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Anti-War Protesters Startle Seattle's Holiday Shoppers
SEATTLE - A bizarre scene unfolded amid the festive holiday atmosphere at Westlake Center on Saturday, as men in U.S. military uniforms stormed through the crowd, tossing civilians to the sidewalk and handcuffing them.
It was all part of a "street theater" style anti-war protest staged by opponents of the proposed troop surge in Afghanistan.
The uniformed men and civilians were all acting out their parts, and no bystanders were actually hurt in the holiday crowd.
But many people were caught off-guard by the unorthodox scene only a few steps from Westlake Center, where lines of young kids waited their turn to ride the carousel and shoppers hurried by with their bags.
As the "soldiers" screamed profanities at the "civilians" on the ground, many frightened young children were asking their parents what was going on. Meanwhile, some adult shoppers walked by - seemingly oblivious to the freaky scene.
The protest's organizers, a group called "The World Can't Wait," say they're trying to show what a military occupation is like by re-enacting scenes of soldiers mistreating civilians.
"A troop surge means nothing but suffering, killing ... and it's not in the interest of people living in Afghanistan or the people living in this country," says Emma Kaplan, one of the organizers.
She claimed that President Obama is planning to announce a troop surge on Tuesday that will send 34,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan, and that it is up to the American public to stop it.
"People living in this country have a responsibility to stop the crimes of their government no matter who the president is," she said.
37 Comments so far
Show AllI hope it woke some of those people up.
actually, zmann, I've been following the story on KOMO's website and the comments are horrifying. Also, if you would like to see a short news report, check out KING5.com as they actually put this story on their evening news on Saturday. I am afraid that it is going to take many more actions of this nature around the country to wake people up.
Peggyforpeace
What is also just as horrifying is that right wing thugs vandalized a coffee house [called Coffee Strong] near Fort Lewis, Wa. which is the largest Army base on the West Coast. Coffee Strong is a place which was organized by the GI movement and is considered a safe haven for those soldiers who wish to criticize the military's actions overseas.
As far as I know that hasnt happened. Where did you get this news? I am a monthly sustainer of Coffee Strong. The only coffee place that has had any violence recently was a horrible murder of 4 Lakewood policemen at a coffee house in Parkland, which is near to the Fort, but perhaps you have more recent info than do I....
Peggyforpeace
http://open.salon.com/blog/emmancipator/2009/11/29/protesting_obamas_troop_surge_and_stopping_business_as_usua
Here is a link which is similar to the one above but which contains information written by Emma Kaplan on Open Salon and Seth of Coffee Strong which indicates that the GI coffee house was vandalized.
Thanks. I checked Seth's FB page. What a bit of bizarre behavior. I know there have been other instances where folks haven't been happy to have Coffee Strong so close to the base. After all they provide information for the soldiers. And we all know that information is dangerous! If you live in the area stop by and visit. They serve great coffee and provide a wonderful spot for conversation.
The ending part of the link you provided is "business...", which doesn't provide the correct, full url. This often happens at CD when posting long links that don't end with, f.e., .html or .htm. This can be checked once the post appears at CD; just copy the link you posted by double-clicking on it and copying the highlighted link, open another tab or a notepad or do an "Add bookmark", whatever, paste the copied link, and check it to see if it's fully correct. Using a separate browser window tab, or window, is good for testing since you can just try to load the page once you've pasted the link in the address field or whatever it's called.
Anyway, I used the last part of the url that you posted, "protesting...business", leaving out the '...', and used this as if it relects the actual title of the article, which it does in this case. Using that, I found the article by searching the website's archive for Nov. 29th articles. And before checking that website, I checked the Coffee Strong website, which doesn't have anything on this story; not yet anyway.
http://www.givoice.org/coffeestrong
"Protesting Obama's Troop Surge & Stopping Business As Usual",
by Emma Kaplan, Nov. 29, 2009
http://open.salon.com/blog/emmancipator/2009/11/29/
protesting_obamas_troop_surge_and_stopping_business_as_usua
(Following the word "business" is "_as_usua", without an "l"; and yes, it's really without an "l". The above url will work, but was split over two lines intentionally, so the two need to be copied and pasted, in sequence. You don't see the "_as_usua" ending, but double-clicking on the line and copying will get the whole.)
