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Truth, or Consequences
TRUTH
As I was sitting in the Dirksen Hearing Room a few weeks ago, listening to the testimony of the folks from the GAO, I had one of those moments: you know…when you feel your head explode, or search for a nearby wall upon which to bang it??
Sen. Norm Coleman was asking the GAO guy why the numbers in his report about the success of the SURGE were different from what he had been seeing.
Oh, said Mr. Walker from the GAO. You saw the OFFICIAL numbers, My report is based on the UNofficial numbers.
OOHHHH, I thought to myself. There are TWO sets of numbers! At least! Holy Orwell! I wonder which ones are the ACTUAL numbers, as opposed to the FANTASY numbers?
No one else in the room, which was crowded, even blinked.
This past week, we were informed, by the New York Times, no less, that there were dueling memos about torture. Larry Craig said he was no longer guilty, while Marion Jones said she was no longer innocent.
I have tried to believe in at least two impossible things before breakfast, but it seems that even the impossible things I believe are, somehow, possible by the time the toast is burned…
But the most impossible thing that has become possible came with the death and story about Ciara Durkin, at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
CBS/AP) Exactly how Ciara Durkin died remains a mystery. The Army National Guard soldier from Massachusetts was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in Afghanistan last week, and now her family is demanding answers from the military. Initially the Pentagon reported that Durkin, part of a finance unit deployed to Afghanistan in November 2006, had been killed in action, but then revised its statement to read she had died of injuries “suffered from a non-combat related incident” at Bagram Airfield. The statement had no specifics and said the circumstances are under investigation. Durkin had a desk job doing payroll in an office about three miles inside the secure Bagram Air Base. About 90 minutes after she left work last Friday, her family says she was found dead near a chapel on the base with a single gunshot wound to the head.
The reason my head went a-spinnin’ at the news is that it sounded horribly familiar. Juan Torres’ son John was also shot in the head, at Bagram, and John was…part of a finance unit. Doing payroll.
Canavan told the Quincy, Mass. Patriot Ledger on Wednesday that when her sister was home three weeks ago, she told her about something she had come across that raised some concern with her: “She was in the finance unit and she said, ‘I discovered some things I don’t like and I made some enemies because of it.’” Canavan revealed that Durkin said if anything happened to her, to make sure it was investigated.
Rest of the story here.
John told his father the same thing, several hours before he was killed.
MichiganGirl at Kos has a story up speculating about the link.
OK, so we already know that we are dealing with a bunch of liars and that the core of our government is rotten, rotten. And we know about Pat Tillman, and Abu Ghraib, and torture at Guantanamo and secret prisons in faraway lands, and the cooking of the surge numbers, and the Downing Street minutes, and Colin Powell lying at the United Nations, and oh so many head-banging moments.
What is it going to take?? I am reminded of what our reporter says at the end of the play FEAR UP: Stories from Baghdad and Guantanamo:
Reporter: We all have the potential for the behavior we’ve seen in the war on terror and we’re all capable of more altruistic or cooperative behavior. And I believe that confronting these extreme situations is itself an act of hope because in doing that, we are saying that there’s an alternative. We can do better. I believe we’ve let them have their way without fierce enough protest. I only wish my pen was sharper and my words tougher.
People, we must get tougher. Our protests must be fiercer. Our future depends upon it.
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From Karen: " The reason my head went a-spinnin’ at the news is that it sounded horribly familiar. Juan Torres’ son John was also shot in the head, at Bagram, and John was…part of a finance unit. Doing payroll."
Karen, I found my head in the same space as yours. All I could think of was John Torres being executed whilst in the shower.
Unfortunately Greed belongs to all levels of society but mostly to those who don't need to be Greedy. I haven't even read the entire header yet because I've wondered since John's death, why we hadn't had any more executions like this. Creepy to think that some of our top guys are also playing on the other side of the fence where the opium crops are growing in abundance.
Same executioner probably.
Two sets of reports? Holy crap! The last time I saw two sets of reports the company went bankrupt.
I also saw the Ciarra story Karen but I felt I didn't know enough about it to write about it. But with your GAO 'report' I have more information now. I admit it sounds scary. It sounds like a Tom Clancy novel except its true.
And now I've read it all. Yes. We must. Somehow. I do hope this young woman's sister remains safe enough to get the story out there. And then maybe Mr Torres could retell John's story. Once gives a tiny doubt, although I had no doubt whatsoever. Twice? No. More than coincidence.
And now I've read it all. Yes. We must. Somehow. I do hope this young woman's sister remains safe enough to get the story out there. And then maybe Mr Torres could retell John's story. Once gives a tiny doubt, although I had no doubt whatsoever. Twice? No. More than coincidence.
Karen,
I sure hope Olbermann picks up on this, or tweety or someone.
Hard to know how far up the chain this goes, but it seems like if it was some low level thing, they would have squashed it by now.
If these are the things we find out about, imagine all the things we'll never know.
