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Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer

Back in the mid-1970s (1967-1978) I was a Marine Lieutenant serving on active duty.  I ran across a ministry that allowed an individual to adopt an Eastern European Communist leader and pray for him or her.  I was assigned a General in the Soviet Army. 

I am not going to speculate on the results (on the micro or macro level) of my prayers and the prayers of others.  I cannot remember the general's name, much less what happened in his life.  I do know that the Soviet Union no longer exists as a threat to the world.  I also know that new threats have arisen.

I have been looking for a ministry that would allow me to be involved in a prayer ministry such as the one in which I was involved three decades ago.

There is a new web-based ministry urging Christians to adopt a terrorist and pray for them as Jesus Christ had instructed his disciples to love and pray for their enemies.  Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer (ATFP) agrees that the military needs to fight terrorism, but advocates prayer as a counter-offensive strategy not utilized by generals and politicians. ATFP founder Dr. Thomas Bruce believes the war on terrorism is a spiritual struggle against fear.

The idea was sparked by a retired Army general who spoke at a Fellowship of Christian Military Ministries conference about the need for spiritual resources in the battle against terrorism’s spiritual attack. Bruce began thinking about how to fight terrorism on a spiritual level starting in spring 2007.  His idea became reality more recently when the site, www.atfp.org , became available online.

Bruce cited what God said through the prophet Ezekiel – “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.”

People can go the site to learn about nearly a hundred prominent at-large and captured individuals identified by the FBI and State Department as either terrorists or terrorism sponsors.  Visitors can then locate a person for prayer, as well as see how many others are praying for them.

Methodist Renewal

Western Civilization, Missions, and Methodism

By Dr. Riley Case

Dr. Ralph D.  Winter, founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission, died May 20.   Winter was named in 2005 in Time magazine as one of the top 25 most influential evangelicals in America.   Winter founded a mission think tank, a university, and a mission society.  But perhaps his greatest contribution to the world of mission came with his ground-breaking 1974 presentation at the Congress for World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland.  It was at this legendary summit, convened by American evangelist Billy Graham, where Winter introduced the term "unreached people groups" that had the profound effect of shifting the entire global mission strategy thereafter.   The phrase "unreached peoples" was first defined by Winter as a people group that had less than a certain percentage of Christians. Later, it was redefined as a group of people with their own distinct culture or language that does not have a viable indigenous evangelizing church movement.

For most of the 19th century and into the 20th century mission philosophy sought to Christianize the world by civilizing the world.  It was often assumed that "civilization" meant Western civilization.   Within Methodism the holiness missionaries and persons like E. Stanley Jones (Christ of the Indian Road) sought to promote a more indigenous form of Christianity that transcended cultures and civilizations.

For the moment it is difficult to understand what is the operative mission philosophy of the mainline churches.  The 2008 General conference added to the annual conference purpose statement: "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," but the suspicion is that "transformation" in the eyes of UM leaders has more to do with social action and social justice than the conversion of "unreached peoples."

At any rate, Western civilization is increasingly being divorced from its Christian roots so that it is trending toward secularism, multiculturalism, and "inclusivism."   While this may be appealing to academic types and bureaucrats of mainline denominations in North America and Europe, it is not gaining traction world-wide.

It is good at this point to revisit Samuel P. Huntington's The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (1996).  Huntington argues that the world of the twenty-first century will be divided not so much by economic systems or political systems but by different religious visions.  Basically these are visions inspired by Islam and visions inspired by Christianity (with China and Asia offering up a third alternative).  Huntington further argues that it is not Islamic extremists that will give the West problems but with Islam itself.   Ideas which seemed outlandish when the book was written in 1996 seem prophetic today.

While Christianity is growing worldwide it is not the Christianity identified with the West.   Islam, on the other hand, is also growing worldwide and some of the fastest growth is in the West.  Part of this is demographics.  Huntington points out (p. 119) that while young adult (15-24) population reaches 18% in Muslim countries, it is only 10% in Europe and 13% in the USA.

Other studies show that it takes 2.11 children per family to maintain a culture.  In Europe family size equals 1.38 children per family.  The USA averages 2.11 children per family but when Latinos are factored out the average is only 1.6.   In Muslim lands, and even in Muslim families in Europe, the birth rate is averaging well over 4 children per family.   In France 45% of all children in schools are now Muslim.

A number of social scientists argue we need a smaller birth rate because of world overpopulation.  However, it would appear it is not concern for overpopulation that drives the West's smaller birthrate, but secularization.   Secularization breeds a self-directed society and a self-directed society tends to diminish the importance of the family.What conclusions can be drawn from all this?

First, we must work against the devaluing of the Christian base for Western civilization.   The drive for special privileges (such as the redefining of the understanding of marriage as between a man and woman) for practicing homosexuals, and the break-down of morality in America are examples of why Muslims will increasingly hate us, and why we can expect increasing conflict between Islam and the West in coming years.

Second, we must guard against the secularization of our own Christian faith.   What is called "progressive" Christianity will, as with the modernism that preceded it, only serve to diminish Christian faith.  It is possible to keep compromising the faith away until there is nothing left.   It is for reasons like this that the Confessing Movement, with its strong proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, is in existence.

Third, we must see Muslims as one of the world's great "unreached people" groups. Muslims need Jesus Christ as much as anyone.  This should seem obvious.  Yet there seems to be reluctance in Western nations to engage Muslims with the claims of Christ (not so in Africa).   Not long ago the U.S. military confiscated (and reportedly burned) Bibles in Afghanistan printed in the Pashto and Dari languages to be shared with Afghani citizens and friends.  The confiscation came after extremist Afghani Muslims and American atheists objected to what was called "proselytizing."  There is no way United Methodists can be serious about making disciples for the transformation of the world if we will be intimidated into silence by persons offended by the gospel.

"Go therefore and make discipless of all nations..." (Mt. 28:18).

Good News - Coalition, Afghans find goodwill at traditional games

U.S. Forces - Afghanistan

Two do-rah teams battle it out during a goodwill tournament of the traditional Afghan sport in the Deh Rawood district of Oruzgan province, Afghanistan, Feb. 20. The games were hosted by coalition and Afghan forces. KABUL, Afghanistan (March 3, 2009) – As U.S. forces and their NATO counterparts here were thinking recently about ways to win the trust and cooperation of local people in their fight against radical insurgents, village elders suggested a way to come together in common interest: a sporting event. Such was the start of the Feb. 20 “do-rah” games in the Deh Rawood district of Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province. For some, it was the chance to see a familiar game played against other villagers. For others, it was the opportunity of a lifetime to watch a sport rarely seen by foreigners. For everyone involved, it was the opportunity to bring communities together in a way only a sports tournament can. With security greatly improved in what had been one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan, some 1,500 people participated in or came out to watch the five-hour event, hosted by coalition civil affairs soldiers in partnership with Afghan soldiers and police. "The genesis for the idea was rooted in multiple interviews with the elders in the Deh Rawood area," a civil affairs team leader said. "All the elders indicated that they thought it would be a great idea to have an athletic competition." Everyone joined together to make the tribal elders' idea a reality. Civil affairs coordinated the setup of the games and provided funding for prizes and refreshments. Villagers created the field and Afghan forces provided security. The request for participants went out across the district and people were excited to take part, Deh Rawood Police Chief Omar Kahn Ankalm said. "Four teams from different villages took part in today's tournament," Ankalm said. "The people are having a good time. They are happy to be playing." The villages of Lundyanah, Mian-do and Lublan, as well as people from the Deh Rawood bazaar, had teams that participated in the tournament. The games provided a means for the people to demonstrate their abilities as well as provide a reason to bring a village together, Ankalm said. "Do-rah is a sport that is unique to the area, and I thought nothing would showcase the pride and competitive nature of the people more than a do-rah tournament," the civil affairs team leader said. "At first, the game was confusing. But after the rules were explained, the games were very interesting to watch." The game is played inside of a large ring which acts as the out-of-bounds. In the center of the ring is a second ring, where the action happens. "There are two groups playing -- one inside the middle ring and one outside the middle ring," Saed Asman Sadad, the district chief for Deh Rawood explained. "The goal is to hit the legs of the other team. If your group is hit too many times, you lose." There are four people on each team. The team outside the middle ring tries to tag the legs of the other team with their “fotho,” a large, Afghan body scarf, Sadad said. The other group tries to kick the fotho-wielding group below the waist when they step inside the middle ring. If they are successful, then the teams change positions. The fotho-wielding group remains in their position, regardless of how many times they score hits, until one of them gets kicked. The game is refereed by two judges who determine if the kicks and whips count. They award points subjectively. The most aggressive team receives the most points. Judges stop the game once they feel one team has had enough. “Enough” came after five hours when the Deh Rawood bazaar team took first place, the Mian-do team took second, and the Lundyanah team finished third. The three teams took home trophies, and the players from each of the teams took home medals. With the successful turnout and enthusiasm, coalition and Afghan forces are considering more community events, the civil affairs team leader said. He also said the games would not have been as successful if it were not for the support of the government representatives in the district. "A significant reason the event was so successful is because of the cooperation and enthusiasm that the district chief and [Afghan National Police] chief of police had for the event," the civil affairs team leader said. "They both addressed the crowd prior to the games. Due to their efforts and the effectiveness they have had in the area, the games went off without any problems."

Good News - U.S., French, Afghan troops team up to aid villages

by 1st Lt. Lory Stevens

Task Force Warrior

A boy waits to be seen at the Alasay District Center during a two-day village medical outreach by local providers and medical personnel from Task Force Warrior in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province. KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan (April 14, 2009) – U.S. forces participated with French and Afghan forces recently in three days of humanitarian missions to bring medical treatment and necessary supplies to residents of isolated villages here. The Alasay District Clinic in Kapisa treated more than 670 patients April 5-6 with the assistance of multinational doctors, surgeons and medical teams. The two-day medical outreach brought together Task Force Warrior, along with the Kapisa and Parwan provincial reconstruction teams, and Afghan and French soldiers to provide medical care to the isolated population. More than 120 Afghan women were seen at a separate facility in the village by female health care workers from the French team. Illnesses ranged from colds and pneumonia to lacerations, hypertension and malnourishment. "Afghans presented [us] with various medical problems, such as gastritis, asthma, eczema and other types of skin disorders, musculoskeletal pain, and dental problems," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Donray David, who serves with the Task Force Warrior surgeon group. One local elder, who is about 70 years old, arrived with a cancerous tumor the size of a grapefruit. Army Capt. (Dr.) William Barker, command surgeon with the task force, arranged for the man to be seen at the Egyptian hospital at Bagram Airfield, and coalition forces paid for his cab fare to get there, David said. Air Force 1st Lt. Jon Farley, a PRT medical officer, said he was so impressed with the performance of Afghan doctor Mohammed Samir that he recommended Samir be admitted to a physician mentorship training program to expand his capabilities and enhance duty performance within the Afghan army. "He was quite competent and capable, and expressed interest in attending training opportunities at Craig Joint Theater Hospital on [Bagram Airfield]," Farley said. On April 4, Task Force Warrior and French forces supported the Afghan National Army during a mission to supply food, blankets and school supplies to Alasay district’s Sultan Khiel village. School supplies were distributed to 250 boys and food and blankets to the adults. "Like most occasions when we show up, the people and children immediately started coming out of the woodwork to our location," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Todd Davis, Kapisa and Parwan PRT engineer. Flour, beans, rice, and blankets were given to families who lined up during the event. NATO International Security Assistance Force backpacks, chalk boards and other school supplies were distributed to the children. "Our recent joint operations in support of the ANA to clear and hold the Alasay District Center are having positive results for the people of Alasay," said Army Col. Stephen Jeselink, Task Force Warrior deputy commander, referring to improvements in security and connecting the people of Alasay to their government and resources.

Good News - Maersk-Alabama captain rescued

5th Fleet Public Affairs - NAVCENT

Capt. Richard Phillips, right, stands with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Frank Castellano after Phillips' rescue Sunday. MANAMA, Bahrain - At approximately 7:19 p.m (12:19 p.m. EDT) U.S. naval forces rescued Capt. Richard Phillips, the master of Motor Vessel Maersk-Alabama.  “This was an incredible team effort, and I am extremely proud of the tireless efforts of all the men and women who made this rescue possible” said Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.  “The actions of Capt. Phillips and the civilian mariners of Maersk-Alabama were heroic.  They fought back to regain control of their ship, and Capt. Phillips selflessly put his life in the hands of these armed criminals in order to protect his crew.” Following the rescue, Phillips was initially taken aboard the Norfolk, Va. based guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96).  Phillips was subsequently flown to the San Diego based amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), where he contacted his family, received a routine medical evaluation, and is resting comfortably.  U.S. military forces have one pirate in custody, three were killed in the rescue.  A Pentagon press briefing with Navy Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, is planned for later today.  The Admiral will provide additional details regarding the rescue operation from his headquarters in Bahrain via satellite.

Good News - U.S. continues to transfer responsibility to Iraqi government

by William Selby

Defense Media Activity

Iraqi soldiers stand at attention and salute while the Iraqi and U.S. national anthems are played. The soldiers were present for the transfer of authority ceremony from the 18th Airborne Corps to I Corps. WASHINGTON (April 9, 2009) – American forces in Iraq continue to transfer more responsibilities to the Iraqi government and their security forces as part of the security agreement that went into effect on Jan. 1, a Multi-National Force - Iraq general said Wednesday. “Our combat forces will be out of the cities by June,” Army Maj. Gen. David Perkins, the command’s director of strategic effects, said during a “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable. “That doesn’t mean we won’t operate in those cities, but we will not be basing our combat forces in the cities.” Since Jan. 1, U.S. forces have transitioned more than 40 bases, areas and facilities to Iraqi control. “At the request of the Iraqis, [we] will conduct operations generally by, with and through the Iraqis,” he said. “We continue to do our assessment as to the capability of the Iraqi security forces as we adjust our forces on the ground and they fill in some of the areas where we leave.” Perkins described the situation as “an ongoing process of reassessment and readjustment.” The transfer of responsibility to the Iraqi security forces has posed some recent challenges, the general acknowledged. “In the last couple of days, unfortunately, we have had a series of high-profile attacks,” he said. “The good news is the response has been one of universal condemnation. You have not had the retribution killings, which a year and a half ago is what would have happened.” When attacks do take place, officials focus on the sustained level of attacks, the time between attacks, and more importantly, the response of the Iraqi people, Perkins said. “If they universally -- all ethno-sectarian groups -- soundly reject it, then it means al-Qaida has failed in their attempt to start ethno-sectarian violence,” Perkins said. “The sustained level is down 90 percent from its height.” The time between attacks is important because it provides coalition and Iraqi forces with insight into al-Qaida’s capability to sustain a high tempo of violence, he explained. “About a year ago, the average time between high-profile attacks was 1.9 days,” Perkins said. “Last month, our average was 3.8.” Perkins also explained that al-Qaida used to be able to sustain a high number of attacks when 50 to 60 terrorists crossed into Iraq each day. But that number has shrunk to three or four a week, he said. With foreign fighters increasingly being blocked from entering Iraq, Perkins said, al-Qaida has had to turn inward to do its recruiting. “They tend to go after more vulnerable aspects of society, and therefore, we have seen a dramatic rise in female suicide bombers,” he said. While security responsibility is being transferred to the Iraqis, some issues within the government need to be addressed, Perkins said. The Iraqi government has yet to pass a budget, but officials are working through political challenges to mend the issue. “When they initially put the budget forth, oil was $140 a barrel, and it’s now $40 a barrel,” Perkins said. “So that dramatic reduction in income obviously has a huge impact, since oil is 95 percent of their budget.” Even though the Iraqi government has yet to pass a budget, the officials have found a way to pay for the “Sons of Iraq” civilian security groups formerly financed by coalition funds, Perkins added. The Council of Ministers put together a fairly elaborate process of transferring money from one ministry to another and then writing checks in the cash-based Iraqi economy, the general said. “So while they were late in the payments, while they created some frustration out there, they have sort of gone to extraordinary financial and bureaucratic measures to uphold their responsibilities to the Sons of Iraq,” he added. Though they face many challenges, Perkins said, he believes the Iraqis are taking the necessary steps to become fully sustainable. “There are a number of challenges, but the Iraqis are working very hard to step up to the plate,” he said.