I'll excerpt the relevant part of the article.
EXCERPT:
Later in the evening, the story pops up on the media blogs. Almost instantly 19 right wing reactionaries comment, calling for us to be arrested and killed. The next day, comments rise up to 200 mixed in with anti war comments supporting our action. More people should thumbs down the right wing comments and support our action on these blogs. I don't know what they are more angry about- the fact that we are protesting against the surge into Afghanistan or the fact that there are people who were in the U.S. Military and are denouncing the war in Afghanistan & Iraq. Hours later, Coffee Strong – a GI coffeehouse near Fort Lewis run by IVAW has their windows broken. Seth Manzel from IVAW says on his facebook, “ To the nationalist fuck who broke out COFFEE STRONG'S window: you and your buddies will have to try harder than that to shut us down.”
END EXCERPT
No kidding. It's certainly not breaking of windows that would stop or slow down these GI's. But I just tried a search of facebook.com to find what Emma Kaplan claims Seth Manzel wrote there and didn't find this. I found what appears to likely be his facebook account or section, for a Seth Manzel in Seattle, Wa., but can't get to his facebook homepage or whatever it's called, either.
That may be because he only shares some information with friends and, therefore, nothing with anyone else. Believing it's the right Seth Manzel, I sent a
"become a friend" message expressing appreciation for his and the other GI's activism, adding that this is meant only if communicating the Seth Manzel of Coffee Strong; and if he accepts this request, then I may possibly get to see what Emma Kaplan quoted from him at facebook. It's an odd reference to make since we can't readily verify it, but I definitely believe that what she says that he wrote is true and to be expected from these GI's.
A person has to be a real clown, idiot to think that an act as minor as breaking a window will instill fear in these GI's, who've seen and experienced FAR worse, with their lives on the line.
BTW, I haven't read it yet, but Emma Kaplan's article seems to be worth reading for people interested in this "troop surge" anti-war action at the mall that the KOMO-TV Seattle is about.
Seth's FB page does indeed contain the statement. Also, the window has already been replaced!
It seems rather ineffective form of protest-theater to me.
At least they had the right idea doing it at a suburban shopping mall instead of a urban sidewalk where they are just preaching to the choir.
But, rather than disturbing the shoppers, they probably quietly cheered the mock-soldiers on.
USAs, who claim to be so "free", LOVE authority figures in uniform - even just camo fatigues. Anyone who "talks back" to them (especially if dark-complected) gets the tazing and beating they deserve. It didn't even bother them in the least to see military people working in what looked like domestic law enforcement. How many even know this is illegal?
The action took place in DOWNTOWN Seattle, NOT at a suburban shopping mall....
"At least they had the right idea doing it at a suburban shopping mall instead of a urban sidewalk where they are just preaching to the choir."
Preaching to the choir just because it'd be on the sidewalk? You don't notice much when you go out, do you? There are a lot more people there than only anti-war activists and other people who are against the wars, but aren't activist about it.
This anti-war act was good. If people don't understand, then they're the ones with a problem; like, f.e., [opaqueness], "dense/thick (in the head, between the ears) as a brick" syndrome, that is, "light" doesn't penetrate.
I see my first post on this thread was deleted...
All I did was draw attention to the fact that TV shows like '24' and movies like 'Saw' have numbed the populace into acceptance of torture. I pointed out that police state tactics are now blandly accepted as the 'new normal'.
I also pointed out that this was the same city (Seattle) where four police officers were gunned down in a coffee shop ambush yesterday.
Galen...
A slight correction. The city where the four police officers were shot was in Tacoma, which is south of Seattle.
The murders were in a coffee shop in Parkland WA, south of Tacoma, which is about 50 miles south of Seattle. Seattle is in King County, Tacoma is in Pierce County.
