to pay for their actions.
The US
government has thus far refused to create a burn pit registry. When we
speak to veterans groups, I note that 2013 might be a good year for that
registry. Senator Jim Webb refused to allow it to come out of
Committee back when then-US Senator Evan Bayh proposed it and appeared
before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to advocate for it. June 13th, Senator Mark Udall appeared before the Committee advocating on behalf of a registry:
Senator
Mark Udall: Sitting in the audience today is Master Sergeant Jessey
Baca a member of the New Mexico Air National Guard and his wife Maria.
[to them] Just give everybody a waive here, you two. Master Sgt. Baca
was stationed in Balad, Iraq and exposed to burn pits. His journey to be
here today was not easy. He has battled cancer, chronic bronchitis,
chemical induced asthma, brain lesions, TBI, PTSD and numerous other
ailments. Maria has traveled that difficult road with him. They know
first hand the suffering caused by burn pits and they need to know the
answers. It is because of them and so many others like them that we are
here today. Last year, I introduced S. 1798,
the Open Burn Pits Registry Act with Senator Corker. Representative
Todd Akin introduced it in the House. It is not a partisan issue. We
have each met with veterans and active duty members of the military and
they have told us how important it is that we act now. In both
Afghanistan and Iraq, open air burn pits were widely used at forward
operating bases. Disposing of trash and other debris was a major
challenge. Commanders had to find a way to dispose of waste while
concentrating on the important mission at hand. The solution that was
chosen, however, had serious risks. Pits of waste were set on fire --
sometimes using jet fuel for ignition. Some burn pits were small but
others covered multiple acres of land. Often times, these burn pits
would turn the sky black. At Joint Base Balad Iraq, over 10 acres of
land were used for burning toxic debris. At the height of its
operations, Balad hosted approximately 25,000 military, civilian and
coalition provision authority personnel. These personnel would be
exposed to a toxic soup of chemicals released into the atmosphere.
According to air quality measurements, the air at Balad had multiple
particulates harmful to humans: Plastics and Styrofoams, metals,
chemicals from paints and solvents, petroleum and lubricants, jet fuel
and unexploded ordnance, medical and other dangerous wastes. The air
samples at Joint Base Balad turned up some nasty stuff. Particulate
matter, chemicals that form from the incomplete burning of coal, oil and
gas garbage or other organic substances, volatile organic compounds
such as acetone and benzene -- benzene, as you all know, is known to
cause leukemia -- and dioxins which are associated with Agent Orange.
According to the American Lung Association, emissions from burning waste
contain fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide,
volatile organic compounds and various irritant gases such as nitrogen
oxides that can scar the lungs. All of this was in the air and being
inhaled into the lungs of service members. Our veterans have slowly
begun to raise the alarm as they learn why -- after returning home --
they are short of breath or experiencing headaches and other symptoms
and, in some cases, developing cancer. Or to put it more simply, by
Maria Baca, when she describes her husband's symptoms, "When he
breathes, he can breathe in, but he can't breathe out. That's the
problem that he's having. It feels like a cactus coming out of his
chest. He feels these splinters and he can't get rid of them." The
Dept of Army has also confirmed the dangers posed by burn pits. In a
memo from April 15, 2011, Environmental Science Engineering Officer, G.
Michael Pratt, wrote an air quality summary on Baghram Airfield. And I
would respectfully ask that the full memo be included in the record.
Referring to the burn pits near Baghram Airfield, he said there was
potential that "long-term exposure at these level may experience the
risk for developing chronic health conditions such as reduced lung
function or exacerbated chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, asthma, atherosclerosis and other cardio pulmonary
diseases. Many of our service members are coming home with
these symptoms. I believe, like you do, Madam Chair, that we are
forever in debt for their service, so we must ask the question, "How did
these burn pits impact the health of our returning heroes?" This bill
is a step towards finding the answers we owe them. The legislation will
establish and maintain and Open Burn Pit Registry for those individuals
who may have been exposed during their military service. It would
include information in this registry that the Secretary of the VA
determines is applicable to possible health effects of this exposure.
develop a public information campaign to inform individuals about the
registry and periodically notify members of the registry of significant
developments associated with burn pits exposure. It is supported by
numerous groups including BurnPits 360,
Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Association of US Navy, Retired Enlisted
Association, the Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees and the National
Military Family Association. Madam Chair and Ranking Member Burr, thank
you for your attention to this important issue. I look forward to
working with both of you and members of your distinguished Committee on
this important legislation. Thank you and a pleasure once again to be
with you today.