Good News - President praises troops during surprise Baghdad visit

by Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden

American Forces Press Service

President Barack Obama visits Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory, Iraq, April 7, 2009. This was Obama's first visit to Iraq as commander in chief and he took time to talk to troops and civilians. WASHINGTON (April 7, 2009) – In a surprise visit to Iraq Tuesday, President Barack Obama declared to troops in Baghdad that now is the time for Iraqis “to take responsibility for their country.” Obama’s stop to visit some 1,500 troops, government civilians and contractors at Camp Victory’s Al Faw Palace in Baghdad was his first to Iraq as president. Obama promptly thanked the troops for their service and personal sacrifice “under enormous strain … through controversy and difficulty and politics.” "You have performed brilliantly in every mission that has been given to you. You’ve kept your eyes focused on just doing your job,” Obama said. “You have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country.” The next 18 months will be critical for the Iraqis to make political accommodations and resolve their constitutional differences, he said. The United States is committed to Iraq’s success, and will continue to work with Iraq’s security forces and government to ensure Iraq remains stable. The U.S. military still remains an important aspect to Iraq’s stability, and Obama said he hopes Iraq will continue to be a “good neighbor and a good ally.” “We can’t do it for them,” he said. “But what we can do is make sure that we are a stalwart partner; that we are working alongside them.” Obama also stressed that although the spotlight has shifted to Afghanistan, it’s important not to lose focus in Iraq. He said military efforts in Iraq “have to be even more focused.” “Obviously we’ve spent a lot of time trying to get Afghanistan right,” he said. “But I think it’s important for us to remember that there’s still a lot of work to be done here.” In closing, the president assured the audience that "we have not forgotten what you have already done; we are grateful for what you will do; and as long as I'm in the White House, you're going to get the support you need and the thanks that you deserve from a grateful nation." In a press availability prior to speaking to the troops, Obama told reporters that the upcoming national elections may resurface unresolved political and religious issues. “It’s very important for [the United States] to use all of our influence to encourage parties to resolve these issues in ways that are equitable and fair,” he said. Following his visit with Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, and his troops, Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talibani. Comment:  President Obama is correct in praising the Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Guardsmen who have served in this noble cause.  President Bush was right!

Good News - New clinic provides care for six villages

by Heidi Davis

Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula

Dr. Ako, Halabja, director of health, talks with local media representatives at the opening of the Tovo Medical Clinic, Feb. 12, in the foothills of Kani Karweshkan. KURDISTAN — Named in honor of Brig. Gen. Kenneth Tovo’s service in Iraq, the Tovo Medical Clinic opened its doors in the Kani Karweshkan foothills here, Feb. 12. The facility will help significantly improve the region’s medical care and provide essential services throughout the Kurdish autonomous region, said a Coalition forces adviser. The clinic provides nearly 500 residents from six surrounding villages access to a medical facility and services with a staff of three full-time doctors.  The location of the clinic also increases the chances of survivability by providing people in a community, where vehicular transportation is scarce, access because of the clinic’s central location. Access results in more immediate care, so patients can be stabilized before they are moved to another medical facility, if more specialized care is necessary. “Most of the trauma cases we see are due to snake and scorpion bites to farmers working the fields,” said the regional tribal leader. “These patients can receive care immediately, lowering their chances of death.” Potential long-term projects include paving the clinic route to make it more accessible, drilling wells to provide water to the clinic, establishing nearby electrical lines for communication, and expanding clinic services. “The opening of this clinic is just one of several planned to promote local participation and demonstrate the government’s commitment to maintaining security while encouraging social and capital development,” said Col. Bill Buckner, spokesman for Multi-National Corps – Iraq.  “Projects like this one create short-term benefits and long-term potential consistent with the intended goals of the Iraqi and CF partnership. Short-term, the clinic makes medical care for potentially fatal illnesses and injuries more accessible.” A local representative reiterated that commitment, saying, “Give me a list of everything the staff needs, whether it is equipment, medications or supplies, and I will take care of it,” he told the head tribal leader. “Coalition forces helped build the clinic, but it is our job to sustain it.”

Good News - Baghdad fish market reopens, reviving ancient industry

by Maj. Dave Olson

MND-B PAO

Muzhir Ali Salman, General Cooperative Union chairman, presents a souvenir to Army Col. Ted Martin during the Saydiyah Fish Market's ribbon-cutting ceremony in southern Baghdad, Feb. 9. FOBFALCON, Iraq (Feb. 11, 2009) – For thousands of years, fishermen near Ma Baynaa al-Nahreen, or “the Land Between the Two Rivers,” sold their catch to others to sustain their existence. Today, the Saydiyah Fish Market stands as a classic example of where Iraqi fishermen sell their wares to their neighbors from across Iraq. Senior Multi-National Division - Baghdad leaders from the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 9 with their Iraqi security forces partners to mark the re-opening of the market, which fell to disrepair during the war. Muzhir Ali Salman, General Cooperative Union chairman, welcomed the attendees to the market’s compound along Cherry Street in southern Baghdad’s Saydiyah community. He thanked coalition forces for starting the project to rejuvenate the fish market and the commanders who worked on the project. “This is the main fish market in all of Iraq, not just Baghdad,” he added. The fishermen sell their fish wholesale to merchants from other Iraqi provinces as well as retail to the citizens of Baghdad. “We thank coalition forces for their contribution to this project,” Brig. Gen. Faiswl Malikmhsen al-Talall, commander of the 2nd National Police Division’s 5th Brigade, said. “I appreciate the readiness of the people and their ideas to embrace progress.” The fish market is important not only to Saydiyah, but also to the rest of the Iraqi capital, Sheik Abdulnazzaq, the Saydiyah Tribal Support Council chairman, said. The 1st Brigade Combat Team’s embedded provincial reconstruction team displayed a tremendous effort in using the co-ops in Baghdad and the neighborhood councils to come up with this fantastic opportunity, Army Col. Ted Martin, the brigade’s commander, said. “We are priming the pump to bring a better life back to the Cherry Street Market,” he said. “The only reason we can do a project like this is because of the increase in security in Saydiyah. It was a hot spot for insurgent activity, but now all the sects get along to live together peacefully.”

Courier Journal - Why I Stopped Subscribing

Several years ago when I was coaching high school sports I quit subscribing to the Courier Journal.  I would "steal" it off the Internet.

I quit subscribing because of their practice of putting advertisements for "Pornographic Industry Outlets" (e.g. "strip clubs) next to the results for high school sports!  When I tried to ask the Courier Journal about this practice, there was no one who would claim the responsibility for the decision and give me any rationale.  So, I quit subscribing and starting "stealing" it off the Internet.

I was at the fitness club last night and was sitting waiting for Lillian.  I picked up the Courier sports section for something to read.  I was interested in the U of L women's basketball team.  I read the first page of the sports section - two of the four articles were about the accomplishments of the U of L women's team.   The articles were continued on page four, so I turned to that page.

The fourth page was filled with articles about female athletes - three articles about the U of L women, and a fourth about another women's NCAA basketball regional.  Opposite, on page five was a large article about girls high school basketball.  On the right half of page five was the scoreboard that had reports on all sports including several high school spring sports.

What did I also find?  On the bottom of page four in the right hand column I found two full color advertisements for "Pornographic Industry Outlets" or "strip clubs."

Seeing these advertisements confirmed my decision of long ago not to subscribe to the Courier Journal.  I can handle the liberal slant of the Courier's news and editorial departments.  I understand these legal businesses have a right to advertise - I don't like it, but there are a lot of things I don't like.  Why must the Courier Journal place these advertisements where young people will see them?  What sort of mixed message is the Courier sending?

There are a lot of young ladies who are following the Lady Cards - with good reason.  Should these young ladies be presented with these images and messages when they are responding to some positive activities?

The Courier Journal has recently eliminated its Ombudsman position.  The Ombudsman is the person to whom one should direct any thoughts on this issue.  I sent an email to publisher@courier-journal.com .

I am not angry, I am just disappointed.

I coached many high school girls.  My daughter is an accomplished U of L athlete.  These ladies deserve better.

My son when he was in high school had to travel daily past a dozen or so of these businesses.  One of the congregations I serve is located between two such businesses.  I grieve for these women who are involved in this business and seek God's guidance on an appropriate way for the church to communicate the Good News to them.

Yours in Christ, John

Good News - Soldiers travel from Sudan to citizenship

by Staff Sgt. Tim Meyer

25th Inf. Div.

Army Spc. Magdi Ahmed, second from right, and Army Spc. Marlesh Mbory, far right, become naturalized U.S. citizens along with other members of the 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in a ceremony March 3 at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad. COB SPEICHER, Iraq (March 13, 2009) – The two Soldiers, one a Christian from the south, the other a Muslim from the north, have nothing against each other, despite the past which tore their homeland of Sudan apart in more than 20 years of civil war. Today, they are deployed together in Iraq with the U.S. Army, where they work with the same unit as interpreters. Despite Sudan’s violent past, the two men share a bright future. Both became naturalized U.S. citizens in a March 3 ceremony at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad. “I love my job, and I love my new country,” said Army Spc. Marlesh Mbory, with 25th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “I’m grateful to be American.” Now married with two children, Mbory moved to the United States in 2003 and settled in Lincoln, Nebraska, where thousands of former southern Sudanese citizens call home. However, his path there was far from easy. At the age of 18, Mbory’s stepbrother and uncle were killed in the second Sudanese civil war. He fled from Sudan to the Congo where he lived for several months, and then to the Central African Republic for five years before immigrating to the United States. Mbory learned the French, Swahili, Arabic, Nigala, Sango and Moro languages in Africa. Upon arrival in the United States, Mbory’s 8-year-old daughter, Lidia, helped him learn English in Nebraska. He hesitated joining the Army because he didn’t want to leave Grace, his then-pregnant wife, alone at home. She persuaded him to go, and Munyo, their son, was born while Mbory was in initial entry training. “I want to see the world peaceful in the future; that is my hope,” he said. Mbory’s father, four brothers and two sisters are still in Sudan; he is thinking of returning to visit them one day. After this deployment, he plans to work as a recruiter in Lincoln, to tell other Sudanese there of the positive advantages of joining the Army. Army Spc. Magdi Ahmed, assigned to the same unit, said he also has found a brighter future in the United States. “I moved to the U.S. for freedom, for better opportunities, for a better life,” he said. “Joining the Army gave me the opportunity to fix things that I saw with my eyes, but I couldn’t do anything about.” Ahmed’s parents were from Sudan, but he was born in Saudi Arabia. After working at a railway station for nearly 20 years, Ahmed’s father was forcibly retired by the government and replaced by an employee who received less pay. The family moved to Dongla, the capital of northern Sudan, where they lived for six years during the war. Although his parents were Sudanese, they were considered foreigners because they had lived in Saudi Arabia. “I didn’t feel like an equal in Saudi Arabia or in Sudan,” Ahmed said. Even though he had Sudanese citizenship and was a resident there, he had to pay more for college, according to Ahmed, because he was born in Saudi Arabia, a rich country. The college faculty intentionally gave him failing grades because he didn’t agree with the government, Ahmed said. In Sudan he suffered negative experiences — unfairness, discrimination and corruption — but views those experiences as positives now because they prepared him for moving to the United States. “The U.S. was the only place you could go for justice. I couldn’t get justice from my own country. The struggle I felt in Saudi Arabia and in Sudan made me feel like the U.S. would be a better place to live,” Ahmed said. Ahmed moved back to Saudi Arabia in 2005, and emigrated to the United States a year later. In Wisconsin, a friend of his uncle’s helped Ahmed start a new life. After a month, he had his own apartment and job. Ahmed’s parents, five brothers and sister live in Saudi Arabia, and his other relatives still live in Sudan, where his uncle died during the war. Southern Sudan will have the chance to vote for full independence in 2011, and Mbory adds, “God is watching.”

Good News - Afghan women celebrate culture, achievements

by Capt. Stacie N. Shafran

Panjshir PRT

Former judge Rahila addresses the crowd at the International Women’s Day celebration March 8 in Pajshir province’s Bazarak district. BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (March 12, 2009) – More than 100 Afghan women and girls celebrated their accomplishments and culture during an International Women’s Day celebration March 8 in the Bazarak district of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province. The event, organized by the Panjshir director of women’s affairs, featured a series of speakers who highlighted economic, political and social challenges, as well as accomplishments of the valley’s women. “Panjshir has very smart women,” Deputy Gov. Abdul Kabiri said. “They are working beside the men for the development of society. With education, we can have doctors and teachers. … Our society needs everything.” One of the most popular presenters, a former Afghan judge named Rahila, was recognized as “Panjshir’s Woman of the Year.”  Rahila spoke about the Afghan education system during her speech. “We tend to pay more attention to boys, valuing them more than the girls, who are often uneducated,” she said. “Women are half of the society. They can participate in whatever they want.” The judge acknowledged that during the majority of her 17-year career, men were displeased with her role. “Don’t be discouraged,” she said. “One day your daughters can be like me.” Air Force Tech. Sgt. Dawn Allison-Hess, intelligence noncommissioned officer for the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team and representative of the PRT’s women’s affairs section, shared a similarity between Afghan and American women.  “The reason I can stand before you as a woman serving in the U.S. military is because of the hard work, sacrifice and dedication of countless women who came before me,” said Allison-Hess, who’s deployed from Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. “I am grateful for their dedication, as I know your daughters and granddaughters will be grateful to you for selflessly striving to secure their futures.” Following the speeches, the women and girls feasted on a traditional Afghan lunch of pilau, a rice dish made with raisins and carrots.  “This was an opportunity of a lifetime to meet with the women who influence the lives of Panjshir,” said Air Force Maj. Valerie Trump, the PRT’s nurse practitioner, who is deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. “The female judge and the doctors impressed me the most because of their hearts and their powerful minds,” she said. “It was a proud day for me to be a part of their celebration. I believe the Panjshir women are the key to affecting change in their families and, ultimately, this will improve the quality of life here.”