Webwalk
You are correct. As my morning newspaper, The Olympian, noted, the shootings of these four Lakewood police officers occurred in Parkland though the byline is Lakewood which is where I seek treatment from the VA.
When one supports the "Troops". One is supporting them being sent to be raped killed maimed and psycologically destroyed.
Hell of a job middle USA.
Female soldiers in Iraq are so fearful of the rampant rape by their fellow servicemembers that they are dying of dehydration rather than use the latrines at night ( where the rapes take place and the generators drown out their screams).
Mr. Ford,
It would be interesting for you to cite your information regarding female soldiers. First off your claims are ridiculous "dying of dehydration" I just returned from Iraq on a base with over 13,000 population and in my 12 months, there were zero rapes and 2 sexual assaults (one male on female and one female and male).
If you do not like the war, please do not say lies about our servicemen and women. Go complain to your elected representatives, they are the ones who start the wars and fund the wars. Who did you vote for?
Are you U.S. military, a contracted mercenary soldier or a civilian contracted by one of the many war profiteers? Regardless you are wrong. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt by saying you are wrong. My first inclination was to accuse you of lying, but I decided that you are probably just ignorant.
http://www.alternet.org/world/31584/
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/03/07/women_in_military/
http://www.offourbacks.org/RapeZone.htm
http://www.vermontguardian.com/dailies/022006/020806.shtml
I could cite many more sources.
Please cite your source that gives the lie to this story.
Thank you.
I just read the Alternet story you linked to, and I'm almost afraid to read the others. I must say I'm not surprised this stuff never made it to the MSM, but I'm surprised I never heard of it from any of the anti-war or feminist groups in the past couple years, even though the incidents are older than that.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
Believe it or not, the increase in rape of female US military personnel by male US military personnel did actually get a smidgeon of attention in the US corporate "mainstream media." Not much, but a little. This Newton character is in the typical denial we see among the military on any number of adverse statistics concerning the current volunteer force, including suicide rates, rape, violent crimes, etc. Too many of these thoroughly over-militarized, over-toured, over-brainwashed "service" personnel have and are inflicting hell on civilians overseas and then bringing their personal hells home to the U.S. They are a servile, unquestioning disgrace to their nation to participate in these brutal and illegal invasions and occupations in the first place and the worst ones are the ones who continue to participate in them tour after tour after tour. They do not deserve our nation's thanks and would only deserve that thanks if they stayed in the U.S. and protested in support of decent paying domestic peace time jobs rebuilding this country's physical and energy infrastructure.
My source is myself. Also, I am in the military, Army National Guard.
So you cite Col. Janis Karpinski, former commander of the unit responsible for torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib. That is a real good source. The only sexual misconduct she knows of happened under her watch.
Newton94
How about this source. The Department of Defense estimates in its 2009 annual report that 30 % of military women are raped while serving, 71 % are sexually assaulted and 90 % are sexually harassed. Is the D of D lying while only you are telling the truth? In addition, writer Helen Benedict interviewed 40 women who had served in Iraq between 2006 and 2008 while doing research for a book that she was writing [The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq] and discovered that 28 of them had been sexually harassed, assaulted or raped. Are all these women lying while only you are telling the truth?
Source: New York Times
In a 18 month period, 112 rapes or other sexual abuses were reported in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan (during that period, 172,000 troops were in Iraq, they did not give troop numbers for Kuwait and Afghanistan).
When you compare those numbers with the US National average of rapes (per capita) 0.301318 per 1,000 people, it appears to me that you would be more likely to be raped as a civilian than in the military.
Newton94
First you attempt to claim that the sources that were provided to you were supposedly not credible. Now you are trying to minimize what these women have gone through by comparing those women who have been attacked and harassed and raped in the military to the larger civilian population. I suspect that you will not get very far with that fallacious argument if you attempted to take that position with a woman who had been under attack while in the military. As I implied in my earlier comment, the statistics that I cited from the D o D and from Helen Benedict are a pretty damning indictment of how poorly women are treated in that machismo domain known as the United States military.
