HEARTBREAKING VIDEO YOU MUST SEE: BAGHDAD'S CHILDREN ALSO SUFFER FROM PTSD AND KIDNAPPINGS

VIDEO---FINAL COUNTDOWN FOR IRAQI CHILDREN

Baghdad's last refuge for orphaned and traumatised children is in danger of closing later this month when it finally runs out of funds. The man who runs it says he will take the children, many of them orphaned by the violence, into his own home rather than see them on the streets. His co-worker has already been murdered by a death squad. In the second in a series of three films about the ordinary lives of people in Baghdad, GuardianFilms and ITN look at what has happened to the city's most vulnerable children.Full Iraq coverage

http://www.guardian.co.uk/video/page/0,,2038665,00.html

FOX NEWS' BRIT HUME DOESN'T MENTION 17 U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ. HUME BOASTS ABOUT ANBAR, BUT FAILS TO SAY FEW U.S. TROOPS LEFT IN ANBAR

FOX NEWS' BRIT HUME was all so eager to point out how violence is down in Anbar Province in Iraq that he couldn't bring himself on the Monday FOX NEWS SPECIAL REPORT show to make a mention that 17 U.S. soldiers have been KILLED in Iraq in the first half of June.

Hume also failed to tell his audience the reason the violence is down in Anbar Province has NOTHING to do with the U.S. military. What it has to do with is the tribal leaders inside of Anbar Province got together and tossed Al Qaeda out of the province.

Hume made it seem like the United States military had swept through Anbar Province ridding the province of all terrorists which is totally false.

Hume, who NEVER served a day of his life in the United States military, also failed to mention U.S. troops have pulled back from Anbar Province because the tribal leaders have taken over security of Anbar Province.

In Brit Hume's rush to make it sound as though this was a major military victory for the United States, Hume should have done his homework. If he had, he would have known most of the U.S. troops have been pulled out of Anbar and moved into other "hot spots."

If there are no U.S. troops to speak of left in Anbar Province it only stands to reason the U.S. casualties would be down, a point Brit Hume failed to mention in his "glowing" report on Anbar Province and how U.S. casualties are down in Anbar Province.

The saddest part of this kind of shoddy reporting is there are thousands of FOX NEWS viewers who also have never spent one day in the uniform of any branch of the United States military and they don't know how military operations are conducted.

While BRIT HUME was boasting about how American deaths were down in Anbar Province, the following list provides details of American deaths in Iraq for the first half of June.

Apparently to BRIT HUME and FOX NEWS their deaths mean absolutely nothing and are not worth mentioning on FOX NEWS.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE, and former Cpl. (E-4), United States Army Combat Engineers.

Click on names of each American killed in Iraq for further details which BRIT HUME and FOX NEWS feels is not important enough to mention.

SOURCE: http://icasualties.org/oif/prdDetails.aspx?hndRef=4-2008


Date
Total
Name
Place of Death - Province
Cause of Death
16-Jun-2008
1
US: 1 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
NAME NOT RELEASED YET
Al Hillah - Babil
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
12-Jun-2008
1
US: 1 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
Sergeant John D. Aragon
Kadamiyah - Baghdad
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
11-Jun-2008
3
US: 3 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
Lance Corporal Kelly E. C. Watters
Al Anbar Province
Hostile - hostile fire

US
Lance Corporal Javier Perales Jr.
Fallujah - Anbar
Non-hostile

US
NAME NOT RELEASED YET
Baghdad
Non-hostile
10-Jun-2008
1
US: 1 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
Sergeant Steve A. McCoy
Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, - Baghdad
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
09-Jun-2008
1
US: 1 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
Specialist Thomas F. Duncan III
Sinjar - Ninawa
Hostile - hostile fire
08-Jun-2008
1
US: 1 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
Staff Sergeant Tyler E. Pickett
Kirkuk - At-Ta'mim
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack (VBIED)
07-Jun-2008
1
US: 1 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
Sergeant 1st Class David R. Hurst
Baghdad (eastern part)
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
04-Jun-2008
5
US: 4 UK: 0 Other: 1



GE
Squad Commander Irakli Kordzaia
Diyala Province
Hostile - hostile fire

US
NAME NOT RELEASED YET
Baghdad (South of)
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire

US
Sergeant Cody R. Legg
Al Hawijah - At-Ta'mim
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire

US
Specialist Jonathan D. A. Emard
Al Hawijah - At-Ta'mim
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire

US
Sergeant Shane P. Duffy
Al Hawijah - At-Ta'mim
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
03-Jun-2008
2
US: 2 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
Private 1st Class Joshua E. Waltenbaugh
Taji - Baghdad
Non-hostile

US
Specialist Quincy J. Green
Tikrit - Salah ad Din
Non-hostile
01-Jun-2008
2
US: 2 UK: 0 Other: 0



US
Specialist Christopher D. McCarthy
FOB Ramadi - Anbar
Non-hostile

US
Specialist Justin R. Mixon
Baghdad (northeastern part)
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack (EFP)
Total
18
US: 17 UK: 0 Other: 1

BREAKING NEWS MONDAY: TWO EXPLOSIONS IN BAGHDAD HIT EDUCATION BUILDING: UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF CASUALTIES

Two explosions rattle Education Faculty, leave casualties

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Monday , 16 /06 /2008 Time 12:13:49
http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle=82596&NrIssue=2&NrSection=1


Baghdad, Jun 16, (VOI) – Two explosions rattled northern Baghdad's Faculty of Education on Monday morning, leaving an unknown number of casualties among students and security guards, according to eyewitnesses.

"A blast occurred at the entrance of the Faculty of Education in northern Baghdad's al-Adhamiya area, leaving an unknown number of casualties," one of the faculty's students told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq- (VOI). "The blast might have been caused by an improvised explosive device (IED)," the student said.Earlier, another student told VOI that an explosion, whose cause remains unknown, killed a student and a security guard and wounded several students.No comment was immediately available from Iraqi authorities.

Iraqi university students began their end-of-term examinations two weeks ago.