Good News - Female Marines interact with Afghan women

by Lance Cpl. Monty Burton

Special Purpose MAGTF

Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Johanna Shaffer shares a cookie and a smile with an Afghan child while under the watchful security of Marines assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, during her all-female team's first mission in Farah province Feb. 10. FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan (March 10, 2009) – Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment — the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Afghanistan — now have a special group of people to help them complete their mission in Afghanistan. The task force’s all-female Marine team is interacting with the Afghan female population in southern Afghanistan — a task considered culturally unacceptable for the male Marines operating there. A similar program has been used in combat operations in Iraq, but this is the first time Marine forces in Afghanistan have employed the concept, officials said. Marine Capt. Mike Hoffman, commanding officer of 3/8’s Company I, said the all-female team is an important asset for his Marines. “[The team] provides us access to half of the population that we normally do not have access to,” Hoffman said. “They did extremely well interacting with the female villagers.” Marine 2nd Lt. Johanna Shaffer, the team leader, said their first mission, a cordon-and-search operation in support of Operation Pathfinder, was very successful. “We were accepted by both the men and women villagers and were able to obtain valuable information about the way they lived and what they thought about the Marine Corps operating in the area,” Shaffer said. During the mission, the female Marines donned brightly colored head and neck scarves as a sign of cultural respect to the Afghan women. “The scarves showed the Afghan women that we were women too, and we respect their culture,” Shaffer said. “They automatically felt more comfortable with us. They showed us their homes, and even though they didn’t have much, they were still very generous to us. They accepted us as sisters, and we’re glad that we were here to help them.” Although Afghan women tend to be more reserved than Afghan men, they still have a large influence on their children, Shaffer said, so engaging with them is important. “If the women know we are here to help them, they will likely pass that on to their children,” she said. “If the children have a positive perspective of alliance forces, they will be less likely to join insurgent groups or participate in insurgent activities.” Hoffman said the female Marines also were accepted by the village men. “They were not opposed by the villagers,” Hoffman said. “They had no problem allowing [the team] the chance to interact with their women.” The concept employed by her team varies greatly from the program in Iraq because of differences in Afghan culture, Shaffer said. “The cultural background here is completely different than that of Iraq,” Shaffer said. “Women here are more timid than in Iraq. There is less of a chance that an Afghan women would try to harm us, because they understand that we are here to help them. “We also do not know much about the daily life of Afghan women,” she continued. “This provides us not only the opportunity to learn about the women, but also to build and maintain faith and trust of the Afghan women.”

Ranking the Presidents

The Wall Street Journal recently published a survey of economists that gave a failing grade to President Barak Obama for his response to the economic decline we are experiencing.  Not to be outdone, I deceded to grade and rank the Presidents in my life time.  I used five categories:

• The President as a person

• The President as commander-in-chief and his military experience

• The President's performance on security issues

• The President's performance on economic issues

• The President's performance on social issues

Here are my rankings and the overall grades:

1. President Ronald Wilson Reagan (1981-1989) A - As president, Reagan implemented bold new  political and economic initiatives. His supply-side economic policies, dubbed "Reaganomics," included deregulation and substantial tax cuts implemented in 1981. In his first term he survived an assassination attempt, took a hard line against organized labor, and ordered military actions in Grenada. He was reelected in a landslide in 1984. His second term was primarily marked by foreign matters, namely the ending of the Cold War, the bombing of Libya, and the revelation of the Iran-Contra affair. The president had previously ordered a massive military buildup in an arms race with the Soviet Union, forgoing the strategy of détente. He publicly described the USSR as an "evil empire" and supported anti-Communist movements worldwide. He negotiated with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, resulting in the INF Treaty and the decrease of both countries' nuclear arsenals.
2. President George Herbert Walker Bush (1989-1993) B+ - Foreign policy drove the Bush   presidency; operations were conducted in Panama and the Persian Gulf at a time of world change; the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union dissolved two years later. Domestically, Bush reneged on a 1988 campaign promise and after a struggle with Congress, signed an increase in taxes that Congress had passed. In the wake of economic concerns, he lost the 1992 presidential election to Democrat Bill Clinton.

3. President Gerald Rudolf Ford, Jr. (1974-1977) B+ - As President, Ford signed the Helsinki Accords, marking a move toward détente in the Cold War. Compared with his predecessors, Ford's policies were less directed towards intervention in Vietnamese affairs. Domestically, Ford presided over the worst economy since the Great Depression, with growing inflation and a recession during his tenure. One of his more controversial decisions was granting a presidential pardon to President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal. During Ford’s incumbency, foreign policy was characterized in procedural terms by the increased role Congress began to play, and by the corresponding curb on the powers of the President.  In 1976, Ford narrowly defeated Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination, but ultimately lost the presidential election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

4. President George Walker Bush (2001-2009) B+ - Eight months into Bush's first term as   President, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks occurred, and Bush announced a global War on Terrorism, ordered an invasion of Afghanistan that same year and an invasion of Iraq in 2003. In addition to national security issues, President Bush promoted policies on the economy, health care, education and social security reform. He signed into law broad tax cuts, the No Child Left Behind Act and Medicare prescription drug benefits for seniors. His tenure saw a national debate on immigration and social security. Bush successfully ran for re-election against Democratic Senator John Kerry in 2004, garnering 50.7% of the popular vote to his opponent's 48.3%. After his re-election, Bush received increasingly heated criticism from some sources. In 2005, the Bush administration dealt with widespread criticism over its handling of Hurricane Katrina. In December 2007, the United States entered the second-longest post-World War II recession, and his administration took more direct control of the economy,enacting multiple economic stimulus packages. Though Bush was a popular president for much of his first term, his popularity declined toward the end of his second term to a near-record low.

5. Dwight David Eisenhower (1953-1961) B - As President, he oversaw the cease-fire of the Korean War, kept up the pressure on the Soviet Union during the Cold War, made nuclear weapons a higher defense priority, launched the Space Race, enlarged the Social Security program, and began the Interstate Highway System.

6. Richard Milhous Nixon (1969-1974) B- - The most immediate task facing President Nixon was the Vietnam War. He initially escalated the conflict, overseeing secret bombing campaigns, but soon withdrew American troops and successfully negotiated a ceasefire with North Vietnam, effectively ending American involvement in the war. His foreign policy was largely successful; he opened relations with the People's Republic of China and initiated détente with the Soviet Union. Domestically, he implemented new economic policies which called for wage and price control and the abolition of the gold standard. He was reelected by a landslide in 1972. In his second term, the nation was afflicted with economic difficulties. In the face of likely impeachment for his role in the Watergate scandal, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. His successor, Gerald Ford, issued a pardon for any federal crimes Nixon may have committed while in office.  In his retirement, Nixon became a prolific author and undertook many foreign trips. Though far from universally popular, he gained respect as an elder statesman.

7. John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1961-1963) C+ - Kennedy defeated then Vice President and Republican candidate Richard Nixon in the 1960 U.S. presidential election, one of the closest in American history. To date, he is the only Catholic to be president. He was the second-youngest President (after Theodore Roosevelt), and the youngest elected to the office, at the age of 43.  Kennedy is also the only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize. Events during his administration include the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, the Civil Rights Movement and early events of the Vietnam War.

8. Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969) C - Johnson, a Democrat, succeeded to the presidency  following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, completed Kennedy's term and was elected President in his own right in a landslide victory in the 1964 Presidential election. Johnson was a major leader of the Democratic Party and as President was responsible for designing the "Great Society" legislation that included civil rights laws, Medicare (government-funded health care for the elderly), Medicaid (government-funded health care for the poor), aid to education, and the "War on Poverty." Simultaneously, he escalated the American involvement in the Vietnam War from 16,000 American soldiers in 1963 to 500,000 in early 1968.  Johnson's popularity as President steadily declined after the 1966 Congressional elections, and his reelection bid in the 1968 United States presidential election collapsed as a result of turmoil within the Democratic party related to opposition to the Vietnam War. He withdrew from the race to concentrate on peacemaking. Johnson was renowned for his domineering personality and the "Johnson treatment," his arm-twisting of powerful politicians.

9. James Earl Carter, Jr. (1977-1981) C- - As president, Carter created two new cabinet-level departments: the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. He established a national energy policy that included conservation, price control, and new technology. In foreign affairs, Carter pursued the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties and the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II). Carter sought to put a stronger emphasis on human rights; he negotiated a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in 1979. His return of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama was seen as a major concession of U.S. influence in Latin America, and Carter came under heavy criticism for it. The final year of his presidential tenure was marked by several major crises, including the 1979 takeover of the American embassy in Iran and holding of hostages by Iranian students, a failed rescue attempt of the hostages, serious fuel shortages, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. By 1980, Carter's disapproval ratings were significantly higher than his approval. Carter lost the election to Republican Ronald Reagan.

10. William Jefferson Clinton (1993-2001) D - Clinton was described as a New Democrat and was largely known for the Third Way philosophy of governance that came to epitomize his two terms as president. His policies, on issues such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and welfare reform, have been described as "centrist." Clinton presided over the longest period of peace-time economic expansion in American history, which included a balanced budget and a reported federal surplus. Based on Congressional accounting rules, at the end of his presidency Clinton reported a surplus of $559 billion. On the heels of a failed attempt at health care reform with a Democratic Congress, Republicans won control of the House of Representatives for the first time in forty years. Two years later, he was re-elected and became the first member of the Democratic Party since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second term as president. Later he was impeached for obstruction of justice, but was subsequently acquitted by the U.S. Senate.

I have not included President Barak Hussein Obama in my rankings.  It would not be fair.  His interim grade is C - and falling.

Good News - Gifted girls enjoy new school

by Sgt. Rodney Foliente

4th Infantry Division

Students at the Irshad Secondary School for Girls wave flags and display flowers as they sing and chant during the opening ceremony of the school, Feb. 26. The school enrolls the top 20th percentile of girls aged 13-15 from Diwaniya and surrounding areas. CAMP ECHO, Iraq (March 9, 2009) — Some of Diwaniya’s brightest female students happily participated in their new school’s opening, Feb. 26. The Irshad Secondary School for Girls, which enrolls some of the brightest teen girls in the city, was built by the Army Corps of Engineers working with the local government, contractors and laborers. “With my partners, the Iraqi engineers, and with diligent effort, we were able to provide for you this beautiful school,” said Lt. Col. Dwight Davies, with the Corps of Engineers. “It is a great joy and privilege to provide an opportunity for such gifted young ladies to learn and evolve and support the future of Iraq.” The students of this school are among the top 20 percent of young female students from within and around the city.“We are happy for this school. It is very nice,” said a young student in English.She then showed off and said it in French and Arabic. “Our old school was too small and not ours. We borrowed it, shared it with others,” she said, describing the crowded situations and sometimes being unable to have a full day of school. The size of the school provides a better environment for teaching these girls, said Shuhad, an English-speaking teacher.“I have girls of my own,” she said, explaining why she wanted to teach young girls. Shuhad said she enjoys teaching and is happy for the new school. “I can participate in helping small girls in building their personalities and to be good people and good members of society to build the future of Iraq,” said Shuhad. “I have three kids, so for me it’s pretty inspiring and pleasant to see [students] with so much energy and enthusiasm. I was so impressed,” said Mike Klecheski, Provincial Reconstruction Team leader for Diwaniya province. “This country is making a lot of progress and to the extent that we can be partners in this progress is wonderful,” said Klecheski.He stressed the importance of the partnership with the Government of Iraq. “We work very closely with them,” he said. “Construction of a school like this is really a partnership, in every sense of the word.”He said efforts such as the opening of the school help strengthen the bond between the two countries and develops a greater working relationship to benefit the sovereignty of Iraq. “Not only are we dealing with Iraqis, but we’re dealing with the future generation of leaders and elites,” said Klecheski. “It was a great day and a lot of fun.” Klecheski continued. “It’s days like this that really make this a fantastic job because you really feel like you’re directly contributing. This is a culmination of a lot of work and it’s nice to be able to celebrate that. We are so happy that Iraq is making such great progress.”

Good News - Violence in Iraq at lowest level in six years

WASHINGTON (Feb. 23, 2009) – Violent attacks in Iraq are at their lowest levels since August 2003, a U.S. commander in Iraq said Sunday. Army Maj. Gen. David Perkins, director for strategic effects with Multi-National Force - Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad the downtick in violence marks a 90-percent decrease since the surge of U.S. troops began in 2007.  Perkins added that on Feb. 20, no Iraqi civilians were killed or even targeted in attacks.  “This is a very significant event, and we are seeing more and more days like that throughout Iraq,” he said.

Contributing to the improved security are the growing Iraqi security forces, which have increased the size of their ranks from 463,000 last year to 618,000 now – a 25-percent boost.  “It's not only an increase in the size and numbers, but the capability such as planning, orchestrating these very complicated operations, and then leading throughout the country of Iraq,” Perkins said.

He added that Iraqi forces led and planned security for the countrywide provincial elections last month, in which some 7 million Iraqis participated in balloting that featured 14,000 registered candidates.  “On election day this year, there were no attacks which resulted in any disruption to any of the voting that went on,” Perkins said. “This is in comparison to the last national election period in 2005, where we had hundreds of attacks on election day, with 44 deaths.”

Election results are being widely accepted by victors and vanquished alike, he said.  “If you take a look at emerging democracies, historically, it is generally the second election that is sometimes more difficult than the first election,” the general said. “By the time the second election comes, those who may have to lose power or give up power are not necessarily as excited about doing that.

“But the fact that we've had this second election and a very large number of people participating, both as candidates and as voters,” he continued, “shows the enthusiasm that Iraqis have for the democratic process here in Iraq.”

The downturn in violence comes as U.S. forces begin transferring a greater share of power to Iraqi forces in keeping with the status-of-forces agreement that became effective Jan. 1. The agreement between Washington and Baghdad stipulates that American combat forces pull back from cities and villages to major bases by June 30.  “There is no doubt that we will be out of the cities by June, and we are working this day by day,” Perkins said. “And you can see many of these facilities we have already transferred, as well as the upcoming ones, are part of this plan to move out of the cities.”

Good News - New clinic provides care for six villages

KURDISTAN — Named in honor of Brig. Gen. Kenneth Tovo’s service in Iraq, the Tovo Medical Clinic opened its doors in the Kani Karweshkan foothills here, Feb. 12. The facility will help significantly improve the region’s medical care and provide essential services throughout the Kurdish autonomous region, said a Coalition forces adviser.  The clinic provides nearly 500 residents from six surrounding villages access to a medical facility and services with a staff of three full-time doctors. The location of the clinic also increases the chances of survivability by providing people in a community, where vehicular transportation is scarce, access because of the clinic’s central location. Access results in more immediate care, so patients can be stabilized before they are moved to another medical facility, if more specialized care is necessary.  “Most of the trauma cases we see are due to snake and scorpion bites to farmers working the fields,” said the regional tribal leader. “These patients can receive care immediately, lowering their chances of death.”

Potential long-term projects include paving the clinic route to make it more accessible, drilling wells to provide water to the clinic, establishing nearby electrical lines for communication, and expanding clinic services. “The opening of this clinic is just one of several planned to promote local participation and demonstrate the government’s commitment to maintaining security while encouraging social and capital development,” said Col. Bill Buckner, spokesman for Multi-National Corps – Iraq.  “Projects like this one create short-term benefits and long-term potential consistent with the intended goals of the Iraqi and CF partnership. Short-term, the clinic makes medical care for potentially fatal illnesses and injuries more accessible.”

A local representative reiterated that commitment, saying, “Give me a list of everything the staff needs, whether it is equipment, medications or supplies, and I will take care of it,” he told the head tribal leader. “Coalition forces helped build the clinic, but it is our job to sustain it.”

Good News - Internship injects the right prescription for Afghans

Related Video

Kabul, Afghanistan - Opportunities for better health care continue to grow for Afghans with the assistance of the United States, Republic of Korea and Egyptian medical personnel through the International Medical Mentorship Training and Internship Program.  The Alliance nations strive to enhance the Afghan Ministry of Public Health's goals of establishing their own health care system and have developed two programs to aid Afghanistan in seeing a dream become reality.  "The goal is to give students an opportunity to see all the factors that it takes to manage an effective hospital," added Army Maj. Maureen Nolen, coordinator for a two-week Medical Mentorship Program. "We work with and build on the education and training in the various ANA and ANP facilities."

