Where veterans pose issues and solutions then document actions
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Melida Arredondo
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- Boston, MA
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Profile Information
- Hometown:
- Boston, MA
- Type of Sevice
- Activist for Peace
- About Me:
- Gold Star Parent to a Fallen Marine - Lcpl. Alexander Scott Arredondo, USMC Born 08/05/84 - Bistibn, MA KIA 08/25/04 An Najaf, Iraq - Alex's favorite sayings "Don't sweat the small stuf. It's all small stuff." "Awesome" "Tell everyone I love them." He wanted both his Dad and me to follow the war and save him all the information we could. Despite his death, we continue on this mission and speak out against the war because Alex did believe that he was in Iraq to aid his buddies in coming home. He's left us that job now too. Bring them home!
- Your Personal Website:
- http://www.peopleunited4peace.org
- Your Peace Organization
- http://www.gsfso.org
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Antiwar Radio
Battle of the Bulge Anniversary & Debacle
This is the 65th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge. While most Americans who are aware of the battle learned of it through Hollywood movies that portrayed valiant U.S. resistance to the German Wehrmacht, the truth is far more embarrassing to the U.S. Supreme Commander. The battle was completely unnecessary, and [...]“‘Nuff Said?” You Bet.
(Cross posted at @TAC) I know it is a tired trope, but it’s helpful to look at the ultimate success of Counterinsurgency, or the vaunted COIN doctrine dominating the popular ethos of the American military establishment, as a three-legged stool. As it is conceived, or at least projected for public consumption, in order for COIN to work [...]End-of-Year Matching Funds
Tired of your tax money going to support wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and who knows where next? When you give to Antiwar.com, your donation is tax-deductible in the U.S. If you make your donation by December 31, you can reduce your involuntary contribution to the Pentagon when you file next April 15. A generous benefactor has offered [...]Only 12 House Members Vote Against Iran Sanctions
What happened to the “antiwar” members of Congress? Only 12 voted against new sanctions on Iran, 3 of them Republicans. 412 voted in favor. Here is the honor roll who voted against: Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) John Conyers (D-MI) John Duncan (R-TN) Jeff Flake (R-AZ) Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) Stephen Lynch (D-MA) Jim McDermott (D-WA) Gwen Moore (D-WI) Ron Paul (R-TX) Pete Stark [...]Now (Robert) Kagan Pivots, Too
As predicted, Bob Kagan follows in Kristol’s wake. Afghanistan is so passé; it’s clearly time to focus on Iran. Check out the last paragraph in his column in Sunday’s Washington Post — specifically, the order in which the problems facing Obama are presented, and then the singling out of Iran: “It is only natural that President [...]TRUTHOUT NEWS FEED
CBO: Senate Healthcare Bill $871 Billion, Cuts Deficit
Washington - The revised healthcare overhaul in the Senate would cut the federal deficit by $132 billion over 10 years, non-partisan budget analysts said on Saturday.
The Congressional Budget Office also said the bill as revised by Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid would have coverage costs of $871 billion over 10 years.
Both figures meet President Barack Obama's goal of cutting the deficit and having a total cost of about $900 billion over 10 years. The rosy report card could help the proposal gain support.
Hopenhagen or Dopenhagen?
In the run-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen, an eclectic group made up primarily of corporations and media outlets put forward the notion of "Hopenhagen." The following is extracted from their mission statement:
"Hopenhagen is a movement, a moment and a chance at a new beginning. The hope that in Copenhagen this December we can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life."
Treacherous Snow Storm Strikes East Coast
Washington - A treacherous, frightful wintry storm slammed the East Coast on Saturday and dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas, hampering travelers and shoppers on the weekend before Christmas.
Reid Has 60 Votes Needed to Pass Health Care Reform Bill
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled a final compromise Saturday morning to the Senate health care bill that some progressive Democratic leaders, labor unions, and grassroots organizations said has been gutted of any meaningful consumer reforms and amounts to a bailout for the insurance industry.