PENTAGON ADMITS USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS ON FALLUJAH RESIDENTS HAS FALLOUT ON BABIES BORN IN THE IRAQI CITY

For all the talk about Saddam Hussein having WMD, or chemical weapons, it now turns out it was the United States that used chemical weapons on the attack on Fallujah, Iraq.

The use of White Phosphorous and other chemical weapons has caused a large number of babies born in Fallujah, Iraq to be suffering from all kinds of different respiratory illnesses.

Once again the United States has proven to be the one using chemical weapons, and any student of history knows the United States sold to Saddam Hussein chemical weapons when Iraq was fighting Iran during the Ronald Reagan administration. This is has been well documented and there are even pictures of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld meeting with Saddam Hussein and shaking his hand when the sale of chemical weapons to Iraq was solidified.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE

'Special Weapons' Have a Fallout on Babies

Inter Press ServiceBy Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail*FALLUJAH, Jun 12 (IPS) - Babies born in Fallujah are showing illnesses and deformities on a scale never seen before, doctors and residents say.

The new cases, and the number of deaths among children, have risen after "special weaponry" was used in the two massive bombing campaigns in Fallujah in 2004.

After denying it at first, the Pentagon admitted in November 2005 that white phosphorous, a restricted incendiary weapon, was used a year earlier in Fallujah.

In addition, depleted uranium (DU) munitions, which contain low-level radioactive waste, were used heavily in Fallujah. The Pentagon admits to having used 1,200 tonnes of DU in Iraq thus far.

Many doctors believe DU to be the cause of a severe increase in the incidence of cancer in Iraq, as well as among U.S. veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War and through the current occupation.

"We saw all the colours of the rainbow coming out of the exploding American shells and missiles," Ali Sarhan, a 50-year-old teacher who lived through the two U.S. sieges of 2004 told IPS. "I saw bodies that turned into bones and coal right after they were exposed to bombs that we learned later to be phosphorus.

"The most worrying is that many of our women have suffered loss of their babies, and some had babies born with deformations."

"I had two children who had brain damage from birth," 28-year-old Hayfa' Shukur told IPS. "My husband has been detained by the Americans since November 2004 and so I had to take the children around by myself to hospitals and private clinics. They died. I spent all our savings and borrowed a considerable amount of money."

Shukur said doctors told her that it was use of the restricted weapons that caused her children's brain damage and subsequent deaths, "but none of them had the courage to give me a written report."

"Many babies were born with major congenital malformations," a paediatric doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IPS. "These infants include many with heart defects, cleft lip or palate, Down's syndrome, and limb defects."

The doctor added, "I can say all kinds of problems related to toxic pollution took place in Fallujah after the November 2004 massacre."

Many doctors speak of similar cases and a similar pattern. The indications remain anecdotal, in the absence of either a study, or any available official records.

The Fallujah General Hospital administration was unwilling to give any statistics on deformed babies, but one doctor volunteered to speak on condition of anonymity -- for fear of reprisals if seen to be critical of the administration.

"Maternal exposure to toxins and radioactive material can lead to miscarriage and frequent abortions, still birth, and congenital malformation," the doctor told IPS. There have been many such cases, and the government "did not move to contain the damage, or present any assistance to the hospital whatsoever.

"These cases need intensive international efforts that provide the highest and most recent technologies that we will not have here in a hundred years," he added.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed concern Mar. 31 about the lack of medical supplies in hospitals in Baghdad and Basra.

"Hospitals have used up stocks of vital medical items, and require further supplies to cope with the influx of wounded patients. Access to water remains a matter of concern in certain areas," the ICRC said in a statement.

A senior Iraqi health ministry official was quoted as saying Feb. 26 that the health sector is under "great pressure", with scores of doctors killed, an exodus of medical personnel, poor medical infrastructure, and shortage of medicines.

"We are experiencing a big shortage of everything," said the official, "We don't have enough specialist doctors and medicines, and most of the medical equipment is outdated.

"We used to get many spinal and head injures, but were unable to do anything as we didn't have enough specialists and medicines," he added. "Intravenous fluid, which is a simple thing, is not available all the time." He said no new hospitals had been built since 1986.

Iraqi Health Minister Salih al-Hassnawi highlighted the shortage of medicines at a press conference in Arbil in the Kurdistan region in the north Feb. 22. "The Iraqi Health Ministry is suffering from an acute shortage of medicines...We have decided to import medicines immediately to meet the needs."

He said the 2008 health budget meant that total expenditure on medicines, medical equipment and ambulances would amount to an average of 22 dollars per citizen.

But this is too late for the unknown number of babies and their families who bore the consequences of the earlier devastation. And it is too little to cover the special needs of babies who survived with deformations.

(*Ali, our correspondent in Baghdad, works in close collaboration with Dahr Jamail, our U.S.-based specialist writer on Iraq who has reported extensively from Iraq and the Middle East).

CNN REPORTS: IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: AL-SADR THREATS 'UNACCEPTABLE'

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari sternly rebuked Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's latest threats, Sunday.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/15/iraq.main/index.html

Supporters of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr rally against a U.S-Iraqi security pact on Friday.

Zebari said on CNN Sunday that al-Sadr's Friday claim that he is establishing a new fighting force to battle U.S. troops in Iraq "unacceptable."

"The Americans are there with the consent and the approval of the Iraqi elected government," he said. "Americans are there. They're our friends. They're sacrificing. So, therefore, whatever happens to them, actually, we should feel that pain. And this is unacceptable."

Over the weekend, Iraqi government troops prepared a new push against "outlaws" in the southern province of Maysan, north of Basra near the Iranian border. Those "outlaws" may trade medium and heavy weapons and explosives for cash rewards and amnesty until Wednesday, and the prime minister is also offering amnesty until Wednesday to suspects "who do not have the blood of innocent people on their hands," an official in the prime minister's office told CNN.

DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH! IRAQ PM SAYS U.S. TROOPS MAY BE ASKED TO LEAVE

Maliki raises possibility that Iraq might ask U.S. to leave

Leila Fadel and Mike Tharp McClatchy Newspaper
last updated: June 13, 2008 08:44:46 PM
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/41047.html

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki raised the possibility that his country won't sign a status of forces agreement with the United States and will ask U.S. troops to go home when their U.N. mandate to be in Iraq expires at the end of the year.

