Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:29

FIGHTING DEMS NEWS SERVICE

foreign policy * national security * military & veterans affairs

 

March 1, 2007

Vol. 2 No. 7     

 

THE NEWS HEADLINES

 

Army Punishing Walter Reed Patients

Contain And Engage Iran

Military Capability Eroding

Short & Sweet

Next Week:  The Secret Proxy War

 

THE OP/ED HEADLINES

 

Was She Covert?

Disgraceful Treatment Of Our Troops

About Fighting Dems News Service

 

THE ARTICLE SUMMARIES AND LINKS

 

ARMY PUNISHING WALTER REED PATIENTS
The Army is harassing patient soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center in an attempt to suppress leaks to the media about conditions regarding hospital conditions reports Army Times.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/2daqyk

 

CONTAIN AND ENGAGE IRAN
While the Bush administration has dodged several diplomatic opportunities to engage Iran and divert it from a path towards nuclear warfare capability, two foreign policy experts say there is still time to avert the necessity of war with a "Contain and Engage" strategy that embraces the strategic arguments of engaging Iran that have been advanced by the Iraq Study Group and other experts such as retired Gen. Wesley Clark.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/2dz2pc

 

MILITARY CAPABILITY ERODING
Strained by simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the nation's top general has told Congress that military readiness is at significant risk and that the armed forces would not be able to respond as quickly and adequately to a new crisis as they normally could.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/23g6xd

 

SHORT & SWEET

 

February 5 National Primary

 

Through surrogates and in mostly behind the scenes manuevering the leading presidential candiates in each party are trying to create what would amount to a national primary of 20 or more states on February 5, 2008 reports The Hill, a Washington DC newspaper that covers Congress.

 

The guilty candidates are Democrats Sens. Barack Obama (IL) and Hillary Clinton (NY) and Republicans former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCainn (AZ) and former Gov. Mitt Romney (MS).

 

Associated Press reports that Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah are planning primaries for Feb. 5.

 

Big states such as California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Texas are likely to join them while The Hill reports that a number of smaller states are considering jumping in inluding Arkansas, Arizona, Alabama, Colorada, Georgia, North Dakota, Kansas and Tennessee.

 

State legislators in Pennsylvania and North Carolina are also holding hearings on the issue.

 

GOP Wants Iraq Decided This Year

 

Fearing going into the 2008 elections with American blood still being shed in Iraq, Republicans feel it necessary for the war to be concluded one way or the other this year reports Evans-Novak Political Report.

 

"Whatever happens on the congressional scene, there is a strong feeling inside the Bush Administration that the Iraq issue must be decided one way or another long b efore the end of the year.  Republicans are determined not to go into the 2008 election year with blood being spilled in Iraq."

 

NEXT WEEK:  THE SECRET PROXY WAR
While much is reported about Iran's relations with and support of Iraqi Shiites, the other side of the coin is largely ignored.  A special FDNS report on U.S. support of an anti-Tehran terrorist and para-military organization and the growing consevative lobbying campaign to turn them loose.

 

THE OP/ED SUMMARIES AND LINKS

 

WAS SHE COVERT?
Sorry to again beat what some of you may believe is a dead horse, but a reporter from a major news organization told me recently that they are still arguing in his/her newsroom about whether Valerie Plame was covert.  The journalist who told me this is a talented, smart person but is still confused about the terms "covert", "cover", and "non-official cover".  So here's my gift to confused journalists.
Contributing Edtior Larry C. Johnson At: http://tinyurl.com/2hfzz2

 

DISGRACEFUL TREATMENT OF OUR TROOPS
In the case of American troops killed in action in what the Marine Corps pathologist calls preventable casualties, our government is charged with the moral equivalent of negligent homicide.  In the case of wounded American troops who are disrespected, abused or mistreated in military hospitals our government is charged with the moral equivalent of criminal negligence. On this count I take responsibility and plead guilty for not knowing about this and acting to stop it. Shame on me.
Contributing Editor Brent Budowsky At: http://tinyurl.com/2yt9q5