While initially, the two-week class was targeted specifically to the Afghan National Army to provide them with the skills needed to manage a medical facility, now it has grown to include the Afghan National Police, National Development Strategy health care providers and civilian doctors from district hospitals.  In July 2007, the program hit the ground running with a two-week residency course.  Then, a little over a year later, the program expanded by adding a three month course when they realized there was a need to include more civilian health care providers.  The three-month instruction was created for Afghan civilian doctors and experienced health care personnel.  The curriculum requires students to attend the course twice a week for three months. During this time, they participate in lectures at Craig Joint Military Hospital at Bagram and then are given opportunities to implement their training by treating local nationals at the Korean and Egyptian hospitals on base.

Egyptian Col. H.E. Salem, who also serves as a pediatrician, works diligently with the interns to ensure their level of care also targets the young people within the community.  "We are enthusiastic about working with the Afghan doctors," said Salem, the chief physician at the Egyptian hospital.

At the Korean hospital, the interns are introduced to evidence-based medicine and how to properly treat communicative and non-communicative diseases in addition to common illnesses.  "We expect through this program that the interns will become aware of their public health care programs," said Dr. Seup Park, the medical director at the Korean hospital. 

So far, the internship program has trained and graduated more than 100 Afghan practitioners, including three females. Air Force Lt. Col. Montserrat Edie-Korleski, who oversees a three month program, was quick to point out the importance of female graduates and how their success makes an impact on the program and within the local community.  "We're planting the seed that gender shouldn't be an issue when it comes to being a health care provider," Nolen added.  "Women are a key element in the health of the nation," Edie-Korleski said. "We would like to see more female recruits."

As the program continues to grow, one constant remains for this group of professionals working to improve the medical care in this country:  teamwork.  "It's a great working relationship," Edie-Korleski said.  "The Koreans have a fabulous system already developed and working for them. The Egyptians have a great doctor staff who are also very capable. We learn from them, and they learn from us."

Word continues to spread about the success of the program, and classes are filled through 2009. Local nationals are encouraged to contact their Ministry of Public Health and Provincial Reconstruction Teams to enroll and receive more information about the internships.  Someone, somewhere always wants to hear about our program," Edie-Korleski added.  "Health care providers from all over BAF are expressing interest in lecturing and training."

A plan is in place for the internships to include more options in the near future.  By the end of March, Afghan practitioners from Kabul are scheduled to begin a new veterinary program offered at Craig Joint Military Hospital. The continuing interest and commitment of the Afghans have been a huge boost to the ongoing success of their mission, said Edie-Korleski.  "The purpose of the program is to train Afghan health care providers in the health care arena, so they can take what they learn and develop their own health care system," she said. "It's been amazing the positive responses we've gotten."

Moral Side of the News (Feb. 22, 2009) - Kentucky bill would ban unmarried couples from adoption

Homosexual advocacy groups are mobilizing to fight a bill that would ban unmarried couples from becoming foster parents or adopting children in Kentucky.  Senate Bill 68, which is nearly identical to a law Arkansas voters approved in November, would ban anyone "cohabitating with a sexual partner outside of marriage" from becoming a foster or adoptive parent.  That would include relatives of children removed from homes because of abuse or neglect.  "It would be an irresponsible bill because of the potential foster and adoptive parents it categorically eliminates," said Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign, a Louisville gay-rights group that opposes the measure.  But the Family Foundation of Kentucky supports the bill, said David Edmunds, a policy analyst for the group.  "It just seems to make sense," said Edmunds, adding that the group believes that children should be raised in homes of married couples.  If the bill passes, Kentucky would become the seventh state to ban unmarried couples from being foster or adoptive parents.  What do you think of this proposal? Is this discrimination as the Fairness campaign believes, or is it important that these children be raised by married couples?

Well done, Kentucky legislature - so far that is.

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.  What is the main thing in this case?  The main thing is the welfare of the children being adopted.

Public policy should not be established based on anecdotes or feelings about a particular individual situation.  In this case, public policy should be based on sound research that produces the best situations possible for the children.

Let us look at some statistics. We all should agree that placing children in homes with a couple that has made a "permanent" commitment to one another is preferable than placing children in a temporary situation.  Research has shown that over 80% of couples who live together without marriage will not stay together.  Couples who live together before marriage are 50% more likely to get divorced after marriage.  When couples live together and then get married, only 12% have marriages that last more than 10 years.  Marriage is a high predictor of a life-long committed relationship and a positive situation for an adopted children.

Girls who are in homes where the adults are not marred are 3 times more likely to become pregnant as teens.  Children who are in homes where the adults are not married are 3 times more likely to be expelled from school, 5 times more likely to live in poverty, ten times more likely to be abused, and 22 times more likely to be incarcerated.

63% of youth suicides are in homes without fathers.  71% of the high school drop outs are from fatherless homes.  85% of youth in prison are from fatherless homes.

THE BEST SITUATION FOR ADOPTED CHILDREN IS IN A HOME WHERE THE PARENTS ARE MARRIED.

Homosexual advocacy groups seem unable to put aside their own agenda and thing of the welfare of children.  Their opposition to this bill in the Kentucky legislature can only be described as transparently self-focused.

The main thing in this case is the welfare of the children - not same sex marriage.  Advocates of same sex marriage need to take their argument into another area.

Good News - Agribusiness teams plant seeds for economic growth in Afghanistan

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. (Feb. 12, 2009) – Civilian experts in economic growth who serve in the National Guard now can bring their select skills from America's heartland to the front lines. National Guardsmen from seven states have volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan as specialized units with the singular purpose of jump-starting the country’s agricultural economy. The units, called agribusiness development teams, are a new breed of Army operations. Rather than focusing on combating terrorism with weapons, they focus on rebuilding Afghan trust in both their economy and in their government through agriculture, the country’s chief industry. Army Maj. Shawn Gardner, operations and training officer for Indiana’s 1-19th Agribusiness Development Team, stressed the importance of agriculture when it comes to successful operations in Afghanistan. “Agriculture sustains about 60 to 70 percent of the population of the country, so we won’t have true security until the economic state is better repaired,” Gardner said. “We’ll start at the grassroots level, helping them maintain their agricultural baselines, and grow from there.”

While the mission may sound simple, the concept of soldiers putting down weapons to pick up a plow is much deeper. “The tactical mission is to help the local farmers learn to establish some farming techniques that have been lost through several generations of war, and with that, the strategic mission is to help them have a better understanding and appreciation of their provincial government,” Gardner said.

To stimulate the Afghan economy through agricultural initiatives, the teams will have to start at the provincial level, Gardner said. The mission of the Indiana National Guard’s 1-19th ADT focuses on Khowst province, historically an agricultural hub for fruit and nuts prior to the Soviet invasion in 1979. Coupled with years of civil war and tribal fighting, the current state of agriculture exists only through one- to two-acre subsistence farms. Kevin McNamara, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, said the farms, offering barely enough for local communities to get by, are a stark contrast to what Americans consider farming to be. “Afghan agriculture is completely different from Indiana, but the strong agricultural backgrounds of the individuals deploying is significant,” McNamara said. “This mission speaks highly of [the soldiers who] volunteer to improve the lives of those in dire straits. Without this mission, we wouldn’t be able to stabilize Afghanistan.”

McNamara, a former Peace Corps member who has been to Afghanistan many times to assist in agricultural education, has been working with the 1-19th to provide training on some of the team’s short- and long-term goals. “Agriculture is the industry there,” he said. “There isn’t much else. Most people are poor there, so this agribusiness team approach will have a definite impact on improving and stabilizing their incomes.”

The training was an outgrowth of a June meeting McNamara had with 1-19th ADT leaders. “They were certainly excited about the opportunity of the deployment, but realized the challenges it presented,” he said. “After speaking about challenges they would face, both cultural and technological, we developed training based on baseline information of current agriculture statistics in Afghanistan.”

The statistics centered the training on small-enterprise farming and addressed soil fertility, wheat production, fruit production, forestry, animal husbandry and horticulture. The knowledge provided by Purdue’s Department of International Agriculture focused on facets that McNamara said will have a direct impact on increasing not only production, but also the incomes of local farmers. “We’re hitting the issue of farming income, which is exciting,” McNamara said. “That means more wheat to eat and more milk to drink. The more we increase their production, the more we increase their wealth and pull them from poverty.”

The training also focused on Afghanistan’s arid environment, which limits rainfall to mere inches per year. “We had a session on pest management, where we looked to see how weeds and diseases are affecting crops, and we discussed what pests or diseases to look for and how to treat them,” McNamara said. “Irrigation is also very important, but hard to work with, since the people don’t have the education or financing to afford it. Our training gave a thorough overview on irrigation techniques that are relevant.”

Purdue will continue to provide expert oversight during the deployment, McNamara said. “We will have video teleconferencing capabilities and a reach-back system where we will have a full-time desk position that can provide answers in a quick fashion,” he said.

Army Col. Brian Copes, 1-19th ADT commander, said the deployment will feature many initiatives designed both to educate Afghan farmers and to sustain the instruction his team will provide. In addition to joining forces with other U.S. departments such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, the team also will conduct agriculture education and information operations through print and broadcast media. Using a phrase he borrowed from Purdue, Copes calls the focus of the agriculture missions “post-production, post-harvest, value-added processing.”

“It’s a big, sexy term, but once you understand how to turn grapes to raisins, it becomes clear,” he said. Copes related the phrase to teaching Afghan farmers how to trellis grapes, which are currently grown on the ground on most farms. Upon showing farmers how to increase grape production, the 1-19th soldiers then can show them how to streamline their storage capabilities, thus increasing the production of raisins.

Copes said he also plans to use programs from American youth education groups, such as 4-H and Future Farmers of America, to reach out to the Afghan’s next generations of agriculturalists. The soldiers also will use high school agriculture courses taught by one of the team’s leaders, who teaches the same curriculum at Emmerich Manual High School in Indianapolis. “We’ve got a curriculum already, but we need to begin adapting it to their cultural needs,” Copes said.

According to the World Fact Book, nearly one in three Afghans can’t read, so Copes said the team also has made plans for radio public service announcements on food safety and nutrition. The ADT will work with Khowst University, one of Afghanistan’s 15 universities. Copes said he and his deputy commander, Army Col. Cindra Chastain, met with the university’s chancellor and vice chancellor last year. “We had an early dialogue, and they warmly embraced the idea of a partnership with us. Our plans are to further develop three large greenhouses that have not been put into use there. We hope to figure out how to use them as a research facility. We will also utilize [about 200 acres] of university property to establish a demonstration farm.”

Many challenges, most of them cultural, will be waiting for the team upon arrival, McNamara said. “We’ve armed these soldiers with a good understanding on how to improve the situation there,” he said. “But it won’t be easy, and it won’t be quick. There’s a lot of potential, but this will probably be the hardest jobs these folks have ever had.

“The Afghan people will be reluctant to adopt changes they can’t understand, because it puts family at risk,” he continued. “There aren’t banks or institutions that can support them. Understanding the production systems there and improving them will be their biggest challenge.”

The mission’s focus isn’t on immediate gratification, Copes said. “The reality is, I’m only going to be there for 10 months, but we don’t know how long the U.S. will be there,” he said. “We are planning for up to five rotations through Indiana, but that’s up to the current administration. The knowledge and expertise we leave behind will be there long after our money and tractors go away.”

Good News - Baghdad fish market reopens, reviving ancient industry

FOB FALCON, Iraq (Feb. 11, 2009) – For thousands of years, fishermen near Ma Baynaa al-Nahreen, or “the Land Between the Two Rivers,” sold their catch to others to sustain their existence. Today, the Saydiyah Fish Market stands as a classic example of where Iraqi fishermen sell their wares to their neighbors from across Iraq. Senior Multi-National Division - Baghdad leaders from the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 9 with their Iraqi security forces partners to mark the re-opening of the market, which fell to disrepair during the war. Muzhir Ali Salman, General Cooperative Union chairman, welcomed the attendees to the market’s compound along Cherry Street in southern Baghdad’s Saydiyah community. He thanked coalition forces for starting the project to rejuvenate the fish market and the commanders who worked on the project. “This is the main fish market in all of Iraq, not just Baghdad,” he added.

The fishermen sell their fish wholesale to merchants from other Iraqi provinces as well as retail to the citizens of Baghdad. “We thank coalition forces for their contribution to this project,” Brig. Gen. Faiswl Malikmhsen al-Talall, commander of the 2nd National Police Division’s 5th Brigade, said. “I appreciate the readiness of the people and their ideas to embrace progress.”

The fish market is important not only to Saydiyah, but also to the rest of the Iraqi capital, Sheik Abdulnazzaq, the Saydiyah Tribal Support Council chairman, said.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team’s embedded provincial reconstruction team displayed a tremendous effort in using the co-ops in Baghdad and the neighborhood councils to come up with this fantastic opportunity, Army Col. Ted Martin, the brigade’s commander, said. “We are priming the pump to bring a better life back to the Cherry Street Market,” he said. “The only reason we can do a project like this is because of the increase in security in Saydiyah. It was a hot spot for insurgent activity, but now all the sects get along to live together peacefully.”

Good News - Leaders congratulate Iraqi people after safe elections

WASHINGTON (Feb. 1, 2009 – Senior military officials congratulated the Iraqi people for holding provincial elections yesterday, praising the Iraqi and U.S. forces that helped make the elections safe. More than 14,400 candidates competed for 440 seats in 14 of 18 Iraqi provinces. Though five candidates were reported killed in the campaign leading up to the polls, there were no reports of deaths or major violence on the day of the elections. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, issued a statement yesterday in which he applauded the work of everyone involved in the effort to have a successful election. “Congratulations to the Iraqi Government, the Iraqi Security Forces, the Iraqi people, the United Nations, the international observers, and Coalition elements for their concerted efforts in making today’s provincial elections an event of which all Iraqis should be proud and an effort the world should applaud,” Petraeus said.

The “elections are a cause for celebration as we salute the millions of Iraqi citizens who took to the streets to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination, said Petraeus, who commanded Multinational Force Iraq before assuming his current position.

“As we honor the courage and resolve of the Iraqi people who walked miles to a polling station and braved long lines and security concerns, I know that I can speak for all those who have been privileged to work with our Iraqi partners in the ‘Land of the Two Rivers’ in saying to the people of Iraq: ‘Mabruk,’” Petraeus said, using the Iraqi word for congratulations.

Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, current Multinational Force Iraq commander, also congratulated the Iraqis in a joint statement he issued with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. “The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the Multi-National Force – Iraq congratulate the Iraqi people on holding provincial elections today,” Odierno and Crocker said. “Voter turnout was large. Iraqi security forces successfully protected millions of Iraqis and enabled them to express their opinions freely in fourteen of Iraq’s governorates.”

Odierno and Crocker lauded the Iraqi government for their handling of the elections. “We congratulate the Iraqi authorities, their security forces and the Iraqi election commission for their careful preparation and administration of these elections,” Odierno and Crocker said.

The general and the ambassador also recognized the historic nature of this election. “These elections mark a significant milestone for the people of Iraq, and are a major step forward in Iraq’s democratic development,” they said.

 

Two Iraqi Police officers display purple-stained fingers, signifying that they participated in Saturday's provincial elections.

My Opinion: Economic Stimulus, Yes; Liberal Agenda Stimulus, No.

I understand that the Liberals won the election and earned the responsibility of governing and the right to set policies.  Let us not, however, camouflage as economic stimulus the enormous spending package that is designed to grown the role of the Government in the lives of us all and to steer government spending toward the Liberal social agenda.

Much of the Democrat's stimulus package expands the State and shrinks the economy in the long run.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt encountered the same problem in 1937 as he attempted to dismantle the expansion of government's share of the national economy.  As he tried to curtail the massive government spending, the economy went into a second depression because the expanded government programs did not rejuvenate the private sector.

The Great Depression was 'great" because of the number of years it lasted, not because it was the worst.  The worst economic depression in the United States was in 1893.