In 2013, Webb will
be gone. His war on veterans -- he lashed out at VA Secretary Eric
Shinseki for Shinseki's efforts to recognize all who were suffering from
Agent Orange exposure during Vietnam and his penny-pinching opposition
to a Burn Pit Registry -- is why Webb didn't run for re-election. He
did not have the votes in his home state, largely due to his actions
against veterans. With Webb gone, I believe Senator Jon Tester's
opposition to the registry crumbles (I could be wrong) and that it's
much easier to get it passed. The problem with that is, not only can
you not take back the years where they were ignored or lied to, you also
can't bring back those who've died from those burn pits. This is the Laughlin Service Funeral Home's obituary for Russell Keith:
Leon
Russell Keith, 53, of Huntsville, passed away Wednesday. Mr. Keith
devoted his life to helping others by serving as a paramedic. He spent
three years in Iraq serving the needs of the sick and wounded. Mr. Keith
was a staunch Alabama football fan. He was also a member of the
Fraternal Order of Eagles Local 3263.
Survivors
include his wife of 25 years, Vickie Keith; daughter, Renatta Keith of
Huntsville; sons, Chad Keith of Decatur, Chris Keith (Rachel) of Decatur
and Carlton Keith of Huntsville; granddaughter, Isabella Wood; mother,
Geraldine Lowe of Morrison, CO; sister, Wendy Greene of Florida and
brothers, Howard Keith of Morrison, CO and Jimmy Keith of Boston, MA.
Visitation
will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday at Laughlin Service Funeral Home.
The funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home
chapel with Pastor I.V. Marsh officiating. Burial will be in Jefferson
Memorial Gardens in Trussville.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. (www.michaeljfox.org)
Javier Blas (Washington Post) reports,
"Iraq has overtaken Iran as the second-largest OPEC oil producer for
the first time since the late 1980s, a symbolic shift that signals the
huge impact of Western sanctions on Tehran and the steady recovery of
Baghdad's energy industry." Steve Hargreaves (CNN Money) adds,
"Iraqi oil production inched over the 3 million barrel a day mark in
July, according to numbers released Friday by the International Atomic
Agency. That's 300,000 barrels per day higher than the country's
average output in 2011." And that has to pass for progress in Iraq.
Not that the Iraqi people see any monies. Nouri's Cabinet just
announced that there would be no surplus oil revenues to divide among
the people. Moqtada al-Sadr rebuked that claim publicly but you know
Nouri never share what he can steal. So this is another example of no
progress in Iraq. The US State Dept says "no progress" as well. Yesterday they issued a travel warning on Iraq which included:
The
Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential
travel to Iraq given the security situation. Travel within Iraq remains
dangerous. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated January
19, 2012, to update information on security incidents and to remind
U.S. citizens of ongoing security concerns for U.S. citizens in Iraq,
including kidnapping and terrorist violence. The United States completed
its withdrawal of military forces from Iraq as of December 31, 2011.
The ability of the Embassy to respond to situations where U.S. citizens
face difficulty, including arrests, is extremely limited.
Some regions within Iraq have experienced fewer violent incidents than others in recent years, in particular the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). Although violence and threats against U.S. citizens persist, reported instances have lessened in the past six months. U.S. citizens in Iraq also remain at risk for kidnapping. Methods of attack have, in the past, included roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including explosively formed penetrators (EFPs); magnetic IEDs placed on vehicles; human and vehicle-borne IEDs, mines placed on or concealed near roads; mortars and rockets, and shootings using various direct fire weapons. Numerous insurgent groups, including Al Qaida in Iraq, remain active throughout Iraq. Although Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) operations against these groups continue, terrorist activity persists in many areas of the country. While terrorist violence occurs at levels lower than in previous years, it occurs frequently, particularly in the provinces of Baghdad, Ninewa, Salah ad Din, Anbar, and Diyala.