Maliki made the comment after weeks of complaints from Shiite Muslim lawmakers that U.S. proposals that would govern a continued troop presence in Iraq would infringe on Iraq's sovereignty.

"Iraq has another option that it may use," Maliki said during a visit to Amman, Jordan. "The Iraqi government, if it wants, has the right to demand that the U.N. terminate the presence of international forces on Iraqi sovereign soil."

Earlier, Maliki acknowledged that talks with the U.S. on a status of forces agreement "reached an impasse" after the American negotiators presented a draft that would have given the U.S. access to 58 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and immunity from prosecution for both U.S. soldiers and private contractors.

U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ IN FOR A FIGHT WITH AL SADR ARMY

NEW SADR ARMY TO FIGHT US
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=220221&Sn=WORL&IssueID=31086

KUFA: Hardline Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr will set up a new force to battle US troops."We will not stop resisting the occupation until liberation or martyrdom," Sadr told his more than 60,000-strong Mahdi Army militia.

The fight against US troops will now be waged only by the new group, while other members will "take on a social and religious role," Sadr said in a statement which was read out at mosques in the holy Shi'ite town of Kufa.

The announcement came amid controversy in Iraq and in neighbouring Iran over negotiations between Baghdad and Washington for a new pact to cover the US military presence when a UN mandate expires at the end of the year.

Talks on the pact are at a stalemate because of US demands that encroached on Iraq's sovereignty, said Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, who is visiting Jordan.

GRAPHIC VIDEO: "WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?"---IRAQ WAR--PETE SEEGER

So many times this blogger is asked this question. Why is it the press in the United States doesn't cover the Iraq war? We have wrestled with the question and finally come to the conclusion there are a variety of reasons. The mainstream media in the United States is now owned by corporations, and many of these corporations have subsidiaries that are making huge profits from the defense industry so the honchos at the networks don't want to do anything to upset the money apple cart. Then there is another ingredient that as a former GI myself I see only too clearly. Very, very few people in the United States have a vested interest in the Iraq war. They don't have a relative in uniform, and in many cases they don't even know anyone who is in the military and overseas in Iraq. And finally, there is the mainstream media itself. Most of the people who work in the mainstream media NEVER served a day of their lives in the uniform of any branch of the United States military. They don't know what it is like to be go through basic training. They have no idea what it is like to be in a war zone. In short, the editors and reporters in the mainstream media just don't give a damn.

"Where have all the Flowers Gone?" is a VERY GRAPHIC VIDEO that captures what the Iraq war is all about. Pete Seeger provides the music and we highly recommend this video, but with a WARNING there are images that are very, very gruesome.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE

http://www.youtube.com/v/7KUzjqcWMo4&hl=en&rel=0

METALLICA IRAQ WAR MUSIC VIDEO---VERY GRAPHIC

The Iraq War has long ago been forgotten by the mainstream media in the United States even though we still have 160,000 troops in Iraq. This GRAPHIC video with music by METALLICA captures the Iraq war like it should be seen on television in the United States so the people of this country would have some idea what our brave young men and women are going through every single day in Iraq.

http://www.youtube.com/v/rmTANwe56F4&hl=en&rel=0

EXTREMELY GRAPHIC IRAQ WAR VIDEO NOT SHOWN IN U.S. MEDIA

The media in the United States has filtered out everything that has to do with the horrors of the Iraq war, but this video captures the true essence of what is happening to the innocent Iraqi civilians inside of Iraq which is being kept from the people of the United States by the mainstream media. WARNING: This video is very, very graphic.

http://www.youtube.com/v/ApsfQzQDzi0&hl=en&rel=0

VIDEO: A SAD FATHER'S DAY IN IRAQ--CHILDREN STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE WITHOUT A FATHER

The invasion and occupation of Iraq by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and the rest of the Bush White House warmongers has led to thousands of Iraqi children left without a father. We thought on this Father's Day it was only appropriate to post this video of how the Iraq war has affected the children of Iraq.

http://www.youtube.com/v/g1x0d7AU6HU&hl=en&rel=0

BUSH ARRIVES IN LONDON TO MASSIVE PROTESTS OVER IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WARS

President Bush's job approval ratings in the United States are in the low 20 percent range, and overseas he is also regarded as a total failure.

Bush and his wife Laura arrived in London on Sunday and were greeted by crowds of people protesting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bush wants British PM Gordon Brown to change his mind and not remove the remaining 4,000 British troops from Iraq, but that is not likely to happen.

Bush flies to Britain, faces protests over Iraq, Afghanistan

Sat Jun 14, 10:09 PM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080615/wl_mideast_afp/britainusdiplomacybush

LONDON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush arrives in Britain Sunday to take afternoon tea with Queen Elizabeth II, hold talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and visit Northern Ireland on his farewell European tour.

But his visit is set to be marked by protests from anti-war campaigners unhappy at the reception for the architect of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and police restrictions about where and how they can make their voices heard.

Bush, who has visited Germany, Italy, The Vatican and Slovenia, touches down from Paris, where he met French President Nicolas Sarkozy and set aside previous Franco-US differences over Iraq in a display of backslapping bonhomie.

Read more here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080615/wl_mideast_afp/britainusdiplomacybush

BREAKING NEWS SUNDAY: BUSH TELLS BRITISH PM NOT TO PULL TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ

President Bush is in Great Britain and the Observer in Britain is reporting Bush has told British Prime Minister Gordon Brown not to pull the remaining 4,000 British troops out of Iraq.

Bush warns Brown over premature Iraq withdrawal: report

Sat Jun 14, 6:55 PM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080614/pl_afp/britainmilitaryiraqusbush

LONDON (AFP) - Britain should not jeopardise coalition gains in Iraq by withdrawing its troops prematurely, US President George W. Bush said in an interview with The Observer newspaper published Sunday.

Newspaper reports here this week suggested Prime Minister Gordon Brown could soon announce a final timetable for the withdrawal of its remaining 4,000 or so troops from southern Iraq by the end of the year.

Brown told his monthly news conference that he hoped to make a statement to parliament before it breaks for the summer recess next month.