Karen and Woz, I thought of the same thing. Although I don't think I knew about him until I went on the blog and until I went to Camp Democracy.
So many suspicious things have happened. They have a mo of hiding things too. It's hard to believe they'd resort to murder, but as my experiences with other whistleblowers has shown me, they are willing to break laws to protect themselves and to make money and to continue their 'powerful' ways. So why should murder be out of the question too?
Oops. Sorry for double post. I wonder how I did that!
Spooky... that I would raise the issue of contracts and these people may have died due to a contract hit ...but I guess that's speculation. But still spooky.
Carol,
Despite Tweety's confession I wouldn't trust him to get involved or to tell the truth.
This is when I'm totally disgusted with our ALL of our congress people.
Obviously, some of them know about this, and are doing nothing. They don't speak out, they don't investigate.
GRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Carol,
I echo your GRRRRRRRRR and raise your GRRRRRRR to a double! (Make it a martini double)
Carol,
One office is investigating. Your state. Tall guy.
Karen,
Am I also in the same state as the tall guy?
(Oh, I hope this is so!)
mbk,
Yes, you are!
October 6, 2007 10:35 PM
sparrow said:
"So why should murder be out of the question too?"
Exactly, sparrow. Organised crime and gangland killings go on all the time. Anyone even slightly suspected of possibly *whistling* would need to vanish I think. In war, a lot of greed happens. The strongest and most brutal can plunder all the valuables of the weakest. This is what has happened in Iraq.
I'm not certain whether its the volunteer forces or the mercenary ones, but the tales have come out and have been very consistent although about different incidents in different locations.
We have sent our young people to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight a gang warfare. There is no enemy country, so most of the people belong there and are not our enemy. This means that our forces are confused about who is the enemy and who is not. I imagine that it takes quite a few months of odd things happening to cause suspicion. And we all know what the paranoia of the guilty does to the guilty don't we. Kill first and don't ask questions later. We've been taught that by the self-proclaimed Master of the Free World. The US president himself.
The Taliban is known to be growing opium and making plenty of dollars. There are drug runners and drug mules in every society, so what would make the military, upper more powerful, people immune from getting into it? It would not be many. Possibly 2 or 3. But others must know that the bullet in the head is an execution. Many would have suspicions but not wanting a bullet in the head, stay silent.
This piece was much appreciated by a Norm Coleman constituent that I sent it to.
I hope this is "on topic" enough - mistreated soldiers & wars based on illegal lies.
This is from local Youth Against War & Racism & if I wasn't due to be back to work same day and have all sorts of appointments that can't get cancelled (I would be fired!), I would be there with them.
Please support Lt. Watada in your way wherever you are, however you can! The kids (Youth Against War and Racism) spell "Trial" as "trail" and "base" (as in Army base) as "bass" (as in bass guitar) but I wish them well! They have really stood by this guy!
> Ehren Watada's trial is scheduled for Tuesday, October 9th at Ft. Lewis.
> Bring your ID and documentation of car insurance.
> We are suggesting demonstrations and protests throughout the trial.
> Lt. Watada Court Marshal: Round 2
> Tuesday, October 9th, Ft. Lewis, WA.
> There is no centralized organization for this day of action. No one is officially or unofficially representing Ehren or his campaign. Each
community or group may take action any way they see fit to express
their freedom of speech and right to assemble.
We encourage you, your organization, fellow activists, neighbors,
friends and family to organize carpools to Fort Lewis. Bring signs and
banners. Take action to show your solidarity with Lt. Ehren Watada and all GI resisters. ORGANIZE!
"One office is investigating. Your state. Tall guy."
So glad to hear this, Karen. And I should have known!
Which reminds me, again....
Springsteen (quoting that certain tall guy)
We took the highway till the road went black
We marked Truth Or Consequences on our map*
A voice drifted up from the radio
We saw the voice from long ago
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The kids asleep in the backseat
We're just countin' the miles you and me
We don't measure the blood we've drawn anymore
We just stack the bodies outside the door
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The wise men were all fools
What to do
The sun sets in flames as the city burns
Another day gone down as the night turns
And I hold you here in my heart
As things fall apart
A downtown window flushed with light
Faces of the dead at five (faces of the dead at five)
A martyr's silent eyes
Petition the drivers as we pass by
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Darlin' your tyrants and kings form the same fate
Strung up at your city gates
And you're the last to die for a mistake
Karen--
Here's a few interesting posts from the DU thread on this.
map
Levena
Hi everyone, John had nothing to do with the payroll or accounting on the base. He was a plane loader..his job was to make sure the planes did not exceed the weight requirement and also transported weapons to other bases. I apologize for the confusion and have no clue in how this statement appeared in articles and must have been a misunderstanding. However, they both died under mysterious circumstances and both were unhappy at the way things were handled at the bagram airbase. I know this because i am his older sister who is constantly battling with the military for the truth.
oh i forgot, he was an accountant for a firm in houston..maybe thats how the mixup started.