The security situation in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR), which includes the governorates of Sulymaniya, Erbil, and Dohuk, has been more stable relative to the rest of Iraq in recent years, but threats remain. U.S. government personnel in northern Iraq are required to be accompanied by a protective security escort when traveling outsidesecure facilities. Although there have been significantly fewer terrorist attacks and lower levels of insurgent violence in the IKR than in other parts of Iraq, the security situation throughout the IKR remains dangerous. Increasingly, many U.S. and third-country business people travel throughout much of Iraq; however, they do so under restricted movement conditions and almost always with security advisors and teams.
U.S. citizens should avoid areas near the Turkish or Iranian borders. The Turkish military continues to carry out operations against elements of the Kongra-Gel terrorist group (KGK, formerly Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK) located along Iraq's northern border. Additionally, extensive unmarked minefields remain along the same border. The Governments of Turkey and Iran continue to carry out military operations against insurgent groups in the mountain regions. These operations have included troop movements and both aerial and artillery bombardments. Borders in these areas are not always clearly defined. Iranian authorities previously detained, for an extended period, U.S. citizens who were hiking in the vicinity of the Iranian border in the IKR. The resources available to the U.S. Embassy to assist U.S. citizens who venture close to or cross the border with Iran are extremely limited.
Some regions within Iraq have experienced fewer violent incidents than others in recent years, in particular the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). Although violence and threats against U.S. citizens persist, reported instances have lessened in the past six months. U.S. citizens in Iraq also remain at risk for kidnapping. Methods of attack have, in the past, included roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including explosively formed penetrators (EFPs); magnetic IEDs placed on vehicles; human and vehicle-borne IEDs, mines placed on or concealed near roads; mortars and rockets, and shootings using various direct fire weapons. Numerous insurgent groups, including Al Qaida in Iraq, remain active throughout Iraq. Although Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) operations against these groups continue, terrorist activity persists in many areas of the country. While terrorist violence occurs at levels lower than in previous years, it occurs frequently, particularly in the provinces of Baghdad, Ninewa, Salah ad Din, Anbar, and Diyala.
The security situation in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR), which includes the governorates of Sulymaniya, Erbil, and Dohuk, has been more stable relative to the rest of Iraq in recent years, but threats remain. U.S. government personnel in northern Iraq are required to be accompanied by a protective security escort when traveling outsidesecure facilities. Although there have been significantly fewer terrorist attacks and lower levels of insurgent violence in the IKR than in other parts of Iraq, the security situation throughout the IKR remains dangerous. Increasingly, many U.S. and third-country business people travel throughout much of Iraq; however, they do so under restricted movement conditions and almost always with security advisors and teams.
U.S. citizens should avoid areas near the Turkish or Iranian borders. The Turkish military continues to carry out operations against elements of the Kongra-Gel terrorist group (KGK, formerly Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK) located along Iraq's northern border. Additionally, extensive unmarked minefields remain along the same border. The Governments of Turkey and Iran continue to carry out military operations against insurgent groups in the mountain regions. These operations have included troop movements and both aerial and artillery bombardments. Borders in these areas are not always clearly defined. Iranian authorities previously detained, for an extended period, U.S. citizens who were hiking in the vicinity of the Iranian border in the IKR. The resources available to the U.S. Embassy to assist U.S. citizens who venture close to or cross the border with Iran are extremely limited.
The
U.S. Embassy is located in the International Zone (IZ) in Baghdad. The
IZ is a restricted access area. Iraqi authorities are responsible for
control of the IZ. Travelers to the IZ should be aware that Iraqi
authorities may require special identification to enter the IZ or may
issue IZ-specific access badges. Individuals residing and traveling
within the IZ should continue to exercise good personal safety
precautions.
The U.S. government considers the
potential threat to U.S. government personnel in Iraq to be serious
enough to require them to live and work under strict security
guidelines. All U.S. government employees under the authority of the
U.S. Chief of Mission must follow strict safety and security procedures
when traveling outside the Embassy. State Department guidance to U.S.
businesses in Iraq advises the use of protective security details.
Detailed security information is available at the U.S. Embassy website.