But Bush, who arrives in London Sunday from Paris, said that while he recognised the pressure in both the United States and Britain for such a draw-down, it could only be "based upon success".

"Our answer is: there is should be no definitive timetable," he told the weekly.
"I am confident that he, like me, will listen to our commanders to make sure that the sacrifices that have gone forward won't be unravelled by draw-downs that may not be warranted at this point in time," he said.

"I look forward to discussing it with him."

Bush and his wife, Laura, meet Brown and his wife, Sarah, for dinner at Downing Street Sunday evening following afternoon tea with Queen Elizabeth II at her Windsor Castle residence west of London.

The two leaders then go into meetings Monday morning before visiting Northern Ireland.
It is the first time Brown has met Bush as prime minister on British soil and he faces a likely vocal demonstration by anti-war campaigners opposed to British and US involvement in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Click on link http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080614/pl_afp/britainmilitaryiraqusbush
for full story.

VIDEO: THE IRAQ WAR: "WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD" -SUNG BY LOUIS ARMSTRONG

This Sunday marks Father's Day and this video is a tribute to the many fathers who will never again be able to enjoy Father's Day with their family. The music is by Louis Armstrong singing "What A Wonderful World" and the title of the video is simply "The Iraq War."

http://www.youtube.com/v/JGjf5QH4sIU&hl=en&rel=0

IRAQ WAR MUSIC VIDEO: THE "KILLING" HAS TO STOP!!

We have now been in Iraq fighting a war longer than we were in World War II or the Korean War.

And what have we got to show for 4,100 DEAD Americans and another 30,000 wounded?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

The Iraqi government is now demanding U.S. troops report where they will be going before going out on patrol.

This whole war was a horrible mistake and it is NEVER going to get better.

There is no such thing as "winning" in Iraq because there isn't one government or group that would represent everyone that could sign a surrender.

So the war will go on and on and on until someone has the guts to say to the Iraqi people, "you are on your own. We have sacrificed enough blood and treasure and we are out of your country."

No more scenes like the ones shown in this video. We have had enough. The Iraqi people don't want us in Iraq anyhow. So let's just pack up and ship out.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE AND A FORMER GI


http://www.youtube.com/v/LSYsin3e9rk&hl=en&rel=0

FEMALE SUICIDE BOMBER STRIKES IRAQI SOCCER FANS

Female bomber strikes Iraqi soccer fans
Woman detonates explosive belt at emerging crowd at a cafe; 34 injured

The Associated Press
updated 1:17 p.m. CT, Sat., June. 14, 2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25161104/

BAGHDAD - A female suicide bomber targeted a crowd of soccer fans celebrating Iraq's win in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday, wounding at least 34 people near a cafe north of Baghdad, police said.

The young woman, who was covered in a traditional black Islamic robe, was dropped off by a car shortly before the attack as dozens of cheering young men poured out onto the streets after watching Iraq beat China 2-1 on TV in the cafe in the town of Qara Tappah.

She told suspicious police that she was waiting for her husband but blew herself up after an officer spotted the detonator and began screaming at the crowd to disperse, according to the town's top administrator Serwan Shukir.

Seven police and 27 civilians were among the wounded, Shukir said, but the officer's warning had averted a higher casualty toll by preventing the woman from reaching the bulk of the fans.Police Capt. Najib Khourshid said she was about 20 yards away from the crowd when the blast occurred. "About 100 people were in the cafe and we went out to celebrate the victory after the match. Minutes later, a big explosion took place near us," said Salman Hameed, who was wounded in his chest and right hand. "The female bomber has spoiled our joy and celebration."

VIDEO: IRAQ WAR: U.S. MARINES: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: MUSIC BY GUNS 'N ROSES

"WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE"

The video tells it all. The music by Guns 'n Roses is a perfect match for this video of Marines in action in Haditha, Iraq.
http://www.youtube.com/v/-1xmRSf98Gk&hl=en&rel=0

STREET FIGHTING IN IRAQ (NEW VIDEO)

While the mainstream media in the United States focuses on anything but the Iraq, the Iraq war is still going on as witnessed by this NEW video:

http://www.youtube.com/v/S9_AHKQbaP8&hl=en&rel=0

WASHINGTON POST REPORTS: FOUR GIS. KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN: MORE VIOLENCE IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN REPORTED

Four U.S. soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan and the violence continues in both Iraq and Afghanistan as the Iraqi government ponders whether they should restrict where U.S. troops can go in Iraq. Meanwhile, more Iraqi leaders meet with Iranian leaders in what now appears as an effort to rid Iraq of U.S. troops. Finally, Moqtada al-Sadr is saying he is organizing his 60,000 man Mehdi Army with the intent of killing as many American troops as possible in Iraq.

And STILL the mainstream press in the United States doesn't think any of this is important enough to give one paragraph to or one one second to in their newspapers or on TV.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE


War News for Saturday, June 14, 2008

The Washington Post (AP) is reporting the deaths of four American ISAF soldiers in a roadside bombing in Farah province, Afghanistan on Saturday, June 14th. One additional soldier was wounded in the attack. As always no other details were released but it is possible that they were U.S. Marines.

The DoD is reporting a new death. Sgt. Steve A. McCoy died at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas on Tuesday, June 10, of wounds suffered in an improvised explosive device attack in Baghdad on Sunday, March 23. No other details were released.


SOURCE: http://warnewstoday.blogspot.com/

Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:#1: A force from the Iraqi army arrested eight wanted individuals and found two arms depots in southern and eastern Baghdad, a spokesman for Baghdad's operations command said on Saturday.

#2: Two civilians were killed and seven others were injured when a bomb exploded inside a bus in Fdheliyah intersection in east Baghdad around 1:00 p.m.

#3: In a separate incident, another roadside bomb detonated near a police patrol in the al-Nidhal street in Baghdad's central neighborhood of Karradah, wounding four civilians, the source said.

#4: A third roadside bomb went off near a U.S. patrol near an intersection in the Shiite-dominated neighborhood of Kadhmiyah, but the U.S. military has not confirmed the incident yet.

