Free Iraq

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" The United States deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained, and is currently working to understand {emphasis added, any comment would be superfluous to such, at best, stupidity} the circumstances surrounding this tragedy," said White House spokesman William Burton."
UN Security Council to hold emergency session over Gaza flotilla deaths, May 31, 2010
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Updates:
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"It was people - ordinary people, Europeans, Americans, Holocaust survivors - yes, for heaven's sake, survivors of the Nazis - who took the decision to go to Gaza because their politicians and their statesmen had failed them.
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How did we get to this point? Maybe because we all grew used to seeing the Israelis kill Arabs, maybe the Israelis grew used to killing Arabs. Now they kill Turks. Or Europeans. Something has changed in the Middle East these past 24 hours - and the Israelis (given their extraordinarily stupid political response to the slaughter) don't seem to have grasped what has happened. The world is tired of these outrages. Only the politicians are silent."
Robert Fisk: Western leaders are too cowardly to help save lives, June 1, 2010
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"Turkey has threatened Israel with unprecedented action after Israeli forces attacked an aid vessel, killing 10 peace activists headed to Gaza. Israel said 10 people died while those on the ship said at least 15 were killed.
A shocked world has responded with outrage. Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel and warned of unprecedented and incalculable reprisals.
Two Turkish activists were reported to be among those killed in the flotilla. Ankara warned that further supply vessels will be sent to Gaza, escorted by the Turkish Navy, a development with unpredictable consequences.
Israel has sounded an alert throughout the country fearing rocket attacks by Hezbollah in Lebanon."
Turkey Promises to Send Supplies to Gaza With Naval Escort, May 31, 2010
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The number of dead is 19 with 60 injured. This is Israel!
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In the meantime, the Arab governments are Condemning, Calling for emergecy meetings, Appealing for action, Urging others to act, Shouting for Gaza support (while building steel underground anti-tunnelling barriers), etc ... ad nauseam

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"US Captain Jon Villasenor, 36, said the toughest aspect was knowing who to trust on the battlefield of a guerrilla war.

"We don't know who the enemy is," he said.

"I don't feel I'm fighting Taliban, I feel I'm maybe fighting a criminal element or maybe a disenfranchised element that may be influenced by Taliban.

"I wish he'd wear a uniform and a name plate that said 'enemy'. Once I understand his motivations and ideology I can target that and leverage that against him.
"Until then I'm kind of fumbling around," he said."
US soldiers ask 'who is the enemy?' in Kandahar, May 28, 2010
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"Inexperienced operators of a U.S. drone aircraft ignored or downplayed signs that civilians were aboard a convoy blasted by American missiles in Afghanistan earlier this year, said a military investigation report released Saturday.

At least 23 people were killed in the Feb. 21 attack in Uruzgan province - the deadliest assault on Afghan civilians in six months. It occurred even as NATO forces were redoubling efforts to avoid killing innocents."
Drone crew blamed in Afghan civilian deaths, May 29, 2010

Another USD$2,000 for a non-American civilian killed?

Updates:

"Under the Bush administration the U.S. military allegedly started to recruit neo-Nazis and gang members to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, argues investigative journalist Matt Kennard".
US military in Iraq needed “hardcore” troops with warlike mentality, May 30 2010

Reference the below poster:

"We demonstrate unambiguously that, beginning with the Korean War, disadvantaged communities have suffered a disproportionate share of the nation’s wartime casualties, while richer communities have been more insulated from the costs of war. Furthermore, the data suggest that this “casualty gap” between rich and poor communities has reached its widest proportions in the ongoing conflict in Iraq.
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What would happen if the nation openly acknowledged the casualty gap? Would citizens rethink questions of war and peace? To find out, we conducted a series of original public opinion survey experiments with nationally representative samples of Americans.

We found that citizens informed about the existence of a casualty gap were significantly more likely to oppose ongoing military operations and less willing to support future ones than were their peers who were not informed about casualty inequalities."
America's ‘casualty gap' Poor areas lose more of their young to wars, May 30, 2010

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" The Pentagon may be sharply reducing its combat forces in Iraq, but the military plans to step up efforts to influence media coverage in that country -- as well as here at home.
"It is essential to the success of the new Iraqi government and the USF-I [U.S. Forces-Iraq] mission that both communicate effectively with our strategic audiences (i.e. Iraqi, pan-Arabic, international, and U.S. and USF-I audiences) to gain widespread acceptance of core themes and messages," according to the pre-solicitation notice for a civilian contractor or contractors to provide "strategic communication management services" there.
Calling strategic communications "a vital component of operations in Iraq," the notice says one goal is "to effectively build U.S. decision makers' and the public's understanding of Iraq's current situation, future and strategic importance as a stabilizing presence and ally against terrorism in the Middle East."
The notice is a prime illustration of how the military is increasingly integrating information operations into the heart of its commands. The contractor team of 10 to 12 people is expected to provide work of "executive level quality, commensurate with that of a four-star military headquarters command."
Pentagon tries to steer media coverage on Iraq, May 25, 2010

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