The ability of the U.S. Embassy to provide consular services to U.S. citizens throughout Iraq, including Baghdad, is particularly limited given the security environment. The U.S. Consulates in Basrah Erbil, and Kirkuk cannot provide routine services such as passport applications, extra visa pages, and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. U.S. citizens in need of these services while in Iraq must travel to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The Embassy's website (http://iraq.usembassy.gov) includes consular information and the most recent messages to U.S. citizens in Iraq. U.S. citizens in Iraq who are in need of emergency assistance should call 0770-443-1286.
The ability of the U.S. Embassy to provide consular services to U.S. citizens throughout Iraq, including Baghdad, is particularly limited given the security environment. The U.S. Consulates in Basrah Erbil, and Kirkuk cannot provide routine services such as passport applications, extra visa pages, and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. U.S. citizens in need of these services while in Iraq must travel to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The Embassy's website (http://iraq.usembassy.gov) includes consular information and the most recent messages to U.S. citizens in Iraq. U.S. citizens in Iraq who are in need of emergency assistance should call 0770-443-1286.
For information on "What the Department of State Can and Can't Do in a Crisis," please visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs' Emergencies and Crisis link at
www.travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on security can also be
obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and
Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, on a
regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday through Friday
(except U.S. federal holidays).
They have to issue that warning because there is still no progress in Iraq. On the violence front,
Alsumaria notes
that a suicide bomber drove a car up to a mosque in Muwafaqiya (east of
Mosul) and detonated, taking his/her own life and the lives of 5
worshipers while leaving twenty-five more injured. Reuters updates that to 5 dead and seventy injured. Al Jazeera adds that "part of the mosque building collapsed over the heads of the worshippers as they were leaving." KUNA notes
that the statement from Niniveh Province Governor Atheel al-Nujaifi
"condemned that deadly attack of the Shiite place, warning that the
attack is meant to instigate tension between Iraqis of different
sects." The governor is the brother of Speaker of Parliament Osama
al-Nujaifi. Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) notes
a Dujail attack in which 4 Sahwa ("Awakenings," "Sons Of Iraq") were
shot dead and a Muqdadiyah roadside bombing which claimed the lives of 3
police officers and left two more injured. AFP adds that Haditha city council member Nabil Shaakar was shot dead with his two brothers left injured.
There's no progress in the political stalemate either. Dar Addustour notes the interrogation of Nouri before the Parliament has been tabled until they can see what the Reform Commission will propose. Lots of luck with that. Al Mada reports the National Alliance is declaring that the Reform Commission is proposing three special committees be formed. Great! Maybe they can waste months in 'studying' the problem which is about as far as anything ever gets in Nouri's Iraq. Al Mada also notes Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi put out a press release praising Moqtada al-Sadr, noting that Moqtada had attempted to chart a path best for Iraqis and that Moqtada's father (Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr) was one of the martyrs from the reign of Saddam Hussein.
Alsumaria notes that Imam Mahmoud al-Issawi declared in morning prayers today that the Iraqi government should release the many detainees they continue to hold imprisoned that have never been found guilty of anything. You might remember that was among the demands the protesters made in February 2011. Nouri promised action. There was none.
There's no progress in the political stalemate either. Dar Addustour notes the interrogation of Nouri before the Parliament has been tabled until they can see what the Reform Commission will propose. Lots of luck with that. Al Mada reports the National Alliance is declaring that the Reform Commission is proposing three special committees be formed. Great! Maybe they can waste months in 'studying' the problem which is about as far as anything ever gets in Nouri's Iraq. Al Mada also notes Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi put out a press release praising Moqtada al-Sadr, noting that Moqtada had attempted to chart a path best for Iraqis and that Moqtada's father (Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr) was one of the martyrs from the reign of Saddam Hussein.
Alsumaria notes that Imam Mahmoud al-Issawi declared in morning prayers today that the Iraqi government should release the many detainees they continue to hold imprisoned that have never been found guilty of anything. You might remember that was among the demands the protesters made in February 2011. Nouri promised action. There was none.
And
there is no link to a story many noted in the public e-mail account.
Australia's ABC had a report and maybe it was solid and maybe it
wasn't. But it's a topic that can split so you need to know what you're
talking about.