Diyala Prv:#1: A Sahwa (Awakening) tribal fighter was killed and another wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near their headquarters south of the city of Baaquba, an official security source in Diala said on Saturday. An IED ripped through a Sahwa headquarters in the village of Youssuf Hammadi, Bani Saad district, (20 km south of Baaquba), killing one fighter and wounding another," the source, who declined to have his name mentioned, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.

#2: Three border guards were injured in an IED explosion on the main street of Khanaqin- Naftkhana northeast Diyala province on Saturday morning.

Amarra:#1: Iraqi forces backed by US troops have poured into the southern Shiite stronghold of Amara in a fresh offensive to drive militiamen out of the violence-wracked city, security officials said on Saturday. Large numbers of heavily armed soldiers have taken up positions in and around the city ahead of an operation that local police said would target "outlaws". "Many Iraqi and American troops are everywhere inside and outside Amara waiting for the start of the security operation," a local police official told AFP. "The operations will target outlaws."

#2: On Friday, American jets fired on militants who were trying to launch rockets at Iraqi security forces and coalition troops in Amarah, said Lt. Col. Chris Charleville, a U.S. military spokesman in Basra. He had no information about casualties in the air attack. The British military denied Iraqi reports that three Iraqi policemen were wounded.

Basra:#1: An Iraqi policeman was wounded in an armed attack on a security checkpoint in northern Basra city, a local police source said on Saturday. "At the early hours of Saturday morning, unknown gunmen attacked a checkpoint in al-Abla area, northern Basra," the source, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq-(VOI). "The attack wounded a policeman, who was taken to the hospital," the source noted.

Balad:#1: Two Iraqi servicemen were killed and another was wounded in an explosive charge attack near Balad district, the Multi-National Force (MNF) said on Saturday. "Two soldiers from the Iraqi army were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near Balad district (110 km north of Baghdad), Salah al-Din province, on June 13," according to an MNF statement received by Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq. "Another Iraqi soldier was injured in the attack," the statement added, providing no further details.

Samarra:#1: A roadside bomb killed a traffic policeman and wounded six others when it blew up near their patrol in central Samarra, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

Dhuluiya:#1: A roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi Army patrol in the town of Dhuluiya 70 km (45 miles) north of Baghdad, on Friday, killing three Iraqi soldiers and wounding one, a source in the Iraqi Army said.

Kurkuk:#1: An IED exploded on Kirkuk – Taza street south of Kirkuk city on Saturday morning. No casualties reported.

Biaj:#1: A member of the al-Qaeda terrorist network was killed and another 15 were arrested when US forces discovered a hideout of the organization, the US military said on Saturday. In a statement, the US military said forces uncovered a hideout of the al-Qaeda near Biaj area, some 130 kilometres south-east of the northern city of Mosul.

Mosul:#1: A force from the Iraqi army on Saturday opened fire on a civilian, whom it described as "mentally ill," after they mistakenly identified him as a suicide bomber, a security source from Ninewa said. "On Saturday, an Iraqi army force opened fire on a civilian, after they mistook him for a suicide bomber in Hay al-Zahra area, eastern Mosul," the source, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq. "The man was wounded in the leg and was taken to a hospital for treatment," the source noted, adding that the man "turned out to be mentally ill."

#2: A woman was injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in eastern Mosul city, a local security source said on Saturday. "On Saturday, an explosive charge detonated in al-Darkazliya area, eastern Mosul, wounding a woman.

#3: Gunmen shot dead an off-duty policeman and his brother near their house in central Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.Afghanistan:#1: update More than 600 prisoners escaped during a brazen Taliban bomb and rocket attack on the main prison in southern Afghanistan that knocked down the front gate and demolished a prison floor, officials said on Saturday. At least nine police officers were killed in the attack. The complex attack took place on Friday which included a truck bombing at the main gate, a suicide bomber who struck a back wall and rockets fired from inside the prison courtyard which set off a series of explosions that rattled Kandahar, which is the country's second biggest city. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi said, 30 insurgents on motorbikes and two suicide bombers attacked Sarposa Prison and freed about 400 Taliban members. Police official Mohammad Jamal Khan said more than 600 prisoners escaped. Nine police officers and eight prisoners were killed and another 12 police officers were wounded. More than 30 nearby shops were damaged.

An Afghan police chief says almost 900 prisoners have escaped in a Taliban bomb and rocket attack on the main prison in southern Afghanistan. However, Brig. Gen. Carolos Branco, a spokesman for NATO‘s International Security Assistance Force, is giving a slightly higher number. He says 1,100 prisoners escaped. It was not immediately clear why the two numbers were different.A local politician said 15 policemen were killed in the Taliban storming of the prison and subsequent clashes. He did not have more details.

#2: Afghan and foreign troops were hunting on Saturday hundreds of prisoners, including militants, who escaped the main prison in southern Kandahar city after a raid by Taliban insurgents, the government said. So far none of the prisoners have been tracked down, deputy justice minister Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai, told Reuters.

VIDEO TRIBUTE TO U.S. MARINES 3RD BATTALION, 1ST AND 4TH MARINES. NICE JOB!

This video is an excellent tribute to the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 1st and 4th Marines in Iraq as they go about their daily work of trying to bring some kind of peace to the war torn country.
Nice job!

THE VIDEO IS THE SECOND ONE ON THIS PAGE

http://www.videosfromiraq.com/2008/05/16/tribute-video-3rd-battalion-1st-and-4th-marines/

NEW IRAQ WAR VIDEO: STREET BATTLE IN IRAQ. IT DOESN'T GET ANYMORE WICKED THAN THIS. LOTS OF FIREWORKS

The "Rush of Battle" is a riveting video showing street fighting in Baghdad and should be viewed as a reminder to everyone that there is a still war going on in Iraq. There are lots of fireworks in this video and the language at times gets a little salty, but this is war not a video game.

THE VIDEO IS THE SECOND ONE ON THIS SITE

http://www.videosfromiraq.com/2008/05/18/the-rush-of-battle/

CNN REPORTS: AL-SADR FORMS NEW FORCE TO FIGHT U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ: IRAQI GOVERNMENT SAYS IT IT WILL DICTATE WHERE U.S. TROOPS CAN GO IN IRAQ

This has now reached beyond the point of being absurd in Iraq. Not only has Moqtada al-Sadr emerged from his self-imposed exile, but he is organizing a massive force of Mahdi Army troops with the sole intention of killing as many American troops as possible in Iraq.