Anyway, here is what I recommend to stimulate the economy, grow private sector business, and limit and even draw down the expansion of the government;

• A $10,000 tax deduction for persons buying an automobile, motorcycle, or truck in 2009.  I would be open to targeting vehicles that are "made in the United States" though that is something that is difficult to track in this global economy.  I would even be open to some sort of graduated tax deduction based on fuel emissions to give the Liberals a win.

• A $20,000 (or 10% of the purchase price, whichever is less) tax deduction for persons buying a residence in 2009.  This would increase activity in the housing markets where this particular economic downturn began.

• Lowering corporate taxes to 10%.  This would encourage new business starts and expansion of businesses into the United States, thereby increasing job opportunities.

• A block grant to states based on their population.  The stipulations would be that the grant would not be directed by the federal government, and the states would have to spend it by the end of 2009.

• A package of individual tax decreases that would be permanent.  This package would include lowering the bottom two tax brackets to 5% and 10% (this would result in a decrease of taxes for all taxpayers); elimination of the tax on capital gains to stimulate investment; and the elimination of the tax on savings dividend interest to stimulate savings and investments.

• An immediate opening of coastal and Alaskan oil fields.  This would have an immediate and long-term effect on fuel costs and further stimulate the economy.

Will it happen?  No, but it is a nice dream.

My Opinion: Your Tax Dollars and Abortion

The world has just become a more dangerous place for unborn children.

At a time when our government is spending billions of dollars on the US economy, one of President Obama's first official acts was to reinstate the use of almost 1/2 billion dollars per year in spending through the US Agency for International Development for international agencies that provide pro-abortion counseling and abortion services.  President Obama rescended this funding ban by executive order late on Friday, January 23, 2009.  Some suggest that the timing was meant to avoid the "news cycle."

This ban on the US government funding international abortion clinics and counseling centers is called the "Mexico City Policy."   It was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and continued by President George H.W. Bush.  President Bill Clinton rescinded the ban.  The first official act by President George W. Bush in 2001 was to re-establish the ban.

The rescension of the ban by President Barak Obama is a glaring contrast to his campaign promise to work to reduce the number of abortions.

This action was quickly followed by a statement by the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, in an interview on January 25, 2009.  In this interview Speaker Pelosi made the arguement that hundreds of millions of dollars set aside for the expansion of family planning services in her proposed economic stimulus package would indeed stimulate the economy.

"Family planning" is an Orwellian euphemism used by the Left that means pro-abortion counseling and abortion services.  Ms. Pelosi was visibly uncomfortable, yet persistent in connecting abortion with the ecomomic stimulus.  "Well, the family planning services reduce cost," she said.  "The reduce cost.  The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs.  One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraceptioni, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government."  [Translation:  Fewer children is better for the State.]

For a President who says he wants fewer abortions, he and his party are going in the wrong direction - and they are taking your money with them.

I oppose abortion.  I want to be on the side of protecting the innocent and helpless.  Who is more innocent and helpless than an unborn child.  The Biblical passages (not proof texts) that inform me are Exodus 21.22-25; Deuteronomy 10.18; Deuteronomy 24.17; Deuteronomy 27.19; Psalm 10.14, 18; Psalm 41.1; Psalm 68.5; Pslam 82.3-4; Isaiah 1.17; Isaiah 1.23; Isaiah 10.2; Jeremiah 5.28; Jeremiah 22.3; Ezekiel 22.7; Zechariah 7.10; and Malichi 3.5.

These passages were only those which I could locate quickly.  I do not offer them as proof-texts, but as a foundation for my opinion.  If I err, I do so on the side of life.  President Obama, a constitutional law professor, says that he is unable (it is above his paygrade) to determine when an unborn child has rights, yet he is willing to err on the side of denying the right of life to these children.

A quick look at statistics tells me that there is not a greater need to make abortions available.  Both the AGI (Planned Parenthood) and CDC (federal government) agree that since 1973 (Roe v. Wade) we have averaged one million abortions per year in the United States.  That is more than 45 million since 1973.

Also, over the years the percentage of abortions by white women has declined steadily while the percentage of abortions by black women and by other women of other ethnic groups have increased.  In 2000 "white" abortions were 60% of the total and "black" abortions were 35% of the total.  "Black" abortions are about 2 1/2 times more than the percentage of blacks in the population.  Could this not be characterized as racist?

Let me offer some thoughts.

1. I am pro-choice.  For me, however, the choice come before conception rather than after.  If someone does not want to conceive a child, then they should not have sex.
2. I find the current "pro-choice" argument to be sexist.  It only gives choice to the mother.  Should not the father have a choice?  Should we not at least allow the father the choice not to support the child?  To me extending choice like in this way is immoral, but so is the choice to abort.  Many pro-choice people say that abortion is wrong (a moral judgement) but they support choice anyway.  I am told that I should not try to legislate my morality, so let us not make a moral judgement about the father's choice.  (This argument is made tongue-in-cheek to make a point.)

3. Many make the arguement against capital punishment that there may result an irreversable mistake with capital punishment.  Is this not the case with abortion?  There is no evidence of any wrongful executions, but how many wrongful abortions are there?  How many mistakes are made with abortions?  How many potential leaders or discoveries are aborted every year?  If we don't know, then let us err on the side of caution.

4. One of the means for eliminating smoking is to tax it.  If we agree that abortion is something that needs to be eliminated, then let us tax it.

The Left is on the move.  Let us keep vigilant.

Yours in Christ, John

Good News - Team improves future prospects for Afghan village

KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 21, 2009) – Members of the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province visited Zirat village this month to assess the effectiveness of completed projects and to develop ideas for future initiatives. Until February of last year, the main income for the villagers was earned by harvesting poppy. Since the eradication of poppy production, the villagers have turned to other methods to provide for their families. To assist in the effort, the PRT built a canal that feeds into the farmlands, allowing villagers to maximize farm production. “With the canal, they are able to spread the water and grow wheat in the winter and corn in the summer, as well as saplings, fruit trees and nut trees that we planted for them,” Army Master Sgt. Ryan Bodmer, PRT noncommissioned officer in charge, said.

Some villagers expressed an interest in sources of income other than farming. Kathrin Lauer, representative for the U.S. Agency for International Development assigned to the PRT, met with a group of women seeking ideas for potential jobs. “What they told me was with the eradication of the poppy, they simply do not have enough money,” Lauer, a Washington Terrace, Utah, native, said.

Lauer suggested the possibility of making money by learning an intricate Afghan embroidery technique used by women in Kabul and Jalalabad. “An Afghan American, living in New York and working in the fashion industry, saw that the embroidery the Afghan women do is so unique that it sells well in the United States,” Lauer said.

The road to improving quality of life in the province involves building from the ground up, Army Lt. Col. Lawrence Pickett, PRT senior civil affairs officer, said. “The focus here in Nuristan is construction,” Pickett, a Macomb, Ill., native, said. “There have been no schools or road networks built [here] in the last 30 years, so the PRTs are constructing new roads, schools and medical facilities that have never been in this province.”

PRT members said they hope to build a better future for the province’s people, once step at a time. “We put in a tremendous amount of work in a day,” Bodmer said. “We work from sunup to sundown and beyond. I know each and every one of us here is going to work hard toward handing over a better, safer and more stable Nuristan to the next PRT.”

"The Moral Side of the News" (January 25, 2009) - President Obama Takes Office

Barack Obama became the nation’s 44^th president this week and the first African American to hold the office.  President Obama took on what he called the "glorious burden" of American democracy Tuesday, proclaiming it a national day of renewal and reconciliation in his first official act after taking the oath of office.  As you watched the inauguration ceremony, what were you thinking? What does Obama’s election mean to you? If you could have a few private minutes with Obama, what would you say to him?

As I watched the inauguration I could not help but be proud of our nation.  The peaceful transfer of power between political adversaries is always impressive to me.  I appreciated President Obama's recognition of the dignity and grace of President Bush during the turn-over.  The Bush administration gave much better than they received from the outgoing administration of President Clinton.

It is shameful that the Left has demonized President Bush.  The news and entertainment media has contributed (even caused) much of the lack of respect for our country for which they blame President Bush.  I hope now that there is a new President in office of which the cultural elites approve, that we can finally recognize the looming victory in Iraq and the progress being made in the war against Middle Eastern Fascism.

I was struck also by the significance of the election to the Presidency of the United States of a man whose father was African.  In what European country has that happened?  The answer is, "None."  Those who point to "enlightened" Europe as a culture that we should emulate need to take note.

I am also struck that as many of the developed and functioning democracies are moving politically toward conservative values (Germany, Italy, France, etc), the United States is moving politically liberal.  European democracies are beginning to see the fallacy of their socialist and isolationist policies.  I pray that Europe can find its faith and soul.

It dawned on me during the inauguration (and I was reminded during the panel discussion) that many of our nation have attached to President Obama the "Black Experience."  One panelist said that he was overwhelmed with the idea that now we have elected a President who was descended from slaves.  That is not so.  President Obama's father was a Black Kenyan who spent very little time in the United States.  He was raised in part by his White American mother in Indonesia, and by his White middle-class American grandparents in Hawaii.  This is hardly the "Black Experience."

I do, however, get the point and even though I sometimes am told that I cannot get the point because I am a White male, I understand that this election is an important symbol for Black America.  President Obama would not have been elected if we as a nation had not already put much (not all) of the racial conflict behind us.

I respectfully suggest that the pull against additional progress toward becoming a race neutral society, will not come primarily from White America (though there are idiots in all demographic segments), but it will come from the older generation of Black America as illustrated in the closing prayer of the Inauguration Ceremony.  It will be hard for many Black leaders from the '60s to focus on where we are going, rather than where we have been.  I know history is important, but so is trajectory.

It strikes me as very significant that 55% of the White vote went to Senator McCain; and 95% of the Black vote went to President Obama.  One could read these numbers as an indication of "identity politics" being more present in Black America than White America.  We need to stop identifying a particular race with a particular political party.

I also hope we do not stigmatize and demonize as racist those who disagree with President Obama and seek to hold him accountable.  The Left seems more than willing to "call names" and label opposition than to engage ideas.

I ask that President Obama's racial self-identification (he has identified himself as Black and not White) not limit my ability to agree or disagree with him.  Let us not by default assume that any disagreement is race-based.  If I disagree with his policy on Guantanimo Bay, I am not a racist.

This point was raised during the discussion.  The panel tentatively agreed that persons who disagreed with President Obama should not be labeled "racist."  It was not thirty seconds later that a Liberal member of the panel labeled Rev. Rick Warren, who said the inaugural prayer, as homophobic.  That illustrated perfectly my point.  The Left assumes that any disagreement I have with their opinion is due to my ignorance or sickness.  QUIT LABELING ME AND ENGAGE MY IDEAS.

President Obama carried himself with dignity and grace during the festivities.  I hope that his supporters will do the same.

I would ask the President to...

1. Count on my loyalty and prayers.
2. Count on my respect for the office.
3. Be the 44th American President not the 1st Black President.
4. Wait before you make big changes.
5. Win the war; confirm non-activist judges; cut taxes; control spending; and secure the border.

Yours in Christ, John

Smooth Transition

 I would like to take a moment to pledge my prayers for and loyalty to our new President.

It was harmful to our country for the opposing party and the Left to demonize President Bush.  He did not deserve it, but there are those who place political posturing and advancement over country.

My prayers and admiration for President Bush were constant.  There were some policies with which I disagreed, but I always prayed for him and admired his strength and grace.

I continue to respect the office of the President.  I continue to pray for President Obama.  I ask God for him to live up to the highest standards of the office and to be successful in leading our country.  There are some policies with which I already disagree, but I pledge my disagreement will not be personal.

Let me make three observations:

1. I never gloat when my candidate wins.  I suggest that those who voted for Mr. Obama behave accordingly.  The best way to create unity behind a President is not to gloat.  I believe that President Obama for the most part has not fed this "gloating."  There have been some pretentious statements and staging.  He is spending more on his inauguration than has ever been spent.  For the most part it appears that he is gracious and graceful, and is listening to those of us in the minority.

President Obama is not the second coming of Christ.  Nor is he the anti-christ.  Let us be gracious in victory and dignified in defeat.

2. Race - I understand the significance of this moment for our African-American citizens.  America's record on race has not been perfect.  I can recognize that.  I can also recognize that this moment reflects how far we have come as a nation.  Events such as President Obama's election really reflect progress already made more than they move us forward.  They are a revelation or a symbol rather than a turning point.

I suggest that while we admit racism as a factor in American life, that we also admit great progress in this area.  We also need to admit that racism is a two way street.  As I look at the demographics of this election, I see that 55% of the "white" vote went to the "white" candidate.  95% of the "black" vote went to the "black" candidate.  Which vote was based more on race?

Also, let us recognize that President Obama does not truly represent the "Black Experience" in America.  His ancestors were never slaves.  His father, whom he met only once, was a "black" Kenyan.  His mother was "white," and he was raised by "white" middle class grandparents living in Hawaii. 

I am told by some "black" persons that I cannot understand their feelings because I have not experienced what they have.  I disagree (just try being a conservative Christian, or being a Marine in the early 1970's), but my observation is that President Obama has not the "Black Experience" either.  My point is, let President Obama be OUR President, and let none of us attach anything more than that to him.

3. Our military deserves much credit.  Overwhelming the military connected with President Bush.  To a lesser extent (but a significant majority -70%) military personnel supported Senator McCain for President.  Our military does not stage a coup or attempt to "hijack" the political process and circumvent the constitution.  Our military pledges its loyalty to a President whose campaign and party saw their mission as immoral and a failure that was based on a lie.  They believed persons in the military to be ignorant dupes who were prone to individual immoral and violent acts.

I pray that President Obama can see what has been accomplished by the military and who the military is.  It appears that this President is prepared to carry forward the "Bush Doctrine" of engagement against Middle Eastern Fascism - more than his supporters know at this point.

We have the best, most intelligent, most moral, and most powerful military in the world.  What other countries have a military that removes itself from the political process?  We can trace this fine heritage back to England.  It is only in the English speaking culture where the military is so loyal to the political leaders.  Look at Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America.  I could even include India marginally.  The English speaking people have for the most part left stable democracies with subservient militaries wherever they have gone.

God bless America and the President of the United States.

Yours in Christ,

Lt. Col. John W. Slider, USMC (ret)

"Moral Side of the News" (January 18) - President Bush Says Farewell

  President Bush said farewell during his last scheduled address to the nation on Thursday night. Earlier in the week, he called a surprise farewell news conference to give an accounting of his time in office, making new concessions to his critics while offering sometimes-emotional defenses of his handling of Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the war against terrorism.

How do you assess the Bush Presidency?

President Bush conducted himself duty his two terms with dignity and compassion.  The personal attacks on him by the Left were not only inappropriate, but also harmful to our country.  I have no qualms with persons who disagreed with President Bush's policies and decisions.  The efforts to characterize him as stupid or evil and to hold him responsible for everything from acts of nature to acts of terrorists is delusional.  The Left has become so filled with hatred of the President that I wonder where that hatred will be focused in the future.

I assess Mr. Bush's presidency in three areas - National Security policy, Fiscal policy, and Social policy.  In the area of national security the President "got it right" and deserves our appreciation.  We have entered into a long and difficult struggle against a movement (Middle Eastern Fascism) that seeks to destroy freedom and life while seeking to dominate the world.  Often times in the last eight years the President has been the lone world leader who has gone to the front in spreading liberty and security in the world.

In Fiscal policies my assessment is mixed.  The President did the right thing in lowering taxes, but through his presidency government spending increased.  I disagree with the economic bail out packages and believe that this government involvement in the marketplace will lead to long-term problems.