Newsflash: Andrew Cockburn is
not dead. He is the husband of journalist Leslie Cockburn and they are
the father of actress Olivia Wilde. His brother Alexander passed away
July 21st. When you're expert on a religious issue advances (a) that
the most suffering in the world among religions are Christians, I'm
willing to include it as I would any other religion in Iraq. But when
your expert who says that also feels the need to note Andrew Cockburn's
passing ("two weeks ago") and offers praise for him -- At some point,
people are going to say (rightly), "You don't even know which Cockburn
passed away, how can I trust you on another detail?"
Turning
to the topic of Camp Ashraf. The US wants to move all residents to
Camp Liberty. Who are the residents? Iranian dissidents who've been in
Iraq longer than Nouri al-Maliki who fled Iraq years ago and only
returned in 2003 after the US invaded. The US disarmed them and
promised them protection. That protection still hasn't come. July 28, 2009
Nouri launched an attack (while then-US Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates was on the ground in Iraq). In a report released this summer
entitled "Iraqi government must respect and protect rights of Camp Ashraf residents,"
Amnesty International described this assault, "Barely a month later,
on 28-29 July 2009, Iraqi security forces stormed into the camp; at
least nine residents were killed and many more were injured. Thirty-six
residents who were detained were allegedly tortured and beaten. They
were eventually released on 7 October 2009; by then they were in poor
health after going on hunger strike." April 8, 2011,
Nouri again ordered an assault on Camp Ashraf (then-US Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates was again on the ground in Iraq when the assault
took place). Amnesty International described the assault this way,
"Earlier this year, on 8 April, Iraqi troops took up positions within
the camp using excessive, including lethal, force against residents who
tried to resist them. Troops used live ammunition and by the end of the
operation some 36 residents, including eight women, were dead and more
than 300 others had been wounded. Following international and other
protests, the Iraqi government announced that it had appointed a
committee to investigate the attack and the killings; however, as on
other occasions when the government has announced investigations into
allegations of serious human rights violations by its forces, the
authorities have yet to disclose the outcome, prompting questions
whether any investigation was, in fact, carried out." Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observes
that "since 2004, the United States has considered the residents of
Camp Ashraf 'noncombatants' and 'protected persons' under the Geneva
Conventions."
Today AFP reports,
"Ten UN human rights experts on Friday denounced the 'appalling
situation' of 3,400 Iranian refugees in Iraq amid fears of a fresh
'massacre' by security forces." The statement included, "We call for
immediate intervention of the UN Secretary General, US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton and the international community to prevent another
humanitarian disaster."
Yesterday, CSPAN offered a panel of non-experts
and, as a CBS News friend who passed it on, that was fitting since
CSPAN believes "James Jeffries" is a former US Ambassador to Iraq. (His
name is James Jeffrey. It's not even "Jeffreys." Jeffrey.) AP's
Kimberly Dozier moderated the panel which also include the
internationally famous War Criminal John Negroponte. And we might
normally assumed Negroponte was the worst panelists. In 2004, when War
Criminal Negroponte was appointed as ambassador, there were numerous
headlines. Like Michel Choussudovsky's "Bush appoints a Terrorist as US Ambassador to Iraq" (Centre for Research on Globalisation).
But
Negroponte, the War Criminal, was but a flea on the ugly underbelly of
the conference. It needs to be noted that the US has only had one
ambassador to Iraq who was opposed to the Iraq War before it started.
Do you know who that was?
Ryan Crocker. Appointed by Bully Boy Bush.
Barack
Obama got the Democratic Party nomination because of his mythical
opposition to the Iraq War. If you're late to the party, sell your
spin somewhere else I am especially not in the damn mood today. When
Barry Kiss Ass was running for the US Senate, his handlers planned a big
money event for him and all who attended would get face time with this
wonderful, amazing, anti-war politician. Elaine
and I went, checkbooks in hand, prepared to max out but who we
encountered was not an anti-war candidate. He told us that the US was
in Iraq now and didn't matter. What didn't matter to us was another
piece of s**t lying politician and Elaine and I immediately left the
fundraiser without donating a cent.
And his
attitude/belief expressed then is why a President Barack was never going
to nominate anyone worthy to be the US Ambassador to Iraq. Ann Wright,
for example, may have done everything right but he was not going to ask
her to come back as the US Ambassador to Iraq. (She resigned over the
Iraq War right before it started.) No, the DLC-er Barry Kiss Ass
was going to nominate War Hawks and that's what he did. That's why his
choices were so linked to George W. Bush. Three people nominated, all
of them War Hawks.