Hello, Sen. John McCain. What say you about these developments?

Then to add insult to injury the Iraqi government has decided they are going to TELL the United States military where they can go and not go in Iraq.

Yes, you heard me right. Just read the rest of the CNN story. The Iraqi government, such as it is, says they will be issuing a statement to General Petraeus telling him where the United States Army and Marines are allowed to go in Iraq.

No wonder one out of every three returning troops from Iraq suffers from PTSD. When the leaders of your own Army or Marine Corps are being pushed around by puppet government set up by the Bush Administration it is time to tell Iraq they can have their country back and we are going to pack up and ship out.

If McCain and the Republicans are all for staying in Iraq "FOREVER," then let every Republican who supports this illegal occupation of a sovereign nation make sure their military age children and grandchildren sign up RIGHT NOW for the United States Army or the United States Marine Corps.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE

Al-Sadr: New force to fight U.S. in Iraq

Story Highlights
Sources: Muqtada Al-Sadr apparently embracing what U.S. calls rogue militants
Shiite cleric's Mehdi Army has operated under cease-fire since last summer
Al-Sadr says there'll be no stop to resistance in Iraq "until liberation or martyrdom"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/13/iraq.alsadr/index.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is establishing a new fighting force to battle U.S.-led troops in Iraq, he said in a letter read in Iraqi mosques Friday.

Al-Sadr's letter said that "the resistance will be exclusively conducted by only one group. This new group will be defined soon by me."

Al-Sadr's militia, the Mehdi Army, has a strong and ubiquitous presence in Shiite cities, towns and neighborhoods.

Sources familiar with al-Sadr said they believe he's trying to embrace what the U.S. calls "Special Groups" -- Iran-backed Shiite militants, including rogue Mehdi Army members, who have been fighting U.S.-led troops despite a cease-fire that the cleric declared in August.
The mainstream Mehdi Army has operated under the cease-fire, which dramatically reduced violence in Iraq. During that time, however, there has been fighting between U.S. and Iraqi troops and members of the Mehdi Army, with many of the battles this spring in the southern city of Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood.

In the latest fighting overnight, American-led coalition forces killed five and arrested two Special Groups members near Hilla, south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
In the letter, al-Sadr said, "The weapons will be held exclusively by this new group, and they should be pointed exclusively at the occupier," adding that he will forbid the group "to target anyone else."

The letter added, "We will not stop resisting the occupation until liberation or martyrdom."
Al-Sadr is transitioning much of the rest of the Mehdi Army into a civilian movement dealing with "religious, social and cultural affairs," according to the letter.

That part of the Mehdi Army will not be involved in militancy but will "fight the Western ideology and liberate the minds from domination and globalization."

The letter said al-Sadr would disown anyone in the Mehdi Army who disobeys his new command. It was read at mosques affiliated with the cleric's movement.

Iraqi and Western intelligence sources have said that Iran, over the last few months, has pressured al-Sadr to promote its interests, which include getting the United States out of Iraq.
Al-Sadr's letter didn't explain why he decided to issue his command.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials, frustrated by the lack of success in negotiations with the United States over a long-term security agreement, are contemplating a new tack -- pulling out of security talks and developing their own legislation that would dictate the shape of the American military presence in Iraq.

BREAKING NEWS FROM CLG: AL SADR GEARING UP FOR MASSIVE ATTACK ON U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ

Moqtada al-Sadr, leader of the 60,000 strong Mahdi Army in Iraq, has been all too quite for the past two months.

And now we know why.

Al-Sadr has been regrouping his forces in preparation for an all out assault on U.S. forces in Iraq and in particular Baghdad and Sadr City.

Source: http://www.legitgov.org/

Iraq's Sadr plans new armed group to fight US forces 13 Jun 2008 Iraq's Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr announced on Friday that he plans to form a new armed group to fight US forces in Iraq. In a statement issued to his nearly 60,000 strong Mahdi Army militia, the cleric said the fight against US forces will now be waged only by the new group. "We will keep resisting the occupier until the liberation (of Iraq) or (our) martyrdom," Sadr declared in a statement which was read out at a mosque in the holy Shiite town of Kufa. Sadr said the group will direct its operations against US forces and will be banned from fighting Iraqis.

"This group will be professional and it will be the only group carrying arms which will be directed against the occupier.

It will be banned from using arms against any Iraqis." [It's bye-bye to the 'sectarian violence' lie invented by the corporate-owned media as a cover for Blackwater and other US terrorists carrying out war crimes in Iraq, daily. --LRP]

http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news

TALIBAN ATTACKS PRISON IN AFGHANISTAN: 1000 PRISONERS ESCAPE

Taliban attacks Afghan prison
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/83E27E89-F204-41CA-95B5-B78F0401CF10.htm

Virtually all of the inmates in Kandahar prisonare said to have escaped in the attack [File: EPA]
Taliban fighters have attacked the main prison in Kanadahar, southern Afghanistan, blasting through its entrance and engaging in a gun battle with police.Nearly all of the estimated 1,150 prisoners, including some 400 Taliban, have escaped, Afghan officials have said.

Fighters attacked the main prison in Kandahar on Friday with a car bomb and rockets, killing police and freeing prisoners, according to the officials.

A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle at the gates of the prison, Sarwar Danish, the Afghan justice minister said.

Officials with Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said they were aware of the attack but did not have any details.

YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS: IRAQ CONDEMNS U.S. DEMANDS

Never in the history of the United States as an occupier of a foreign country has the foreign country told the United States what they could and could not do---but Iraq is doing just that and dictating to the United Stats where U.S. troops can go in their country and how many bases the U.S. military can have in Iraq.

Iraqis Condemn American DemandsSides Negotiating U.S. Military Role

By Amit R. Paley and Karen DeYoungWashington Post Foreign ServiceWednesday, June 11, 2008; A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003415.html

BAGHDAD, June 10 -- High-level negotiations over the future role of the U.S. military in Iraq have turned into an increasingly acrimonious public debate, with Iraqi politicians denouncing what they say are U.S. demands to maintain nearly 60 bases in their country indefinitely.