In Social policies President Bush got it right for the most part.  The one area of disagreement I have had with him in this area has been policies related to illegal immigration.  The President, though, has been on the side of Life.  The world under his administration became a safer place for unborn children.

Should Democrats seek criminal indictments against Bush or just move forward?

Move forward.  It is absurd to criminalize political policies.

Was Bush’s faith-based initiative a positive or a negative?

The intent of this initiative was good.  It met with so much resistance, however, that there was not much chance of it having a large impact.

I give a thanks and salute to President Bush.  My prayers have been with him.

I pledge my prayers and loyalty to President Obama.

 

Good News - Iraqi girls reclaim attack site as ‘fort of science’

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Jan. 8, 2009 – Some 300 girls in blue jumpers and white head scarves stood in formation on the school’s courtyard. The chill in the morning air rose in puffs as they chatted, happily anticipating the formal opening of their new school. “Today is a good day,” said Saeed Jassim Hameed al-Mashhadani, a tribal sheik in Tarmiyah, Iraq. “This day marks a beginning of education for these girls.”

The Huda Girls’ School in Tarmiyah, northwest of Baghdad, officially reopened its doors Jan. 5 in a ceremony that featured speeches, poems and songs. The school provides education to about 950 girls who attend classes at various times throughout the day. Built in 1982, the building first was used as dormitory, but transformed into a school for agriculture in 1995. Since then, it has transformed again into primary and high schools specializing in the sciences. “This is really something big for the people. This is a fort of science,” Muhamad Ibrihim Jassim, administrative supervisor for the Ministry of Education in Tarmiyah, said about the school’s reopening. “This is the largest school in the area.”

The Ministry of Education had long recognized the school for its excellence. That was until 2003, when it became the scene of violence during major combat operations and slowly ceased to function, said Malcom Phelps, a senior education advisor for the coalition’s embedded provincial reconstruction team attached in Multinatioonal Division Baghdad to the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The school, located near a joint security station, was the launching point of ambushes, homemade-bomb attacks and sniper fire against coalition forces and the then-nascent Iraqi security forces. After a cautious stability was reached in the area in 2006, soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division began projects to rebuild the badly war-damaged school. During the process, a major terror plan was thwarted. Soldiers discovered a command wire leading from the school’s outer perimeter to one of the rooms. Inside the room, the troops discovered five artillery shell explosives. The planned insurgent attack also included two large explosive-filled propane tanks buried under the school’s floor and numerous projectiles planted under electrical conduits in front of each classroom. “This was a major setback,” said Army 1st Lt. Erik Peterson, a civil-military affairs officer assigned to the 25th Infantry Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment. “If they went off, not only would the building have been destroyed, many lives would have been lost.”

More damage was caused by removing the explosives, Peterson said. Engineer crews had to pull up the floor and take down walls brick by brick to ensure there was no longer a threat built into the structure. Eventually, those involved in the plot were captured or killed by U.S. and Iraqi forces. “Even though this was a setback, we had to try again,” Peterson said. “This is the only secondary school in the city. If it wasn’t rebuilt, there would be no place for these girls to go to school and get a good education.”

About $300,000 of Iraqi and U.S. funds were spent to rebuild and refurbish the school, which contains 18 classrooms, science labs, an administration suite and an auditorium. Now that the school is open, it faces many of the same issues plaguing the entire education system of Iraq. “We have so many students,” Jassim said, adding that the girls now go to school in shifts to help alleviate the overcrowding. “We need more buildings so we can effectively teach these students.”

Peterson said more school projects are in the works, and that he hopes more schools will open soon. More teachers also are needed, but Jassim said he is confident that problem will be solved in the coming years. “All of the teachers we currently have graduated from this school,” he said. “They belong to this area. Some of these girls will do the same thing, and we will continue to prosper like we did before the fighting.”

Jassim said he is sure the area is safe now. “There is nothing more to be scared of,” he said. “These girls can come to school in peace.”

Despite the peace and stability in the area, a symbol of violence still looms in the background. Clearly visible from inside the school’s compound is the brightly colored dome of the Ghalani Mosque. This mosque is a known safe haven for terror and frequently broadcasts anti-coalition and Iraqi security messages. But Jassim said this will not deter his efforts and those of his teachers to give the students the education they deserve. “It is our duty to provide the best education possible,” he said. “We have been charged with that duty – and we will prevail.”

Good News - Iraq assumes authority over FOB Callahan

AL SHA’ AB (Jan. 5, 2009) — Just days after the International Zone was returned to the Government of Iraq, Coalition forces returned Forward Operating Base Callahan to Iraqi jurisdiction, Jan. 3. FOB Callahan was the former Sha’ab Market and a strategic spot in Adhamiyah, which was taken over in 2007 as part of the surge to monitor routes and more fully secure the area. With the new security agreement and increased security in the area, Coalition forces seized the opportunity to return the building back to the Iraqi Ministry of Trade. “This building has been a Coalition camp since March of 2007; it was taken over during the surge, and now we’ve handed over this central shop market back to Iraqi control because of the increase of security in Adhamiyah area,” said Lt. Col. Michael Pappal, commander of the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

The Ministry of Trade plans to renovate the building and again use it as a market.  The MoT will remove the concrete barriers surrounding it. “There are two big effects by reopening this building,” said Capt. Kevin Kahre, commander of Company D, 1-68 AR, 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “The first impact will be that traffic will be alleviated considerably by the reopening of two major roads in the area, which will afford people the opportunity to move around more freely as we take down barriers. Larger vehicles will be able to transport anything from goods to fuel more easily as well. Second, in the upcoming months, as the MoT fixes and reopens the building, it will once again be a source of income for the area.

“This building is so prominent and has been a big reminder of a U.S. presence,” Kahre said. “By leaving this building, it shows those who live here that Iraq is making progress. The move promotes a sense of normalcy, with roads and commerce restored, and will help the people see they are moving forward and American troops are complying with the security agreement.”

Kahre went on to explain how rewarding it has been for him and Soldiers who have deployed multiple times to see things come “full circle” and how good it was to see Iraqis get that part of their city back. There are eight other markets like the one in Sha’ab, and two remain under Coalition control. “We have nine markets like this throughout Baghdad, and we’ve started the renovation plans for them. There are only two more of nine to be handed back over to us,” said Mahdi Hasaan Shihab, a Ministry of Trade employee.  “It’s a happy time for us because it’s ours, and we want to utilize the Ministry of Trade to serve the people of this area and help the economy.”

Veterinarian comes to aid of Iraqi farmers

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq (Jan. 6, 2008) – The prosperous rebuilding of Baghdad has reached far throughout the countryside, taking account of the health and welfare of the citizens. As security systems have been established, the focus of U.S. efforts in the area has shifted to aiding and building capacity in other needed areas, like agricultural and veterinary needs. For nearly two decades, the agriculture infrastructure deteriorated due to Saddam Hussein’s rule. Oil became the county’s livelihood and Iraq depended on the value of its oil to be able to import the necessities such as food and clothing. The negligent response to their country’s needs further weakened the growth of agriculture and farming. Recognizing this strain on the Iraqi economy and populace, the 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, has taken special consideration of Iraq’s lack of resources by appointing Capt. Suzanne Todd, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., who serves with 425th Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to 4th Inf. Div., MND-B, as the division’s agriculture and veterinary advisor. 

Well-suited for the position, Todd has degrees in international relations as well as agriculture and veterinary medicine. She acquired a bachelor’s degree in international relations from William and Mary University in Virginia. While completing her degree, Todd joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1992 at the age of 21. She became a second lieutenant as a signal corps officer in the reserves after graduating. After spending time in the reserves, Todd decided that she wanted to go to veterinarian school with the funding help of the military. Following graduation from Michigan State with a veterinary medicine degree, Todd joined the ranks of the Army as a veterinary officer.

Although Todd has achieved a stellar education, which could provide her with a good civilian career, she always felt the need to be in the Army. “I have always wanted to be in the military. It’s kind of what I always wanted to do when I graduated, but at the time they were downsizing the active duty military, so I joined the reserves,” said Todd.

The influence to join the Army came from Todd’s mother and father who also served their country in the Army. Though they didn’t actively push for their daughter to join, they were very supportive of her decision. “My mother was an Army nurse and father was in the medical field. They had both had good experiences.”

Todd’s interests in agriculture and animals and her tenacity to follow her heart have paid off. As an adviser for MND-B, she now looks at her career field as a way to helping educate local Iraqi farmers on more advanced techniques. Her co-workers revere her hard work ethic and her expertise. “She is a great interest to our Team,” said Lt. Col. Arnold Csan, chief of the Civil Affairs Planning Team, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B. “Since she has been here, she has gone out on missions to the vocational college and the vaccine center, both of which serve countrywide. Her focus as an agriculture expert for MND-B has been behind the largest employment of young men in Iraq.”

MND-B has marshaled a contingent of solutions and support for Iraq’s progress toward normalcy. Todd has consulted with Iraqi farmers and veterinary hospital clinics and instituted a plan to redevelop the farming infrastructure. “One of the things they have problems with is the salinity in the soil because their traditional method of irrigation is flood irrigation. They open up the flood gates of their irrigation canals and they flood their fields with water. If there is a high salinity or salt content in the soil, which there is, that ends up in the water.”

There is a way to reclaim the land, she explained, but it takes a while to leach that salinity out of the soil. The water comes in the same way, but they have to treat it before they use it on their fields.

Since arriving in Baghdad, Todd has advised and introduced new methods of irrigation to the struggling farmers of the area such as drip and spray irrigation, along with pioneering the idea of employing a new variety of high-yield seeds. Along with her work with the farmers and their irrigation and crop-growing needs, Todd has also done extensive work relating to the farm animals, which are equally important to the welfare and sustenance of the Iraqi people. “If you consider agriculture, it also goes along with animal agriculture. The animals that we raise to be our food – that’s where veterinarian medicine plays a role. We as veterinarians are concerned not only about the health of livestock we grow for food but how their health impacts our health. The diseases that the animals get can impact what diseases we get – [that’s] the public health aspect.”

The mission Todd performs so effectively and passionately is yet another piece in the overall mission of the Ironhorse Division and MND-B and her work in building capacity among Iraqi farmers and farm animal producers ultimately affects the overall health of the people in and around Baghdad and their quality of life.

Good News - U.S. turns control of International Zone over to Iraq

WASHINGTON, (Jan. 1, 2009) – The United States formally transferred the Republican Palace back to the Iraqi government today, a concrete symbol of the continuing improvement in the country. The transfer came about as the status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq took effect. The agreement replaces the United Nations mandate under which the coalition went into Iraq and has conducted operations there since. Under the agreement, Iraqi forces are now in the lead with U.S. forces in a supporting role or in overwatch. Officials said that American troops are still on duty at some of the checkpoints in Green Zone, but they are there to train their Iraqi counterparts rather than with operational control.

“When you come up to a checkpoint, the Iraqis will check your identification. They will make the decision if you come in or go out, ” said Army Maj. Gen. Dave Perkins, U.S. spokesman in Iraq. As a colonel, Perkins led the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division that conducted the "Thunder Run" in April 2003 that first entered Baghdad.

"We will continue to be there to provide some technical capacity, to provide some mentoring, but you will see less and less American forces and more and more Iraqi forces – and they will have the majority of the responsibility for making those key decisions which determine the security of the capital,” Perkins said.

The American effort has shifted down the river to the embassy. The new embassy – the largest U.S. embassy in the world – is open for business. Officials at the embassy are working with the Iraqis in detailing how other portions of the status of forces agreement will play out.

Iraqi security forces have made tremendous gains over the past 18 months, officials in Baghdad said. The U.S. surge of five brigades into Iraq that began in January 2007 brought security and stability to the country. Behind this, the Iraqi army and police were able to develop and train. The agreement recognizes this progress and now Iraqi forces have primary responsibility for security in the country. The agreement also calls for all American combat troops to be out of cities and villages by June. Planning is underway for this move already, U.S. officials in Baghdad said. The agreement says all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by the end of 2011.

The transfer of responsibility for security of the Green Zone is the most visible outcome of the agreement. The palace on the banks of the Tigris River was the seat of the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein. U.S. servicemembers called the building the “three-headed palace” because of three huge busts of Saddam that decorated it. Soon after American soldiers rolled into Baghdad, the palace became the headquarters of the coalition forces in the country. It also served as the U.S. embassy in the country. While spared any direct attack in the “shock and awe” campaign in March 2003, the building still had no glass in the windows and American soldiers bunked in some of the rooms decorated with pictures of missiles and other portrayals of Saddam’s might. The palace became the hub of the Coalition Provisional Authority – the coalition group that ruled Iraq before the first government. U.S. Ambassador Paul Bremer transferred sovereignty back to the Iraqis in a ceremony at the palace in June 2004. The grounds behind the palace was filled with hundreds of trailers that coalition officials lived in as they worked with Iraqi governmental departments.

Good News - Medical clinic opens in Kabani

KABANI (Dec. 28, 2008) — A pair of scissors and a snipped ribbon ushered in a new day for medical treatment here Dec. 20.  The new Kabani Medical Clinic provides a venue for future medical engagements and Iraqi doctors to treat Kabani’s population. “It’s a wonderful facility with the potential for being used to provide care,” said Navy Lt. Scott N. Margraf, medical officer, 1st Marine Logistics Group. “We’ve done something with positive intentions to do good for a local population, the key to this whole operation out here.”

Kabani, a small village just east of Camp Taqaddum, used to host civil affairs engagements and visits from their own Iraqi medical practitioners in whatever structures they had available. Through a combination of diplomatic action from Iraqi and Coalition Forces, the village now has a necessary venue for health care. “It gives them a place in which a medical provider can render services, which they didn’t have before,” said Cmdr. Deana J. Miller, family practitioner, 1st Marine Logistics Group.

Miller and Margraf also teamed up with two Iraqi Army medics to conduct a combined medical engagement. The presence of internal Iraqi medics is the next goal, said Miller. “The next step is getting an Iraqi physician to stay in that town, or who might be assigned to several little towns, so that one day he goes to one clinic and another clinic the next,” said Miller, 41, a native of Temecula, Calif. “How [Iraq’s] Ministry of Health is going to decide how to do that is up to the Iraqis.”

The CME was one of many the 1st MLG has performed since taking over for 2nd MLG in February. The new clinic in Kabani marks the first of many recent steps toward improvements of Iraqi infrastructure. “It builds the ability for them to support each other,” said Sgt. Maj. Steven Lara, 42, a native of Coolidge, Ariz., sergeant major, 1st MLG. “[The new clinic] gives them an opportunity to live a more normal life … and the population of the town is growing because of the support they receive.”

Good News - General Odierno says, "Troops out of Iraqi cities by summer"

BALAD, Iraq (Dec. 14, 2008) — U.S. combat forces are on track to be out of Iraqi cities by June 30 in accordance with the recently signed status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq, the top U.S. general in Iraq said Saturday.  Combat forces are already out of the major cities in more than half of Iraq, said Army Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq. Odierno spoke here to reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.  Gates flew here this afternoon, after speaking at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, to meet with Odierno and get his assessment of the way ahead in Iraq under the new agreement.

Odierno said the new agreement does not change the U.S. mission here, only its operating environment. Some U.S. forces will remain inside the cities working out of the joint security stations and acting as transition teams or providing support to the Iraqi security forces, Odierno said.  “We’ll still maintain our very close partnership with the Iraqi security forces throughout Iraq, even after the summer,” he said.Odierno said he is already removing troops from the cities, and will continue as security progress continues and Iraqi security forces can take over. Combat troops have already moved out of the cities in Anbar Province, most of the cities in southern Iraq and out of parts of Baghdad.  “In a large part the security agreement is really stating what we’re doing in many places in Iraq already,” he said.