Only two were confirmed:
James Jeffrey and Chris Hill. The event took place early in the
afternoon yesterday (starting, in fact, around 11:55 a.m.) and
apparently that was so as not to interfere with Chris Hill's afternoon
nap. John Negroponte -- whom I believe has blood on his hands that will
never wash off -- looked almost civilized when up against the Pig-Pen Ambassador.
Kimberly
Dozier, as moderator, wanted the discussion to start on a few things
that all could agree upon. And most could but not little Chrissy Hill.
While Negroponte and Cambone could talk about intelligence failures and
Curveball, Chrissy had an agenda of his own.
Chris
Hill: I don't -- I don't think it was about -- just about
intelligence. I think that was part of the issue, the interpretation of
the intelligence. I think that was part of the issue. The
interpretation of the issue, the intelligence, the fact that we had
sensors really turned up in the wake of 9-11 and we're listening to a
lot of different things. So the question was how you interpreted the
things you were listening to. But I think it was -- the decison was a
much -- it was based on a much broader concept of we have this Saddam
Huseein in this critical country. He, uh, had, uh, a reputation for --
you know, for murdering people en mass. I mean anyone who's been to
Iraq for five minutes and can see what this person did -- I mean, I went
up to Hywaptchua where he had used gas against the Kurds. So, I mean,
there's a real compelling reason why you'd want to go after this guy.
Uh, and so and-and, also in the wake of 9-11, I mean, the mood was, we
can't let people like that stay out there. So the real issues [wheezes
and sighs as he pauses] I think ultimately -- You know, I saw a number
that cost us 1.8 trillion and I think you can ask the question from that
perspective is-is -- was it the right thing to do? But I-I -- you
know, when you're there, when you look at some of these just heinous
operations that Saddam had you do have the sense that, 'Okay, we're
doing the right thing and maybe some things went awry but it was kind
of the right thing to do and I -- You know, this current mood in our
country where we look at these kinds of things now and we say, "My God!
What was -- What possessed us to this?" You know you have to be careful
about presentism. You have to think about what the mood was at the
time. And he was a -- Saddam Hussein was a person who -- You know, I
think arguably and in the wake and the mood after 9-11 was someone we
wanted to take off of the board.
That
idiot was a US Ambassador to Iraq and the idiot and liar was nominated
by Barack. That idiot who didn't have the decency to even note the
deaths -- not US or Iraqi -- and it took Kimberly Dozier to point out
the deaths. That idiot who wants to rewrite history and pretend like
the things that took place never could have been forseen.
Chris
Hill is an ass. He will always be a dumb ass and the University of
Denver will be a joke for hiring him as faculty. (Academic institutions
aren't supposed to welcome dishonesty or an unwillingness to evaluate
past events.) This isn't presentism. In reality, there was huge
opposition to the Iraq War before it started. I was on campuses
speaking out against it in February 2003 -- one month before it
started. I spoke to college students who were against it as well. Now
some of them may qualify as geniuses but I'm back of the bus and even
that's just barely. So if idiot me was able to see how it was built on
lies, Chris Hill, don't pretend no one could have known.
Within 24 hours of then US Secretary of State Colin Powell lying to the United Nations in February 2003 (his self-described 'blot'), his claims had been rebutted.
For Chris Hill to lie the way he did and try to spit polish the government's choice to start an illegal war is disgusting.
Grasp that honor is not an applique you can apply after the fact.
While Hill lied and spun, even John Negroponte -- even John Negroponte
-- could demonstrate more honesty. (The intel was wrong. But it was
not wrong by accident. It was wrong because it was cooked to fit the
administration's desire for war. Negroponte can only admit that it was
wrong, that the intelligence was a "notorius enough mistake to cause
the revamping of the intelligence community." That's still more than
Chris Hill can provide. And he was a huge supporter of the Iraq War in
2002. Again, the only Ambassador to Iraq that the US has had so far who
opposed the start of the Iraq War was Ryan Crocker.)
Hill
lied and lied non-stop. And sucked up to Nouri al-Maliki like crazy.