I do not give Col. Janis Karpinski any credibility. She created and she was responsible for a climate of abuse towards the Iraqi detainees.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
You don't know jack about Karpinski or the climate of abuse toward Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib and who enabled and tolerated it. Anymore than you know about the 1-in-3 rape statistic for women in the U.S. military and who, from the Pentagon down, continues to enable and tolerate it. I bet you never even heard of Army Major General Geoffrey Miller and his relationship to torture at both Git-mo and Abu Ghriab, did you, sfb? Just because you're some Joe-schmoe Army National Guard squint doesn't mean you are entitled out of your own misguided sense of militarism=patriotism to spout heroic excrement about the military or smear officers who buck the Pentagon's Party Line cover-up on torture.
Oh, and blowhard, here's another link re the rape statistic from a "mainstream" network news
program:
"Sexual Assault Permeates U.S. Armed Forces"--CBS 60 Minutes report March 7, 2009:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/17/eveningnews/main4872713.shtml
Here's an ABC News report about military contractors from Undead Dick Cheney's former company Halliburton who gang-raped a U.S. female and how they and the company tried to cover it up:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1
The climate of abuse by members of the U.S. military and many Pentagon contractors against civilians AND other members of the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan has been documented from the FBI to the ACLU for years now. Wake up and smell the shinola, sfb.
newtont94,
I think that you may be giving Col. Janis Karpinski a lot of blame undeservedly, if I recall correctly from some articles that I read about her position in relation to U.S. prisons in Iraq. These articles were several years ago, so this is vague in my recollection, but while I'm therefore not sure, I am pretty sure that you're not adequately informed about this topic.
Newton 3:39 ------ Wake up. Reported Rape and actual number of rapes are two different things. Anyone who has the slightest knowledge of the crime knows that.
And anyone who knows anything about rape in the military knows the under reporting is even more skewed than in civlian life because the victims endure more suffering on account of exposing a male rapist who is often a superior in rank.
There've also been a number of articles posted at CD about the female military members being raped by male U.S. troops and maybe contractors in Iraq and, I believe, also Afghanistan. Am pretty sure that Ann Wright had posted a couple of articles on this topic here, so ... (editing this now) I just did a Google search for this at CD and the following articles are only some returned by the search. Not all are by Ann Wright, but they're all on topic. The search was done using ""Ann Wright" rape women military site:commondreams.org", without the outer quotes.
She's well, strongly quoted on the topic in the article regarding the "Franken Amendment", but she's written a lot on this subject of rape in the U.S. military and as the excerpted quote of her words in the article about the "Franken Amendment" illustrate, strong is not an overstatement.
"Press Conference and Action for 'Rape in the Military Awareness Week'", Oct 12, 2009
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/12-4
EXCERPT:
WASHINGTON - October 12 -
Time: 10:30am, Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Location: In front of the Armed Forces Recruiting Station, Times Square, Broadway and 42nd, New York City, NY
Participants: Ann Wright, Colonel, 29 year veteran of the US Army and US Army Reserves Leah Bolger, retired US Navy Commander and National Vice President of Veterans for Peace Sandra Lee, US Army soldier survivor of sexually assault while in the military Eve Ensler, author and playwright of the Vagina Monologues and V-Day
Due to the incredible epidemic of rape in the military in which 1 in 3 women in the military have been raped or sexually assaulted, Veterans for Peace, a national veteran's organization has designated October 12-16 as "Military Rape Awareness Week." ... (a link)
...
Background:
Sexual assault and rape of women and men in the US military increased so dramatically during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that in 2005 then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld formed a task force on sexual assault-however, the task force did not meet until 2008.
Nearly one-third of a nationwide sample of women veterans who sought health care through the Veterans Administration said they experience rape or attempted rape during their service. Of that group, 37 percent said they were raped multiple times and 14 percent reported they were gang-raped. Department of Defense has been reluctant to release statistics on sexual assault of men in the military, but anecdotal evidence indicates that the statistics are alarmingly high.