Implementation committees made up of representatives of both countries are being set up to work out the details of executing the agreement.  “I believe this agreement allows us to continue to move forward in making Iraq a sovereign nation,” he said.Odierno also expressed confidence in the Iraqi security force’s growing capabilities and said he is confident that U.S. troops will be able to leave by the 2011 deadline set in the agreement.  “I expect us, frankly, right now, to be out with our military forces by 2011,” he said.

Odierno said he will make a recommendation for any reductions of troops after the elections in January, and continue to reassess and make recommendations through the year. Provincial elections are slated for next month, with district elections following this summer and national elections by the end of the year.  “The bottom line is what we want to prevent is trying to use intimidation and coercion in order to influence the elections,” he said. “I think many Iraqis feel that our presence here provides them stability for their elections. It provides them some confidence.”

Overall, though, troop levels will likely drop here next year, he said, despite what he called an important time of transition.  “As the Iraqis are able to go through this transition, it will move them to a more stable government and we think that’ll be a major milestone,” he said.  “It’s about stability. And what we want to do through 2009 is maintain stability inside of Iraq,” Odierno said.

Despite improving security conditions, Odierno conceded that there are still challenges and al-Qaeda, though weakened, is still able to carry out high-profile attacks such as the one this week in Kirkuk. Fifty-five Iraqis died in a suicide bombing at a restaurant.Still, Odierno said there were only six security incidents across Iraq Friday.  “All it takes is one suicide bomber … who cares very little for the value of life, and they will do anything they can to garner attention,” he said. “It still shows that it’s still a fragile environment and there are still terrorists that operate inside of Iraq

Good News - General cites 'monumental' changes during time in Iraq

WASHINGTON (Dec. 8, 2008) – Citing “monumental” improvements since his soldiers arrived in Iraq last year, the outgoing commander of Multi-National Division - North Monday credited his troops, Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi people with creating a historic turnaround.  Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling and his 1st Armored Division soldiers arrived in Iraq just as the troop surge was taking effect in Baghdad and “the awakening movement” was beginning to push al-Qaida out of Anbar province.  “I told our units that we were arriving at a critical time and that our actions, one way or another, would make history,” he told Pentagon reporters via videoconference from Contingency Operating Base Speicher near Tikrit, Iraq.

The situation then was dire. Enemy attacks had hit 1,800 a month, the Iraqis had little trust in their central government, and unemployment was “staggering,” Hertling said. “For every two steps forward, we assessed, they were making one step back.”

“When we arrived, our task was to decrease violence, partner with the Iraqi security forces as well as local and governmental leaders, and grow the nation’s economy,” he said. “We saw our roles as allies with the Iraqi people, working with them to change their communities and stop those who sought to destroy them.”

Hertling, who redeploys with his soldiers tomorrow to Wurzberg, Germany, pointed to broad indicators of progress across a region the size of Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and Vermont combined. Violence is down dramatically, Iraqi security forces are gaining in numbers and capability, the local economy is improving and the Iraqi government is making strides, he said.  “I believe the changes in northern Iraq over the last 15 months have been monumental,” he said, citing the combination of “heroic and courageous actions” by coalition troops and civilians assigned to provincial reconstruction teams, actions of the Iraqi security forces and patriotic Iraqi leaders and civilians.  “I’ve watched them make miracle[s] happen,” he said.

Hertling conceded that the picture isn’t all rosy, and that challenges remain. “There are still enemies that need to be destroyed,” he said, noting that “anywhere in this country has the potential of falling back under the control of al-Qaida.”

“It's a nefarious, evil group of individuals, and they will continue to attempt to conduct the kinds of attacks that kill innocent civilians, wherever we give them the opportunity,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government “is still very fragile,” and needs to “polish the representative process and methods of infrastructure repair,” he said.  But despite these challenges, Hertling said, he’s witnessed a major transformation during his time in Iraq that shows promise for a new future.  “The most dramatic change is one that only we get to see over here – and that’s now a new hope in the eyes of the Iraqi people,” he said.

The progress in the region he commanded came at a big cost, Hertling noted, with 104 U.S. soldiers killed and 891 wounded, and big Iraqi losses as well. “At every memorial, we rededicate ourselves to our motto, ‘Make these sacrifices matter,” he said.

Army Maj. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., Hertling’s classmate at the U.S. Military Academy who commands the 25th Infantry Division, will assume responsibility for Multinational Division North during a ceremony tomorrow. The 25th Division headquarters and the division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team are expected to serve in Iraq for a year under the new deployment cycles that took effect while Hertling’s soldiers were in Iraq.

The Moral Side of the News (December 21) - A shoe-shot for President Bush

President Bush's hopes for a triumphant last visit to Iraq were thwarted Sunday by a shoe-throwing, epithet-yelling Arab journalist, whose angry gesture showed the same contempt for the American president that Iraqis displayed for dictator Saddam Hussein more than five years ago.

 

Mr. Bush intended his final trip to Iraq to symbolize gains in the country that he and his backers increasingly feel vindicate him on the issue that has defined his presidency and served as the basis for much of the criticism against him.

 Instead, the trip took a left turn into the absurd, as an Arab TV journalist stood and hurled his shoes at the president during a press conference, while also shouting curses at him in Arabic.

 

The shoe-thrower is getting some support even in the U.S. (e.g., the Oakland Tribune).  Some U.S. newspapers, including the Courier Journal, while not explicitly backing the show toss, seemed to call it somewhat justified.  From the Courier Journal: No American likes to see her president insulted in such a way in another country. But all Americans need to know that many people in the world have felt insulted, and harmed, by the president about to leave office. The change we voted for cannot come quick enough, for them or for us.

 

Meanwhile, the shoe-tosser is apologizing and asking for a pardon.

 

What is your impression of the shoe-throwing incident? Was it in any way justified? What about the way the Secret Service responded to the incident?

 

What an embarrassment this event was for the people of Iraq.  What an embarrassment newspapers such as the Oakland Tribune and the Courier Journal.  This is one reason that I no longer pay for the Courier Journal.  I "steal" what I need off of the Internet.

 

The Left's hatred of President George W. Bush and the loathing of our nation are so great that they can find no other response than to support and justify the actions of this small man.

 

How are the throwing of an item - two items - at someone be defended in civilized society.  Does the defense touch on freedom of speech?  Nothing much was spoken except curses. 

 

Does the defense center on freedom of the press?  That certainly is a stretch.  I guess since I publish this blog I am a part of the "press," so I can start throwing shoes at persons with whom I disagree.

 

Or do we blame the victim?  Is the perpetrator excused from responsiblity because "the Devil made him do it?"  I think not.

 

The President and the flag the man's shoes hit are symbols of our nation and its values.  To support or excuse this man's actions is unpatriotic.

 

Reportedly, the thrower is apologizing and asking for pardon.  He also needs to be thankful to the United States of American - its President and its military - for providing him with a legal system that will not remove a body part as punishment.

 

The President, in the meantime, has as he has for the last eight years, responded with a graceful spirit.  He is truly a gentleman.

Good News - New plant means fresh water for Sadr City

BAGHDAD (Dec. 5, 2008) – For about 2 million Sadr City residents, clean drinking water running through their home faucets was a luxury few had. But now the water is flowing freely thanks to a new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water treatment plant that was three years in the making.  I am very happy for the 2 million people of Sadr City,” said Iraqi engineer Aqeel Lami who has worked for the Corps of Engineers since the project’s inception.

“It’s the first in Iraq, fully automatic and with American standards of best quality.  We meet the people in the streets of Sadr City, and they are very happy,” he said. “They feel that we are interested in them and their health. We are very proud of the success of this project.”  

The $27 million Sadr City R-3 water treatment plant construction began in 2005. The northern Sadr City location was chosen based on a government study of water pressure and supply, said Simeon Francis, a Corps of Engineers water expert.  “There is simply not enough water to Sadr City from the Kharkh and Shark-Dijilih water treatment plants for the area,” Francis said.  

The plant began operation in mid-June with some interruptions due to power restrictions. Today, R-3 produces 4,000 cubic meters of treated water per hour, providing clean, drinkable water to 27 areas of Sadr City — areas that have had no centrally distributed water.  The plant hit full capacity in September, and a performance test in October confirmed the quality of the daily output at 25 million gallons per day. That output equates to clean, quality water for a total of 1.5 million people in Sadr City and Baghdad, Francis said.  The plant will employ 150 people for operations, maintenance and management, said project engineer Roland Belew.  “Operating at full capacity, the R-3 water treatment plant drastically increases the potable water to the people of Sadr City,” Belew said. “The plant is operating at 100 percent capacity right now. It’s a great success story for USACE.”

Good News - Reconstruction teams work ‘one block at a time’ in Iraq

FOB WAR EAGLE, Iraq (Nov. 24, 2008) – Reconstruction in Iraq means more than fixing broken walls and stocking store shelves. It means securing a future where Iraqis can sustain themselves, a provincial reconstruction team leader said. “The mission is to help bring a sustainable, democratic government, promote moderate [leaders] and encourage economic development in Baghdad,” said Ted Andrews, team leader for Provincial Reconstruction Team 3 in Baghdad, which is embedded with the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Multinational Division Baghdad.

The 17-member team comprises representatives from the U.S. State Department and other contracted civilian employees. The team aims to help fill the country’s reconstruction needs while focusing on governance, economic development, the rule of law and women’s issues, Andrews said. It also meets regularly with elected officials and other government leaders in northern Baghdad to provide mentorship. “We try to encourage [our] people to give them skills that they can promote and use when we’re not there,” Andrews said.

For this team, which operates in Baghdad’s two most diverse districts -- the progressive Adhamiyah district and the volatile Sadr City district -- the challenges are vast and varied. Andrews cautions his team members to remain guarded in their hopes for success. “It’s hard for us to admit that we can’t care about something more than they do,” he said. “We do our best and at a certain point we’ve got to pull back and they’ve got to take it and make something of it.”

And the Iraqis are making something of it. One success story that Andrews likes to tout is the Modern Sewing Company in Adhamiyah. With the help of startup funds provided by the United States and an Iraqi non-governmental organization, the company is making uniforms for school children in Sadr City and the some surrounding communities in Adhamiyah. “We organized a way… to get the [clothes] out of the factory and into a warehouse and now, finally, more of them are moving up toward the kids,” Andrews said.

Other successes are harder to quantify. As Andrews describes, progress isn’t going to come in one sweeping event that defines an end to an American presence in Iraq. “This is one of those places where you have to put your foot on the brakes and step on the gas at the same time,” he said. “You’ve got to be pushing all these buttons in the society to get it going. We’re only going to win one block at a time in this place. Victory is going to be a process, not a single event.”

Sadr City presents unique challenges. The southern third of the district is separated from the northern portion by a concrete wall. The communities on each side of the wall must be dealt with in different ways, Andrews said.

“The frustration, still, is the slow progress within the government north of the wall in terms of some of the reconstruction and essential services,” Army Col. John Hort, commander of the 3rd BCT, said. “Our job right now is … to continue to work with [Andrews] and the other side of the river with the central government to … get those types of initiatives moving a little bit quicker so the people can see not just a security element that they’re very pleased with, but also the governance and the essential services.”

The partnership between the provincial reconstruction team and brigade has allowed a sustainable level of progress to take hold with the Iraqi people feeling hopeful – something that has been absent for many years, Andrews said. “Can Iraqi housewives go to the market and buy vegetables and chicken with a much-reduced fear that they’re going to get blown up? That’s the sort of progress we’re doing,” Andrews said.

Good News - Coalition, Iraqi soldiers give food to families

BAGHDAD (Dec. 2, 2008) – Smiling faces stretched as far as you could see in the Sadr City district of Baghdad as coalition forces, Iraqi army, community project workers and two prominent sheiks helped distribute Halal meals to more than 1,000 people, Nov. 28.  The Soldiers of Task Force 1-6 Infantry, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, which is currently attached to 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., Multi-National Division – Baghdad, worked with the people of this northeastern Baghdad district in an effort to enforce security and try to improve living conditions across the city. Infantrymen from 2nd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, TF 1-6, recently completed a two-month operation which led to the thorough search of every home in their assigned portion of the district – more than 3,000 homes in all. This operation, however, was about more than confiscating unauthorized weapons and capturing high-value targets, it was focused on repaying the residents with good cheer and a good meal. “I can’t believe how happy the people look today,” said Spc. Jack Scott, an infantryman from Helena, Mont., who serves with 2nd Platoon, Co. C, 1-35 AR.

The platoon, in its nearly eight months in Iraq, has grown familiar with many of the local leaders in the area, as well as the common man. “There’s Aldoha, there’s Haidar, everyone showed up today,” said Sgt. Corey Conlin, a Houston native who serves with 2nd Platoon, Co. C, 1-35 AR. “It seems like everyone heard about today’s mission and they all came out to support us.”

Iraqi Capt. Mohamed from 4th Company, 3rd Battalion, 42nd Brigade, 11th Division, serves as the commander of the Iraqi army at the distribution site. Coalition forces also played Iraqi music and children were dancing in the streets while waiting in line for their meal. All in all, it was a great time for both the Iraqi and American people in attendance.

Moral Side of the News (December 7, 2008) - Atheists sue Kentucky over reference to God

Ten Kentucky residents and the national American Atheists Inc. are suing to overturn Kentucky legislation "stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth."  The suit says the legislation, passed with little notice in 2006 to create the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, is "grossly, and outrageously, at variance with" with Kentucky and U.S. constitutional bans on government-sponsored religion.

 In addition to seeking to have the legislation overturned, the plaintiffs are seeking financial damages, saying they "suffer anxiety from the belief that the existence of these unconstitutional laws suggest that their very safety as residents of Kentucky may be in the hands of fanatics, traitors, or fools."

At issue are two clauses inserted in a floor amendment by state Rep. Tom Riner, D-Louisville, and approved by lawmakers.  One clause says the "safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God" and cites statements to that effect by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.  A permanent plaque quoting that text is posted at the state's Emergency Operations Center, as required by the clause.

The other clause, listing the executive director's duties, begins with a requirement to publicize "the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth."  

 What do you think? Do the law’s critics have a point about state promotion of religion, or are this another attempt to deny the country’s and the state’s religious heritage? What about the attempt to collect financial damages on the grounds that the plaintiffs "suffer anxiety from the belief that the existence of these unconstitutional laws suggest that their very safety as residents of Kentucky may be in the hands of fanatics, traitors, or fools."

Let us first be aware of the tactics of the Left that are being displayed in this and other instances.  The Left cannot amass a majority of voters in the political process, so they seek to rule by judicial fiat.  This suit is just one of many examples of the attempt by the Left to rule over the majority.  Of course, they believe that it is for our own good.

The suit also takes stereotypical Leftist approach in attempting to demonize their opponents.  The lack of respect for persons of faith is apparent.  There is no willingness to treat those who disagree as reasonable persons, but as “fanatics, traitors, or fools.”

We Conservatives who are persons of faith are used to this tactic.  According to the Left our motives are evil and sinful.  Our opinions are based on fear, hatred, and neurosis.  Our opinions and thought processes are stupid.  Anyone who is in the Center or to the Right is an extremist or a fanatic.  It would be nice at some point for the Left to stop the name calling and actually engage in an adult discussion.  Enough of the playground antics!

So what is the problem in this particular issue?  Let us look at the constitutional and legal issues first, and then, more importantly, the moral issue.

Amendment I of the Constitution of the United States reads in part, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...”  This first of the Bill of Rights limits the rights of Congress only and protects the rights of the individual.  At the time of the adoption of this amendment there were states who had established or official religions (Massachusetts was the last state to de-establish a religion - in 1839).