The language in Reid’s 383-page "manager's amendment" includes further concessions over abortion that were made in order to win the support of Sen. Ben Nelson, (D-Nebraska), who had said he would not vote for the bill if it did not include tighter restrictions prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortion.
Nelson Will Vote for Health Care Overhaul, Breaking Logjam
Washington - Sen. Ben Nelson, the last apparent obstacle to giving Democrats the votes they need to move forward with historic health care legislation, Saturday said he had agreed to compromises that would allow him to vote for the measure.
“I intend to vote for cloture (ending extended debate) and for health care reform,” the Nebraska Democrat said.
DEMOCRACY NOW NEWS FEED
Democracy Now! 2009-12-18 Friday
Headlines for December 18, 2009; As Copenhagen Summit Closes, Obama Maintains Widely Criticized US Position on Emissions Cuts, Climate Aid; Kenyan Voices Share Their Climate Message to President Obama, Son of Kenyan Father; Chief G-77 Negotiator Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping: US-Backed Proposals Mean Death for Millions of Africans; Democratic Lawmakers Defend US Stance at Copenhagen Climate Summit; "The Countries that Can Really Make a Difference Have Not Really Got Sensitive Enough to the Plight of the Poorest of the Poor" - IPCC Chair Pachauri; Environmental and Indigenous Activists Criticize Proposed Deal to Save RainforestsDemocracy Now! 2009-12-17 Thursday
Headlines for December 17, 2009; Bolivian President Evo Morales on Climate Debt, Capitalism, Why He Wants a Tribunal for Climate Justice and Much More; Voices from Small Island States: Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, a Tuvaluan Delegate and a Youth Activist from the Solomon Islands ; EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Internal UNFCCC Document: Global Temperatures Will Rise by More than Two Degrees Celsius; "A Naked Form of Blackmail": Naomi Klein on Secretary of State Clinton's Proposal to Set Up $100 Billion Climate Aid Fund for Developing CountriesDemocracy Now! 2009-12-16 Wednesday
Headlines for December 16, 2009; Climate Crackdown: UN Bars Friends of the Earth and Other Environmental Groups from Climate Talks; Police Pepper Spray, Arrest Protesters Marching on UN Climate Summit as Hundreds Inside Stage Walkout; NYT Reporter Andrew Revkin on the Climate Talks: There's an Epic Fight Over Words ; "If Bush Was in Kindergarten, Obama Is in First Grade" - Indian Environmentalist Sunita Narain on US Climate Policy; Bolivian President Evo Morales: "Shameful" for West to Spend Trillions on War and Only $10 Billion for Climate ChangeDemocracy Now! 2009-12-15 Tuesday
Headlines for December 15, 2009; The Climate Divide: Dispute Between Rich and Poor Nations Widens at UN Copenhagen Summit; Indigenous Peoples of Canada March on Canadian Embassy in Copenhagen to Protest Tar Sands; Cap & Trade: A Critical Look at Carbon Trading© 2009 Created by Gordon Soderberg on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
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It is time for the United States to leave Iraq, without any more delay than the Pentagon needs to organize an orderly exit.
Like many Americans, we have put off that conclusion, waiting for a sign that President Bush was seriously trying to dig the United States out of the disaster he created by invading Iraq without sufficient cause, in the face of global opposition, and without a plan to stabilize the country afterward.
At first, we believed that after destroying Iraq’s government, army, police and economic structures, the United States was obliged to try to accomplish some of the goals Mr. Bush claimed to be pursuing, chiefly building a stable, unified Iraq. When it became clear that the president had neither the vision nor the means to do that, we argued against setting a withdrawal date while there was still some chance to mitigate the chaos that would most likely follow.