END OF EXCERPT
"Franken Amendment Step Towards Ending Militarism's Culture of Impunity Regarding Sexual Assault, More Needed"
by Lucinda Marshall, Oct 7, 2009
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/07-9
EXCERPT:
According to Wright,
(T)he U.S. military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) is sending an assessment team to “determine how to best assist survivors,” and provide “sensitivity training on sexual violence and legal seminars that contribute to the professionalization of the Congolese military.”
If the women of the Congo should Google, “U.S. military – sexual assault and rape,” I suspect they will decline the offer of assistance from the African Command. 1 in 3 women in the U.S. military are sexually assaulted or raped. Women and girls in countries with U.S. military bases are raped by U.S. military. 8,000 U.S. Marines are being “re-located” from Okinawa in great measure because of citizen activist pressure following the numerous rapes of women and girls there. Prosecution rates in rape cases in the military are abysmal- 8% versus 40% in civilian cases.
The August 10, 2009 Washington Post article “Congo’s Rape Epidemic Worsens During U.S.-Backed Military Operation” begins with an alarming statement: “For the women of eastern Congo, a U.S.-backed Congolese military operation meant to save them from abusive rebels has turned an already staggering epidemic of rape has become markedly worse since the January deployment of tens of thousands of poorly trained, poorly paid Congolese soldiers, with people in front-line villages such as this one saying the soldiers are not so much hunting rebels as hunting women.”
END OF EXCERPT
That's the full quote of her words and it's clear that she's saying that the male part of the U.S. military CANNOT be trusted with the lives of women, whether they be members of the U.S. military, or others who should be receiving protection from or by the U.S. military.
"Culture of Unpunished Sexual Assault in Military"
by Dahr Jamail, IPS, Apr 30, 2009
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/04/30-1
This is the continuation and completion of my immediately-above post on rape in and by the U.S. military, by evidently many troops.
The following article seems to likely be the article that is excerpted from in the "Franken Amendment ..." article in my immediately-above post.
"With Its Record of Rape, Don’t Send the US Military to the Congo to Give 'Sensitivity' Training to the Congolese Military!"
by Ann Wright, Aug 21, 2009
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/21-8
"'My Daughter’s Dream Became a Nightmare': The Murder of Military Women Continues"
by Ann Wright, Oct 6 2008
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/10/06-4
EXCERPT:
While Colonel Wright (the author of this article) has written numerous articles concerning the rape and murder of women in the military, she reminded the officers that she holds a valid military ID card as a retired Colonel, that she had not violated any laws or military regulations by writing and speaking about issues of violence against women in the military and that most families of military members who have been killed are at a disadvantage in dealing with the military bureaucracy in finding answers to the questions they have about the deaths of their loved ones. She reminded the officials that the parents of NFL football player Pat Tillman, who after three Congressional hearings on the death of their son in Afghanistan in 2002, still don't have the answers to the questions of who killed their son and why hasn't the perpetrator of the crime been brought to justice. ...
...
Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach had been raped in May 2007 and protective orders had been issued against the alleged perpetrator, fellow Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean. The burned body of Lauterbach and her unborn baby were found in a shallow grave in the backyard of Laurean's home in January 2008. Laurean fled to Mexico, where he was captured by Mexican authorities. He is currently awaiting extradition to the United States to stand trial. Lauterbach's mother testified before Congress on July 31, 2008, that the Marine Corps ignored warning signs that Laurean was a danger to her daughter .
On Wednesday, October 8, at 11:30am, a vigil for the four military women and all victims of violence will be held at the Main Gate at Fort Bragg followed by a discussion on violence against women at the Quaker Peace Center in Fayetteville, NC and a wreath laying at Lafayette Memorial Park. ...
END OF EXCERPT
The bio. for her at the end of the article refers to the following two articles.