Top Iraqi officials are calling for a radical reduction of the U.S. military's role here after the U.N. mandate authorizing its presence expires at the end of this year. Encouraged by recent Iraqi military successes, government officials have said that the United States should agree to confine American troops to military bases unless the Iraqis ask for their assistance, with some saying Iraq might be better off without them.

"The Americans are making demands that would lead to the colonization of Iraq," said Sami al-Askari, a senior Shiite politician on parliament's foreign relations committee who is close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "If we can't reach a fair agreement, many people think we should say, 'Goodbye, U.S. troops. We don't need you here anymore.' "

MARINE CORP TIMES: MARINE RECRUITING AD ACCUSED OF BEING RACIST: ACCUSES BLACKS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SWIM

Racist recruiting? Ad draws fire

Staff reportPosted : Friday Jun 13, 2008 13:06:25 EDT
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/06/marine_swim_061208w/

The Marine Corps’ newest recruiting commercial aimed at targeting minorities tackles a long-running and often-controversial debate involving black American youth: swimming ability.

Called “Leap,” the commercial shows a young black man standing at a high diving platform overlooking a swimming pool.

“I faced one of the toughest challenges of my life right here,” the narrator says. “I couldn’t swim.”

Encouraged by his drill instructor’s urging not to give up, the man goes for it.
“So I jumped in,” he says. “Unsure, apprehensive and scared out of my mind. But I came up a Marine.”

The man emerges not from a swimming pool, but from open water, in face paint and combat gear. A rubber boat filled with Marines zooms by and pulls the man inside.
Discussion

Do you think this video is racist?
Watch the video

The ad reflects the real-life story of Staff Sgt. Thomas Hill, a senior drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., according to a Marine recruiting Web site, our.marines.com.

Hill volunteered to tell his story when he heard the Corps was looking for ideas for a new commercial, according to the site. “He wants others who approach life the way he did to understand what being a Marine can do for them.”

The popular blog Gawker.com, however, derided the ad as “subtle stereotyping.”

“The Marines send a simple, straightforward message: ‘Hey, black people. We know you can’t swim. That’s okay! We’ll teach you how, and then let you ride in a cool boat, if you just sign up for the Marines now. Okay?’ ”

In 1993, then-Commandant Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr. launched a storm of controversy by telling an interviewer on “60 Minutes” that whites outperform blacks in objective military tests, including swimming.

“In the military skills, we find that the minority officers do not shoot as well as the non-minorities… They don’t swim as well. And when you give them a compass and send them across the terrain at night in a land navigation exercise, they don’t do as well at that sort of thing.”

More recently, a retired Army reserve officer running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 was videotaped at a Christian Coalition making similar comments: “I grew up in Alabama and I understand and I know this from my own experiences that blacks aren’t the best swimmers or may not even know how to swim.”

The comments cost Tramm Hudson his shot at winning the Republican nomination for Florida’s 13th District.

TALKS BETWEEN U.S. AND IRAQ ARE AT AN IMPASSE

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain is so out of touch with what is going on in Iraq it borders on senility.

It doesn't mean a damn thing how many "victories" the "surge" is bringing when the U.S. and the Iraqi government can't come to terms on how long U.S. troops should be in Iraq.

This whole mess just keeps getting worse, and the the horrible and pathetic excuse for journalism called the mainstream media in the United States are as much to blame as anyone for misleading the American public and in turning sellout the 160,000 troops in Iraq.

There is not a single reporter in the news business in the United States who has a clue what is going on in Iraq. Not one.

All these meatheads care about is what McCain said about Obama or what Obama said about McCain and mean while while they fiddle around with the mundane topics not even suited for a high school newspaper, the situation in Iraq with the Iraqi government is going from bad to worse.

How in GOD's name these so-called "journalists" can collect a paycheck is beyond this blogger when they wouldn't know a news story if it hit them right between the eyeballs.

The ENTIRE press corps in the United States is a total joke and it is no wonder newspaper circulation is plummeting and nightly news is a laugh while cable news sinks deeper and deeper into tabloidism of the worst kind.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE AND RETIRED REPORTER AND COLUMNIST.


Iraqi PM says security talks with US at impasse

By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer 16 minutes ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080613/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister said Friday that talks with the U.S. on a long-term security pact are at an impasse over objections that Iraq's sovereignty is at stake, but he held out hope that negotiators could still reach a compromise.

In his strongest comments yet on the debate, Nouri al-Maliki echoed concern by Iraqi lawmakers that the opening U.S. proposals would give Washington too much political and military leverage on Iraqi affairs. He left open room, however, that a deal could be hammered out.

"The first drafts presented left us at a dead end and deadlock," he told reporters in Amman, Jordan. "So, we left these first drafts and the negotiations will continue with new ideas until the sides reach a formula that preserves Iraq's sovereignty.

Click on link for full story.

TWO MORE GIS KILLED IN IRAQ BRINGS TOTAL TO 14 FOR JUNE

U.S. fatalities in June rise to 14 as 2 soldiers die

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Friday , 13 /06 /2008 Time 12:11:26
http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle=82309&NrIssue


Baghdad, Jun 13, (VOI)- Two U.S. soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in Iraq, raising the U.S. fatalities in June to 14, the U.S. army said on Friday.

“A Multi-National Force – West Marine died as the result of a non-combat related incident June 11,” the army said in a statement received by Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).“The incident is under investigation,” it added.“

A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier was killed from wounds sustained when the Soldier’s vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in west Baghdad at approximately 3:30 p.m. June 12,” the army said in another statement.

The deaths raise the death toll of U.S. troops at 4098 since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.Of this number, 14 troops were killed in June, and 19 in May 2008, the lowest number of U.S. fatalities since the U.S. invasion. A total of 29 soldiers were killed in February 2008, while 40 were killed in January 2008.November 2004, which witnessed fierce battles between U.S. forces and armed groups in Falluja city, Anbar province, remains the month that witnessed the highest U.S. death toll with 137.April 2004 comes second with 135, followed by May 2007 during which 126 U.S. soldiers were killed.