While Mr. Bush scorns deadlines, he kept promising breakthroughs — after elections, after a constitution, after sending in thousands more troops. But those milestones came and went without any progress toward a stable, democratic Iraq or a path for withdrawal. It is frighteningly clear that Mr. Bush’s plan is to stay the course as long as he is president and dump the mess on his successor. Whatever his cause was, it is lost.
The political leaders Washington has backed are incapable of putting national interests ahead of sectarian score settling. The security forces Washington has trained behave more like partisan militias. Additional military forces poured into the Baghdad region have failed to change anything.
Continuing to sacrifice the lives and limbs of American soldiers is wrong. The war is sapping the strength of the nation’s alliances and its military forces. It is a dangerous diversion from the life-and-death struggle against terrorists. It is an increasing burden on American taxpayers, and it is a betrayal of a world that needs the wise application of American power and principles.
A majority of Americans reached these conclusions months ago. Even in politically polarized Washington, positions on the war no longer divide entirely on party lines. When Congress returns this week, extricating American troops from the war should be at the top of its agenda.
That conversation must be candid and focused. Americans must be clear that Iraq, and the region around it, could be even bloodier and more chaotic after Americans leave. There could be reprisals against those who worked with American forces, further ethnic cleansing, even genocide. Potentially destabilizing refugee flows could hit Jordan and Syria. Iran and Turkey could be tempted to make power grabs. Perhaps most important, the invasion has created a new stronghold from which terrorist activity could proliferate.
The administration, the Democratic-controlled Congress, the United Nations and America’s allies must try to mitigate those outcomes — and they may fail. But Americans must be equally honest about the fact that keeping troops in Iraq will only make things worse. The nation needs a serious discussion, now, about how to accomplish a withdrawal and meet some of the big challenges that will arise.
The Mechanics of Withdrawal
The United States has about 160,000 troops and millions of tons of military gear inside Iraq. Getting that force out safely will be a formidable challenge. The main road south to Kuwait is notoriously vulnerable to roadside bomb attacks. Soldiers, weapons and vehicles will need to be deployed to secure bases while airlift and sealift operations are organized. Withdrawal routes will have to be guarded. The exit must be everything the invasion was not: based on reality and backed by adequate resources.
The United States should explore using Kurdish territory in the north of Iraq as a secure staging area. Being able to use bases and ports in Turkey would also make withdrawal faster and safer. Turkey has been an inconsistent ally in this war, but like other nations, it should realize that shouldering part of the burden of the aftermath is in its own interest.
Accomplishing all of this in less than six months is probably unrealistic. The political decision should be made, and the target date set, now.
The Fight Against Terrorists
Despite President Bush’s repeated claims, Al Qaeda had no significant foothold in Iraq before the invasion, which gave it new base camps, new recruits and new prestige.
This war diverted Pentagon resources from Afghanistan, where the military had a real chance to hunt down Al Qaeda’s leaders. It alienated essential allies in the war against terrorism. It drained the strength and readiness of American troops.
And it created a new front where the United States will have to continue to battle terrorist forces and enlist local allies who reject the idea of an Iraq hijacked by international terrorists. The military will need resources and bases to stanch this self- inflicted wound for the foreseeable future.
The Question of Bases
The United States could strike an agreement with the Kurds to create those bases in northeastern Iraq. Or, the Pentagon could use its bases in countries like Kuwait and Qatar, and its large naval presence in the Persian Gulf, as staging points.
There are arguments for, and against, both options. Leaving troops in Iraq might make it too easy — and too tempting — to get drawn back into the civil war and confirm suspicions that Washington’s real goal was to secure permanent bases in Iraq. Mounting attacks from other countries could endanger those nations’ governments.
The White House should make this choice after consultation with Congress and the other countries in the region, whose opinions the Bush administration has essentially ignored. The bottom line: the Pentagon needs enough force to stage effective raids and airstrikes against terrorist forces in Iraq, but not enough to resume large-scale combat.