"Sexual Assault in the Military: A DoD Cover-Up?"
by Col. Ann Wright, Aug 1, 2008
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/
20080801_sexual_assault_in_the_military_a_dod_cover_up
The picture caption for this above article reads, "Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, who reported being raped in May 2007, was found dead, along with her unborn child, in January 2008 in the backyard of the suspect in the case, Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean".
"Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?"
by Ann Wright, Apr 28, 2008
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/28/8564
The rest, below, came up with the Web search.
"When Rape Hobbles Bush Administration Policies
Sexual Assault and Rape by US Military in Japan Lead to a Major International Incident"
by Ann Wright, May 23 2008
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/23/9154
Thanks for your work here Mike.
As i've written in several threads here at Common Dreams, Ann Wright is a true hero - putting her career on the line, and speaking out and not shutting up about abuses in the United States military.
Ann Wright is living the truth that the truth is more important than she is. She lost the career she loved because she simply could not stay silent about the illegal war. And then she went on to speak out about the experience of women in the military, scrupulously documenting specific cases of rape and murder and cover-up. She is up against powerful forces that would have her shut up, and she does not shut up.
The truth is more important than any of us. None of us should let fear keep us silent.
Alternative Radio last saturday -- You may obtain the transcript or CD at I believe alternatve radio.com
20% of all females treated at VA hospitals report being sexually assaulted or raped.
At least one female vet is touring high schools urging children not to join because of the rape problem.
The female scapegoat ex General at Abu Grave (sp?) reports Sanchez knowingly ignored the problem.
So you know every female intimately enough to get an honest answer when you asked all of them if they had been raped.
Being raped and reporting a rape are two different categories.
The dehydration claim comes from an army surgeon( see AR).
Perhaps you are not too aware of what is going on around you.
I was checking GIVoice.org for Coffee Strong and since I was there, figured to check the homepage of GIVoice. There's a sad article there about a very bad ending for a female U.S. military member or soldier in Iraq; another sick murder, or tragic accident.
"Ft Lewis Soldier Shot on US Base
Submitted by mgibbs on Thu, 11/26/2009 - 9:12am.
Iraq: Daughter was shot in back of head, mother says"
http://www.givoice.org/node/8386
There "Photos" keyword in the quoted article isn't linked in the GI Voice copy of the article, either, btw.
QUOTE:
SCOTT FONTAINE; The News Tribune |
• Published November 25, 2009
Photos
The parents of a Fort Lewis soldier killed in Iraq earlier this month say someone shot their daughter on an American military base near Kirkush.
Staff Sgt. Amy Tirador of Colonie, N.Y., died Nov. 4 in what the military called a noncombat incident. Her mother told The News Tribune on Tuesday that her 29-year-old daughter was shot execution-style, in the back of the head.
The military is investigating, a process that could take two or three months. Until then, officials are releasing few details.
“It was not a suicide,” said her mother, Colleen Murphy. “And it was not an accident. There are so many scenarios about what could have happened, and that’s why everyone is being so closed-mouthed about it.”
Tirador served as an Arabic-speaking interrogator in Diyala province with the 209th Military Intelligence Company, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. A spokesman for the American military unit overseeing operations throughout northern Iraq said investigators are still determining whether Tirador’s death was accidental, a suicide or a homicide.
“Here at Task Force Marne we will do our best to keep Staff Sgt. Tirador’s family informed as the investigation progresses,” Maj. Jeff Allen wrote in an e-mail. “There are no further details we can add right now.”
A 3rd Brigade spokesperson did not respond to an e-mail requesting more information.
Murphy also has enlisted the support of the offices of Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both New York Democrats.
“They’re behind us 100 percent,” Murphy said. “We’ll find the person or persons that did this, and we’ll find out the complete truth.”
Tirador’s father, Gerard Seyboth, could not be reached by The News Tribune. But he told WRGB-TV in Albany, N.Y., that his daughter’s work as an interrogator made her a “high-profile target.”
The soldier’s grandfather delivered a strong rebuke to the alleged gunman during Tirador’s funeral Nov. 17.
