The Iraqi government has ordered mercenary outfit Blackwater USA out of the country over the shooting of nearly two dozen Iraqi non-combatants last month.
Their current contract will expire in May, though the Iraqis seem ready to demand that they leave much sooner than that. The State Department investigation is still ongoing, and SecState Rice will decide what happens next.
It's time for the mercenaries to find work elsewhere and not at U.S. taxpayer expense.
Showing posts with label iraqi government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iraqi government. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Walter Reed Army Hospital Problems are Tip of Iceberg: Government is Really Screwing Up
The brew-ha-ha over the poor condition of Walter Reed Army Medical Center seems to have raised the public consciousness over the very bad condition that parts of the facility are in.
Defense Secretary Gates is angry; the Army secretary and the commanding officer of Walter Reed were sacked, and repairs are seemingly underway.
Big whoop. The resignations and firings are meaningless, unless something positive results.
Walter Reed Army Hospital is slated for closure, and a new Walter Reed hospital complex is to be built. There was a reason for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) folks to do this. They said in their report that wounded soldiers and their families deserved a state-of-the-art 21st Century facility and that the current facility wasn't up to the task. It also said it would cost too much to repair the existing facility.
Instead of pumping millions into Walter Reed's highly publicized problem areas, why don't they close down Building 18, where the attention is focused? They're already renting hotel rooms or bed space at other hospitals for wounded and injured soldiers; they can handle doing that for the occupants of Building 18, too, until the new facilities are ready.
These soldiers were sent into hell to begin with; why are they going through hell back over here, too, in their own country? They don't deserve this.
Congress needs to make sure that all military medical facilities have the funding that they need; that includes access to mental health care and whatever else the soldier needs to recover, and banning medical co-pays for veterans wounded in combat.
Our government sent them there; it should be on the government's dime. Not one penny should be coming out of the pockets of the soldier or his/her family. Nightmare stories have been coming out about this for quite some time; soldiers are paying for government screw ups.
The soldier and the soldier's family should not see one page of paperwork; most are inundated with complex paperwork which, if not filled out properly, can deny the soldier his/her earned benefits.
The government needs to get this right, and soon. To allow this to happen is unthinkable.
Defense Secretary Gates is angry; the Army secretary and the commanding officer of Walter Reed were sacked, and repairs are seemingly underway.
Big whoop. The resignations and firings are meaningless, unless something positive results.
Walter Reed Army Hospital is slated for closure, and a new Walter Reed hospital complex is to be built. There was a reason for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) folks to do this. They said in their report that wounded soldiers and their families deserved a state-of-the-art 21st Century facility and that the current facility wasn't up to the task. It also said it would cost too much to repair the existing facility.
Instead of pumping millions into Walter Reed's highly publicized problem areas, why don't they close down Building 18, where the attention is focused? They're already renting hotel rooms or bed space at other hospitals for wounded and injured soldiers; they can handle doing that for the occupants of Building 18, too, until the new facilities are ready.
These soldiers were sent into hell to begin with; why are they going through hell back over here, too, in their own country? They don't deserve this.
Congress needs to make sure that all military medical facilities have the funding that they need; that includes access to mental health care and whatever else the soldier needs to recover, and banning medical co-pays for veterans wounded in combat.
Our government sent them there; it should be on the government's dime. Not one penny should be coming out of the pockets of the soldier or his/her family. Nightmare stories have been coming out about this for quite some time; soldiers are paying for government screw ups.
The soldier and the soldier's family should not see one page of paperwork; most are inundated with complex paperwork which, if not filled out properly, can deny the soldier his/her earned benefits.
The government needs to get this right, and soon. To allow this to happen is unthinkable.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Bush Criticizes Hanging of Saddam and Others: Did the Pot Just Call the Kettle Black?
President Bush told the press that he wasn't happy with how the Iraqi government executed Saddam Hussein, his half-brother and another aide who was in charge of Iraq's Revolutionary Court under Saddam's reign of terror.
Bush said that it looked like revenge killings to him.
Well, DUH!!
ALL death penalty cases are about revenge, even in this country.
Deterrence, my afterburner! When are people going to learn that some criminals crave death, and don't care that they might face a death penalty?
Who does the death penalty really deter? Those unlikely to commit a crime-- whether or not there is a death penalty, or the criminal who's made up his/her mind to kill or hurt someone?
The President has no leg to stand on when it comes to criticizing the capital punishment systems of other nations, since the United States engages in death penalty barbarity itself.
This, coming from the man who, as governor, had more people executed during his time in office than any other governor in U.S. history.
I'd rather not hear another word about botched executions from President Bush or anyone in his Administration who isn't an ardent death penalty opponent. I don't have the stomach to listen.
Bush said that it looked like revenge killings to him.
Well, DUH!!
ALL death penalty cases are about revenge, even in this country.
Deterrence, my afterburner! When are people going to learn that some criminals crave death, and don't care that they might face a death penalty?
Who does the death penalty really deter? Those unlikely to commit a crime-- whether or not there is a death penalty, or the criminal who's made up his/her mind to kill or hurt someone?
The President has no leg to stand on when it comes to criticizing the capital punishment systems of other nations, since the United States engages in death penalty barbarity itself.
This, coming from the man who, as governor, had more people executed during his time in office than any other governor in U.S. history.
I'd rather not hear another word about botched executions from President Bush or anyone in his Administration who isn't an ardent death penalty opponent. I don't have the stomach to listen.
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