The Rachel Maddow Show – Obama’s Friday News Dumps

in an attempt to minimize criticism, the Obama administration has been releasing unfavorable decisions on friday nights to avoid the news cycle.

-End of the Iraq war will involve up to 50,000 residual troops
-Disclosure forms that show top economic adviser Larry Summers made millions from the hedge fund industry
-Will continue the argument advanced by the bush administration that prisoners being held indefinitely at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan should not be able to challenge their imprisonment
-Now appealing judge’s Bagram decision against the Obama administration

Spanish Judge Accuses Six Top Bush Officials of Torture

Revelations of torture and humiliation of US captives horrified the world.

Legal moves may force Obama’s government into starting a new inquiry into abuses at Guantánamo Bay and Abu Ghraib

By Julian Borger and Dale Fuchs, March 28, 2009 by the Guardian/UK 

MADRID – Criminal proceedings have begun in Spain against six senior officials in the Bush administration for the use of torture against detainees in Guantánamo Bay.

Two reports on the difficult challenges facing Iraqi refugees

Aljazeera English reports on Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan, who lack work visas and live precarious lives. There are an estimated 200,000 such refugess in Jordan (estimates of 500,000 or even 700,000 are vast exaggerations) and as many as a million in Syria. Most are afraid to return to their neighborhoods because of ethnic cleansing campaigns and ongoing death threats. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates that 50,000 Iraqis in Jordan are “vulnerable,” which is a technical term and an ominous one.

As posted on Informed Comment.

The American Way of War

Eugene Jarecki, director of ‘Why We Fight’: Obama is moving towards traditional Washington view of defense

Part 1

From TheRealNews.com.

Juan Cole interviewed on Democracy Now

“Engaging the Muslim World”–Middle East Analyst Juan Cole on US Policy in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel and Beyond


Originally aired: Tuesday, March 17

Event – 6th anniversary of the Iraq occupation rally and protest

Saturday, March 21st, 1pm
Civic Square/Clas Park
10th and Wells, Milwaukee
(located at south side of Milw. courthouse)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel image of the Progressive Students of Milwaukee feeder march to the citywide rally last year

Click here to see the flier

Yes We Can: End Occupation in Iraq & Afghanistan!
Fund Human Needs, Not War!
RALLY and MARCH on the 6th anniversary
of the war and occupation of Iraq

For more information or to volunteer for the rally,
call (414) 964-5158

Sponsored by the Milwaukee Coalition for a Just Peace, a broad Milwaukee coalition including Progressive Students of Milwaukee

The Daily Show video clip: Mess O’Potamia – The Iraq War Is Over

Barack Obama announces that everyone is coming home except for several dozen thousands of soldiers.

360,000 veterans may have brain injuries

Thursday, March 5, 2009
By Gregg Zoroya
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Pentagon officials estimated for the first time Wednesday that up to 360,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans may have suffered brain injuries. Among them are 45,000 to 90,000 veterans whose symptoms persist and warrant specialized care.

Watch – PBS Frontline: The Soldier’s Heart Online

In “The Soldier’s Heart,” FRONTLINE explores the psychological cost of war and investigates whether the military is doing enough to help the many combat veterans coming home with emotional problems. With unprecedented access to active duty service members at Camp Pendleton, a Marine base in San Diego, and through interviews with mental health experts both in and out of the military and members of a Camp Pendleton support group, FRONTLINE uncovers one of the underreported stories from the war in Iraq.
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Watch the full program online here.
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Officials: Obama Extending Iraq Withdrawl from 16 to 19 months, Leaving Behind 50,000 Troops

February 24, 2009
By PAMELA HESS and ANNE GEARAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States plans to withdraw most of its troops from Iraq by August 2010, 19 months after President Barack Obama’s inauguration, according to administration officials.

The withdrawal plan would fulfill one of Obama’s central campaign pledges, albeit a little more slowly than he promised. He said he would withdraw troops within 16 months, roughly one brigade a month from the time of his inauguration.

The officials said they expect Obama to make the announcement this week. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public.

The U.S. military will leave behind a residual force, between 30,000 and 50,000 troops, to continue advising and training Iraqi security forces, the two officials said. Also staying beyond the 19 months will be intelligence and surveillance specialists and their equipment, including unmanned aircraft, they said.

BREAKING NEWS – Wisconsin Soldier Refuses Iraq Redeployment

He now views the Iraq war as “an illegitimate, unnecessary campaign,” and he feels that by making him take part, the government broke the contract under which he agreed to defend the U.S.

By James A. Carlson, Associated Press, February 21, 2009

MILWAUKEE—A Wisconsin Army Reservist refused to leave Friday to return to his unit in Iraq, saying he’s become disillusioned with the U.S. role there.

Spc. Kristoffer Walker of Green Bay said he sent an e-mail to his squad leader, platoon sergeant and company first sergeant in Iraq, stating he won’t return from his two-week leave.

Missing Money In Iraq

Since the start of the Iraq war, billions of dollars given to private contractors have gone unaccounted for amid widespread allegations of fraud and war profiteering.

Watch the video here.