“Whoever did this crime, I hope they rot in hell,” Thomas Murphy said, according to the Albany Times-Union.
Tirador enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1999 and transferred to active duty in 2001. She deployed to Turkey in 2003 and to Iraq in 2004. She returned to Iraq in August with the 3rd Brigade.
She entered the military as a combat medic but began training to be a military intelligence collector in 2005. She arrived at Fort Lewis in January 2008.
Her husband, Mickey Tirador, was in Iraq on his third tour of duty when his wife was killed. The couple were married for three years and planned to start a family next year, according to the Times-Union
Her mother told the newspaper Tirador was “a female soldier in a man’s world” who tried to defy the stereotypes of women in the armed forces.
Tirador was the sixth woman from Fort Lewis to die in either Iraq or Afghanistan since the wars began, and the first since September 2006.
Scott Fontaine: 253-320-4758
scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/military
END QUOTE
That's the full article and it has no links in it.
I suppose it could possibly be an accident, but there's certainly strong likelihood of murder, and since this happened on a US base, I guess murder is definitely the most likely way this happened. If murder, then why? Was she raped and became very angry, resistant, "troublesome" about this, so the perpetrators and/or their protective officers decided that she had to be silenced?
If it really is murder and the U.S. military determines that it was, then we are likely to still be told that it wasn't murder. Maybe they wouldn't do that this time, but it's happened before. Or so I believe to recall, even if vaguely, having read over the past several years, anyway.
I recall having read about a couple of incidences in which two U.S. soldiers, males, were killed and the U.S. military wrote both off as suicides. One case was a soldier with peers at a firing range on a military base in the U.S., and a civilian police detective was investigating this, certain that it was murder. The military basically told him to "buzz off" and, so, he couldn't pursue the investigation. The other case was about a soldier or sailor who was found with his hands handcuffed to the steering wheal of a jeep and had been shot in the head; definitely are most unlikely way for someone to try to commit suicide, with or without succeeding, imo!
Those aren't the articles I was referring to though, for these were about soldier or female soldiers deaths in Iraq and or Afghanistan, during the present wars. Pat Tillman was a case that wasn't written off as suicide, but as accidental fatricide due to misidentification; however, based on good reports on the incident, it was a sniper who shot Pat Tillman in full uniform, in daylight and from a short distance away; and snipers know who they're aiming at!
I believe to have read about another case or two, but this is presently vague in my memory.
Actually, the Alternet.org article that Kent Shaw provided a link for further above is fitting to read for what I'm saying with this post. He didn't specifiy the title of the piece, but it's "The Fear That Kills: Appalling new evidence reveals that female soldiers serving in Iraq made fatal decisions in their attempts to avoid rape".
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
I think this is an excellent tactic and should be used in a variety of ways nationwide on a much larger scale. It won't move many aging affluent insular Boomers and Gen-Xers, but it will make some younger people think and hopefully persuade some of them not to enlist but to protest and demand good paying peace time jobs rebuilding their nation's physical infrastructure, energy infrastructure, food production and delivery systems, mass transit, hybrid and electric cars, etc.
If conservatives don't like tactics like these, tough nuggies. If they have their way and the full-on Military Police State unfolds, then plenty of those fools will remember the kids dressed up as military throwing civilians on the sidewalk and cuffing them as the good old days before it started happening to them for real.
Cool Beans.
Maybe it will dawn on the shoppers in a few years that their consumption of plastic (oil) is what is the motive for oil companies and the MIC to dream up fake wars for profit.
Admittedly it's a pretty big correlation to make.
Fantastic tactic. It is street theater, protected by freedom of expression. Of course much shopping is done near private parking lots so this might not work now that we have abandoned the concept of the people's commons in favor of Corporate monopolies owning everything.
We don't really live in a Military Police state do we? As long as we quietly shop and stare straight ahead maybe we'll be safe (the blue light special sarcasm light is flashing...)
TJ
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." - Thomas Jefferson
This is truly brilliant!