The Civil War
One of Mr. Bush’s arguments against withdrawal is that it would lead to civil war. That war is raging, right now, and it may take years to burn out. Iraq may fragment into separate Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite republics, and American troops are not going to stop that from happening.
It is possible, we suppose, that announcing a firm withdrawal date might finally focus Iraq’s political leaders and neighboring governments on reality. Ideally, it could spur Iraqi politicians to take the steps toward national reconciliation that they have endlessly discussed but refused to act on.
But it is foolish to count on that, as some Democratic proponents of withdrawal have done. The administration should use whatever leverage it gains from withdrawing to press its allies and Iraq’s neighbors to help achieve a negotiated solution.
Iraq’s leaders — knowing that they can no longer rely on the Americans to guarantee their survival — might be more open to compromise, perhaps to a Bosnian-style partition, with economic resources fairly shared but with millions of Iraqis forced to relocate. That would be better than the slow-motion ethnic and religious cleansing that has contributed to driving one in seven Iraqis from their homes.
The United States military cannot solve the problem. Congress and the White House must lead an international attempt at a negotiated outcome. To start, Washington must turn to the United Nations, which Mr. Bush spurned and ridiculed as a preface to war.
The Human Crisis
There are already nearly two million Iraqi refugees, mostly in Syria and Jordan, and nearly two million more Iraqis who have been displaced within their country. Without the active cooperation of all six countries bordering Iraq — Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria — and the help of other nations, this disaster could get worse. Beyond the suffering, massive flows of refugees — some with ethnic and political resentments — could spread Iraq’s conflict far beyond Iraq’s borders.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia must share the burden of hosting refugees. Jordan and Syria, now nearly overwhelmed with refugees, need more international help. That, of course, means money. The nations of Europe and Asia have a stake and should contribute. The United States will have to pay a large share of the costs, but should also lead international efforts, perhaps a donors’ conference, to raise money for the refugee crisis.
Washington also has to mend fences with allies. There are new governments in Britain, France and Germany that did not participate in the fight over starting this war and are eager to get beyond it. But that will still require a measure of humility and a commitment to multilateral action that this administration has never shown. And, however angry they were with President Bush for creating this mess, those nations should see that they cannot walk away from the consequences. To put it baldly, terrorism and oil make it impossible to ignore.
The United States has the greatest responsibilities, including the admission of many more refugees for permanent resettlement. The most compelling obligation is to the tens of thousands of Iraqis of courage and good will — translators, embassy employees, reconstruction workers — whose lives will be in danger because they believed the promises and cooperated with the Americans.
The Neighbors
One of the trickiest tasks will be avoiding excessive meddling in Iraq by its neighbors — America’s friends as well as its adversaries.
Just as Iran should come under international pressure to allow Shiites in southern Iraq to develop their own independent future, Washington must help persuade Sunni powers like Syria not to intervene on behalf of Sunni Iraqis. Turkey must be kept from sending troops into Kurdish territories.
For this effort to have any remote chance, Mr. Bush must drop his resistance to talking with both Iran and Syria. Britain, France, Russia, China and other nations with influence have a responsibility to help. Civil war in Iraq is a threat to everyone, especially if it spills across Iraq’s borders.
President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have used demagoguery and fear to quell Americans’ demands for an end to this war. They say withdrawing will create bloodshed and chaos and encourage terrorists. Actually, all of that has already happened — the result of this unnecessary invasion and the incompetent management of this war.
This country faces a choice. We can go on allowing Mr. Bush to drag out this war without end or purpose. Or we can insist that American troops are withdrawn as quickly and safely as we can manage
— with as much effort as possible to stop the chaos from spreading.
End the War with IVAW: Videos
The heartbreaking story of your family was among one of my most early inspirations to use my own history as a military family and give voice to the efforts to speak out. Both you and your husband continue to be an inspiration.
I admire you both for your courage in speaking out and tirelessness in giving so much of your life to the effort. Looking forward to meeting you one day, Melida.