Someone needs to tell Dumb Ass, that he wasn't in Iraq in 2008. So when
he wants to impugn the reputations of Ryan Crocker and the then-top US
Commander in Iraq General David Petraeus (now CIA Director David
Petraeus) by hauling the crazy out his ass, someone needs to call him
out. I really cannot believe what a whore Chris Hill is and a whore for
Nouri al-Maliki. He painted Petraeus -- David Petraeus -- as a scared
coward who was reluctant to take on Moqtada al-Sadr but brave Nouri to
the rescue.
Chris Hill is appalling. We
sounded alarms in 2009 when Barack nominated him. We have stated since
then that the manic depressive needs help. Now he's taking his crazy
out in public and someone needs to step in. Take his keys away, he's
not fit to drive. (And David Petraeus should demand an apology. And
I'm no David Petraeus groupie, check the archives. We've long praised
Holly Petraeus for her work -- his wife -- but we were never fans of her
husband and the e-mails from Centcom never stopped coming with this
public relations officer or that one insisting we were unfair to
Petreaus here, there and everywhere.)
In the US there are many third party and independent candidates making a run for the presidency. We're following two. Jill Stein has the Green Party's presidential nomination and her running mate is Cheri Honkala. Roseanne Barr has the nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party and her running mate is Cindy Sheehan.
We're following them because four women is exciting and it's news and
I'm feminist which means I shouldn't be spending my time fluffing for
the patriarchy. Today let's enjoy the fact that there are two tickets
of women running for the highest office.
Roseanne was on Piers Morgan Tonight
(CNN) last night. Piers was obsessed with love and I wonder if it had
been a male candidate if that would have been the focus of so much of
the interview? CNN notes
that Roseanne managed to declare, "I was asked to carry the water and
carry a message during this election and to make socialist solutions
part of narrative, because they're being left out and they work." And
while he focused too much on love in my opinion, Piers can still assert
he let Roseanne present her case, that's more than some feminist
outlets can claim. Judging by a press release from the Freedom Socialist Party today, Roseanne's getting the Peace and Freedom Party nomination has ticked off some:
Barr,
who reinvented herself as a socialist in the few weeks before the PFP
vote, did not show up for a candidates' forum the night before the
convention. She was represented there by her vice-presidential partner,
anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan. On Saturday, Aug. 4, the opening day of
the convention, Barr's appearance was preceded by a security detail
while delegates sat waiting for her to arrive, which she did in a flurry
of media. She left after giving her speech, and took the media
attention with her, headed for the taping of a Comedy Central roast in
her honor. Delegates were unable to ask her questions.
Barr
had originally announced as a candidate for the Green Party nomination,
but lost decisively to Jill Stein, whom Barr had pledged to support
should Stein become the nominee. Barr did not attend the Green Party
convention in July.
Now Barr is promising
to do major fundraising and help register voters for PFP, a
California-based left electoral coalition that is in a fight for its
life thanks to new state ballot laws hostile to minor parties. The
Durham-López team had argued for making a PFP registration drive part of
a bold two-year grass-roots campaign statewide, explicitly
anti-capitalist and feminist, to protest the rigged electoral system and
organize with others to demand relief for those hit hardest by war,
bailouts for corporations, and austerity for workers.
And Jill Stein's campaign has released the following:
Today
the Stein campaign announced success in petition drives led by Greens
and Volunteers for Jill Stein groups in Alaska, Kansas, Maryland,
Washington, and Wisconsin. In each of these states, state elections
authories have received more than enough qualified signatures to place
the Green Party or the Stein/Honkala ticket on the ballot.
"As
of today, voters in at least 30 states will see Jill Stein and Cheri
Honkala on their ballot lines," said Erika Wolf, associate campaign
manager.
The ballot drives in Maryland and
Washington states were led by their respective state parties, and
supported by Stein volunteers. The ballot drive in Wisconsin was a
combined effort, and the petitioning efforts in Alaska and Kansas were
led and heavily financed by the Stein campaign itself, with support from
local Green parties and the national Green Party of the United States.
"This
is the August crunch, when the final 20 state ballot lines can either
be won or lost, and we need every dollar and every volunteer we can get,
right now, to make sure this campaign is truly national," said campaign
manager Ben Manski.
For the latest ballot access news, see: http://www.jillstein.org/ballot
To make a donation, click here: http://www.jillstein.org/donate