CNN UPDATE: MARINES BOOT ONE MARINE OUT, DISCIPLINE OTHER OVER PUPPY TOSSING: SEE VIDEO PLUS VIDEO OF ANGELINA JOLIE EATING WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine videotaped throwing a puppy over a cliff while on patrol in Iraq has been kicked out of the Corps, and a second Marine involved has been disciplined, according to a statement released by the Marines.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/12/marine.puppy/index.html

Lance Cpl. David Motari, based in Hawaii with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, is being "processed for separation" and received non-judicial punishment, officials said in the statement Wednesday night. The Marine Corps would not specify what that punishment was because of privacy regulations.

The statement said Motari received the punishment for his role in the "episode which generated international attention."

The incident appeared on the Internet web site YouTube in March, sparking outrage from animal rights groups around the world.

In the video, Motari is seen throwing the dog off a cliff as it yelps.

A second Marine, San Diego-based Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion, received non-judicial punishment as well.

Attention all readers: Scroll to bottom of this post for late breaking events on this topic.

Who can ever forget the YouTube video of the two Marines tossing a puppy off a cliff in Iraq?

I know this blogger won't. Outside of a video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Iraq, I don't think there was ever a post on this blog that drew more attention. Scroll down to see story and video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Iraq in February.

The puppy tossing video was pulled by YOUTUBE, but we have an uncut version of the puppy tossing event by the two Marines and you can view it here: http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=463231

Officials did not specify the role that each man played in the incident, which received international attention after a video of it appeared on YouTube.com March 3. Lance Cpl. David Motari is being processed for removal for his role, the Marine Corps said, and Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion also has been punished. The video shows someone throwing a black-and-white puppy off a rocky cliff. The dog makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air. "That's mean. That was mean," someone off-camera is heard saying.

YouTube removed the video about a day after it was posted, "due to terms of use violation," the site said. We, however, have a copy of the video but not from YouTube and you can view it here: http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=463231

The Marines were quick to condemn the video when it surfaced, calling it "shocking and deplorable." Marine officials said the disciplinary action followed a thorough investigation, according to a statement that the Marine Corps Base Hawaii released Wednesday

. #####
And for all those who would again like to see the video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Baghdad, here is the story and video: ANGELINA JOLIE EATS WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ--NEW VIDEO Angelina Jolie took timeout from her humanitarian visit to Iraq Thursday on behalf of the two million displaced Iraqi refugees to eat with the troops inside the Green Zone.

This YouTube video captures Jolie as she eats lunch/dinner and chats with some of the U.S. soldiers deployed to Iraq.More video and aritcles on Angelina Jolie's visit to Baghdad on Thursday can be seen on this blog CORKSPHERE http://corksphere.blogspot.com/. Editor and host, Bill Corcoran.

VIDEO OF ANGELINA JOLIE EATING WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHKQypR2TbE (Just released NEW VIDEO)

######

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDED JUNE 12, 1:30 PM FROM THE ZIMBIO WEB SITE:
http://www.zimbio.com/David+Motari
If you go to this site, you will read other blogs, polls, and a reprint of my CORKSPHERE blog.

CNN REPORTS: TWO MARINES DISCIPLINED OVER PUPPY TOSSING INCIDENT. WE HAVE UNCUT VIDEO : PLUS VIDEO OF ANGELINA JOLIE EATING WITH U.S. TROOPS

Attention all readers: Scroll to bottom of this post for late breaking events on this topic.

Who can ever forget the YouTube video of the two Marines tossing a puppy off a cliff in Iraq? I know this blogger won't. Outside of a video of Angelina Jolie eating with U.S. troops in Iraq, I don't think there was ever a post on this blog that drew more attention.

Scroll down to see story and video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Iraq in February.

The video was pulled by YOUTUBE, but we have an uncut version of the puppy tossing event by the two Marines and you can view it here: http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=463231

However, the United States Marine Corps has now disciplined the two U.S. Marines involved in the incident and CNN is reporting the story here:

2 Marines disciplined over puppy-tossing video

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/11/marine.puppy/index.html

Story Highlights
Lance Cpl. David Motari faces removal; Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion punished
Video surfaced March 3 on YouTube showing a Marine tossing a puppy over a cliff
The Marines condemned the incident, calling it "shocking and deplorable"

(CNN) -- The U.S. Marine Corps has disciplined two Marines over a videotape that showed a Marine throwing a puppy over a cliff, the military said Wednesday.

Officials did not specify the role that each man played in the incident, which received international attention after a video of it appeared on YouTube.com March 3.

Lance Cpl. David Motari is being processed for removal for his role, the Marine Corps said, and Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion also has been punished.

The video shows someone throwing a black-and-white puppy off a rocky cliff. The dog makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air.

"That's mean. That was mean," someone off-camera is heard saying.

YouTube removed the video about a day after it was posted, "due to terms of use violation," the site said.

We, however, have a copy of the video but not from YouTube and you can view it here: http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=463231

The Marines were quick to condemn the video when it surfaced, calling it "shocking and deplorable."

Marine officials said the disciplinary action followed a thorough investigation, according to a statement that the Marine Corps Base Hawaii released Wednesday.

#####

And for all those who would again like to see the video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Baghdad, here is the story and video:

ANGELINA JOLIE EATS WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ--NEW VIDEO
Angelina Jolie took timeout from her humanitarian visit to Iraq Thursday on behalf of the two million displaced Iraqi refugees to eat with the troops inside the Green Zone.This YouTube video captures Jolie as she eats lunch/dinner and chats with some of the U.S. soldiers deployed to Iraq.More video and aritcles on Angelina Jolie's visit to Baghdad on Thursday can be seen on this blog CORKSPHERE http://corksphere.blogspot.com/. Editor and host, Bill Corcoran.

VIDEO OF ANGELINA JOLIE EATING WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHKQypR2TbE

(Just released NEW VIDEO)

######

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDED JUNE 12, 1:30 PM FROM THE ZIMBIO WEB SITE:

http://www.zimbio.com/David+Motari

If you go to this site, you will read other blogs, polls, and a reprint of my CORKSPHERE blog.