The writers and adopters of the Constitution were reacting to the European practice of establishing specific Christian denominations as the official and supported religion of the national government.  It is apparent, however, that this practice continued in the United States at the state level.  The intent of the amendment was to limit Congress, not the states.

The application of the first amendment was changed in the minds of many when Amendment XIV was ratified in 1868.  This amendment was one of the post-Civil War amendments.  It  was intended to secure the rights of former slaves.  Some have gone beyond the initial intent to apply the limitations to the states as well.

Amendment XI, Section 1, reads in part, “...No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws...”

If we look, therefore, at the original intent of the Constitution of the United States, there was no concept of limiting states with regard to the establishment of religion.  Neither was there the intent to apply the Amendment I through Amendment XIV to the states.

The issue, though it will get into the federal court system I am sure, is currently in the court system of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  We must turn to the Constitution of Kentucky to analyze the issue.

The very first section of the Constitution of Kentucky enumerates seven rights and is considered Kentucky’s Bill of Rights.  The second right is “The right of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences.”

(As an aside, I am glad these persons bringing the suit recognize the wisdom of Kentucky’s Bill of Rights.  The first and seventh establish “The right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties” and “The right to bear arms in defense of themselves...”)

Section 5 of the Constitution of Kentucky describes the right of religious freedom of the citizen of Kentucky.  It reads in part, “No preference shall ever be given by law to any religious sect, society or denomination; nor to any particular creed, mode of worship or system of ecclesiastical polity; nor shall any person be compelled to attend any place of worship, to contribute to the erection or maintenance of any such place, or to the salary or support of any minister of religion ... [T]he civil rights, privileges or capacities of no person shall be taken away, or in anywise diminished or enlarged, on account of his belief or disbelief of any religious tenet, dogma or teaching. No human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience.”

(As another aside:  This section of the constitution also states, “... [N]or shall any man be compelled to send his child to any school to which he may be conscientiously opposed ...”  This clause would be an excellent route for the introduction of school vouchers!)

It seems to me that the Kentucky Constitution is in keeping with the original intent of the U.S. Constitution with regard to religion and religious liberty.  The constitution itself does not see a contradiction in granting a special status through exempting from taxation religious entities in section 170 and the protection of religious liberty in section 1.

Why is there no contradiction?  There is none because the writers and adopters of the Constitution of Kentucky recognized the importance of religion - specifically the Christian religion, or more generally, the Judeo-Christian heritage of our nation and state, as the foundation for our rights and our culture. 

The legislation that states that the “... safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God...” is consistent with the constitutional protections and recognitions of the importance of religion.

The complainants can only argue that the state remove the language that offends them because of their religion, in which case the state would be favoring their religious view.  The state has the obligation not to favor a particular religious view.  The complainants are asking the state court system to favor their religious view that denies God.

As to the moral implications of this suit, I would suggest that we should seek more ways for the Commonwealth of Kentucky to endorse a dependence on God and the importance of faith in the lives of its citizens.  The government should not establish a particular religion and thereby grant support to it, but the government should encourage religion.

In a practical way we can see this need in our school system.  There is an intense need for teaching morality that is based on something more than what the individual craves at the moment.

Christianity and the Judeo-Christian heritage is not the enemy.  The enemy to our culture, society, and communal well-being is that which will relegate God to the religious ghetto.

Good News - Children return to refurbished kindergarten

BAGHDAD (Nov. 22, 2008) — Wurwood Kindergarten School officially reopened its doors Nov. 21 in the Rasheed neighborhood of Salman Pak after a two-month-long refurbishing period. The school has 350 students enrolled, ages 4 to 5 years old, and six classrooms. Prior to the refurbishment, the school could only hold 60 students. The school employs eight teachers, a director and an assistant. “The neighborhood families feel safe sending their kids to the school,” said Nawad Abid Alaziz, the school’s headmistress, adding that the refurbishment flows in synch with the improved security in the area.

Capt. William Richardson, the commander of Company C, Task Force 2nd Bn., 6th Inf. Regt., 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, along with his Soldiers, attended the building dedication ceremony. His unit assisted the Iraqi Army (IA), local sheiks and contractors in achieving their success at the school. “The increased professionalism of the Iraqi Army has made the area more secure,” Richardson said.

The brightly painted and orderly school contrasts to what the building’s condition was a short time ago. Much of the building had been hit by gunfire and was strewn with garbage.

Alaziz led Richardson, along with Iraqi Army officers and local sheiks on a tour of the school. Alaziz said she was pleased with the $80,000 refurbishment and that she watches television and sees American kindergarten schools and dreams of having schools like that in Iraq to educate their children.  “We need more rugs, a hot water heater, space heaters for the classrooms and more furniture,” Alaziz told the group.Richardson said he felt improving education opportunities for the children requires efforts from all those involved.

“Yes, that’s very important because the kids are the future, and with the help of the IA, sheiks and neighborhood, we can make the school better,” said Richardson.

The kindergarten project is part of a larger program in the neighborhood. The overall objective of the Disarmament, Disbandment and Reintegration is to pump $5.6 million in the area to stimulate the economy and provide employment and vocational skills for lasting employability. The money will be spent on seven construction projects, which will include two more kindergarten schools in the neighborhood, a land registration office, roads, a clinic, new fire trucks and new ambulances.

Moral Side of the News (November 23) - Closing Gitmo

The Obama administration will launch a review of the classified files of the approximately 250 detainees at Guantanamo Bay immediately after taking office, as part of an intensive effort to close the U.S. prison in Cuba, according to people who advised the campaign on detainee issues.  Announcing the closure of the controversial detention facility would be among the most potent signals the incoming administration could send of its sharp break with the Bush era, according to the advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for the president-elect.  They believe the move would create a global wave of diplomatic and popular goodwill that could accelerate the transfer of some detainees to other countries. 

Would this a good move by the incoming administration? Is the potential global good will offset by the national security problem?

 

Global goodwill or national security?  I'll take national security.  There are people - Middle Eastern Fascists and Asian Communists - who see us as the great Satan and want to kill us.  It is important that the greatest and strongest democracy in the world survives to spread freedom.

 

The administration of President Bush has established the detention facility at "Gitmo" and are operating it legally and humanely.  To use a Clintonian phrase:  "There is no evidence to the contrary."  In fact, the recent Supreme Court decision overturned the regulations for the facility that the Supreme Court itself designed earlier.

 

"Gitmo" has, however, become a symbol.  President Obama has won the election.  It shall be up to the new administration to decide what to do.  I hope they remember that their first duty is to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic."  (from the oath of office for military officers and the oath of enlistment for other ranks)

 

The focus is on the Constitution in these oaths.  President Bush executed this responsibility as he saw fit.  I pray President-Elect Obama will do the same.

 

Allow me to make a brief comment on how some members of the clergy panel of the "Moral Side" characterized the detention facility at "Gitmo."  They specifically used the term "sinful" and used other terms to suggest extreme moral failure on the part of President Bush and his administration.

 

As a supporter of President Bush and as a conservative Christian, I am offended at the characterization of my opinions and stands on issues as either immoral and sinful, or stupid.  Liberals continue to dismiss my perspective not as a reasoned opinion coming from good intentions, but as reflections of some deep psychological and emotional problems or intellectual deficiencies.

My support for traditional marriage is called homophobia.  My opposition to racial quotas is called racist.  My opposition to higher taxes is called heartless and unpatriotic.

Liberals do not want to engage in a discussion of issues.  Rather, they want to be told how much they are liked by everyone and how good and moral they are.

All I ask is for a little respect - just a little bit. 

Moral Side of the News (November 23) - Is "death with dignity" simply suicide?

Kentucky death row inmate Marco Allen Chapman pleaded guilty to killing two children and sexually assaulting their mother. He says he wants to be executed and is fighting efforts to have his sentence reduced.  The Chapman case has put a spotlight on the larger question of who has the right to make life and death decisions.

 

In England, a teenager suffering from leukemia has refused a life-saving heart transplant. "I've been in hospital too much -- I've had too much trauma," she says.

 

There has been significant religious opposition to the “Death with Dignity” laws that permit doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to terminally ill patients.  Earlier this month, Washington State voters overwhelmingly agreed to follow Oregon in allowing doctors to assist terminally ill patients in dying.   Supporters call this "Death with Dignity." Opponents say it is simply suicide by another name and physician assistance is morally wrong. Would you support a "death with dignity" initiative in KY or Indiana? Why or why not?

 

Liberals do an interesting thing.  They create Orwellian phrases that obfuscate the key elements of an issue.  "Pro-Choice" is actually pro-abortion and does not provide choice to the unborn child or the father of a child.  The "Fairness Doctrine" creates an unfair imbalance in political voices by eliminating conservative talk radio.  "Employee Fair Choice" means the elimination of secret ballots.

 

Now we see the phrase "Death with Dignity!"

 

We need to differentiate between a person who takes action that directlly results in his or her death or seeking another to assist in his or her death and the two examples cited above.  In one example, and condemned murderer requests that his sentance be carried out and that no legal efforts be made to continue his life.  In the other example, a young girl asks that no medical efforts be made to prolong her life.  In both instances there is a refusal on the part of the person whose life it is (in the young lady's case, the parents are involved in the decision).

 

Physician assisted suicide is not refusing treatment; it is taking life.

 

There are already attempts in the United States to legalize physician assisted suicide.  We are told that physicians will not be required to take any action that is against their personal believes, but let us remember that fertility doctors in California who refused because of personal belief not to artificially insemminate a lesbian couple were required by the courts to provide this medical procedure.  It will not be long until physicians are required to assist in suicides.

 

Let us be taught by a country that already has physician assisted suicide.  Recent experience in The Netherlands illustrates where deceptive language about euthanasia can lead. When The Netherlands first legalized euthanasia, it was only allowed in rare cases of "intolerable suffering." "The guidelines were designed specifically to keep assisted suicide occurrences few and far between by establishing demanding conditions that had to be met, at the risk of criminal prosecution." Yet doctors soon began interpreting these guidelines broadly, and the government and the courts did almost nothing to prevent it. Now the Netherlands, under its euthanasia law, allows the killing of infants with non-life threatening birth defects. Additionally, Dutch doctors are euthanizing patients without their permission. Repeated studies have demonstrated that 900-1000 patients experience "termination without request or consent" every year. The Dutch government usually turns a blind eye to this illegal practice as well.

 

One more thought:  In the case of the thirteen year old girl in England who chose not to have a medical procedure to prolong her life, the government was prepared to take legal steps to force her to have the medical procedure.

 

Just as the idea of Euthenasia or physician assisted suicide is repugnant, so to is the potential governmental involvement in forcing medical procedures.  We should not go to either extreme.

 

Life is a gift of God.  Let us receive it as a blessing and live with dignity.

Good News - Joint Chiefs chairman: Troops out of Iraq by end of 2011

WASHINGTON (Nov. 17, 2008) – All American troops will be out of Iraq by the end of 2011 under the status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen called the agreement important and one the United States needs to continue to operate in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires Dec. 31. U.S. officials in Baghdad said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker signed off on the pact yesterday, and Maliki presented it to the Iraqi Council of Representatives. U.S. military leaders are comfortable with the provisions of the agreement, including previous concerns that American forces have the necessary legal protections to continue to conduct operations in the country, Mullen said.

“Conditions continue to improve (in Iraq), and specifically, I mean we continue to withdraw forces,” Mullen said during a Pentagon news conference today.

The chairman said he is satisfied with the rate of withdrawal. “(We are) clearly moving forward in a measured way,” he said.

Iraqi security forces have made tremendous progress and should be ready to assume the primary duty of defending their own homeland by the agreement’s 2011 deadline, he said. Mullen said he is, of course, aware that President-elect Barack Obama has said he would speed up the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. If ordered, the U.S. military could speed up the withdrawal, he said, but added that he would like for any such actions to be based on conditions in Iraq. “It's doable,” Mullen said. “It's a very significant footprint and a very sizeable force, but we've been moving in and out of this theater for a long period of time, and we have the capacity and the capability to do it.”

Mullen added, “I certainly understand there are other options. It's something that we look at all the time. But … from the military's perspective, I think it's best to be conditions-based.”

The agreement also calls for American forces to be out of Iraqi cities and towns by the end of 2009. The American military is already out of the towns and cities in most of Iraq. Coalition forces are in overwatch in the provinces that have returned to provincial Iraqi control. “This is consistent with how we have moved, once an area has been turned over to the Iraqis for security,” Mullen said.

Two areas where there may be problems are in Baghdad and Mosul where most of the fighting is and there is greater need to train Iraqi security forces, Mullen said. “The Iraqi security forces being able to provide for their own security is one of the big keys to a successful transition,” he said. “We're focused on that like a laser.”

Mullen said he is comfortable with the training timetable. “That (training) mission has been incredibly well executed,” he said. “The pace is a good pace, and I think that the pace will more than suffice for what needs to be, in terms of Iraqi security forces taking over totally in their own security in the future.”

Good News - Basrah gets new fresh water source

BASRAH, Iraq (Nov. 9, 2008) — Two million Basrah residents will soon have a more dependable source of household water for cleaning, cooking, bathing, and washing. A $5 million project, scheduled to complete next summer, will connect permanent power to the Sweetwater Canal Pump Station No. 2. About 70 Iraqis are on the crew installing a new switch gear room, two five-megavolt amp transformers and two new 1.5-megavolt back‐up generators.   “The project is directly impacting Basrah’s economy,” said Iraqi engineer Sattar, who works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Local Iraqis are on the construction crew earning steady paychecks and most of the construction materials are being purchased from area businesses,” he noted.

Prior to the war, only 12.9 million people in Iraq had access to potable water. Now, nearly 21 million people do, according to Associated Press statistics. Once complete, the pump station will connect to Iraq’s permanent power grid, lessoning its reliance on generators. “So far, 78 kilometers of 33kV transmission lines and 517 steel pole structures have been installed to provide power there,” Sattar said.   

“These upgrades to the Sweetwater Canal Pump Station No. 2 are very critical," said Taha Yaseen, the facility's administrator for 11 years. "Without them, the facility would not meet its capacity. Part of the project includes about 500 meters of chain link fence to make the site more secure.”   

The facility contains 16 major electrical pumps and three additional back up diesel pumps with the capacity of 3,600 cubic meters per hour for each one. “Basrah has long relied on this two-decade-old pump station to supply its domestic water needs,” Yaseen continued. “Once the work is finished, the pump station will have a reliable power source for round‐the‐clock operations immediately benefitting families in more than 25 area neighborhoods,” he said. 

Throughout Iraq the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the completion of 820 water supply projects with another 85 ongoing.

My Opinion: Layers of Embarrassment for Minnesota and the Democratic Party

Embarrassment after embarrassment after embarrassment after embarrassment.

Did you wonder how Minnesota could follow up the embarrassment of having Jesse Ventura as governor of their state?  Al Franken for Senate!

    

It now seems possible that Franken will be elected!

Enter Lanny Davis, the defender of President Clinton's moral challenges.

In a process cloaked in smoked-filled back rooms and not open to the public, Democratic operatives have found absentee ballots in trunks of cars and ballot errors that all favor Franken.

Certainly, as Mr. Davis argues, the margin of the election was well within the margin of error, but it seems strange that all of the discovered errors and the corrections that followed favored Franken and that most of the errors occurred in three of the more than 4,000 precincts in the state.

Mr. Davis applied all of his legal acumen last night on Hannity and Colmes (Fox News) and brought out the tried and true legal argument - "It is possible that Martians could have [caused the voting irregularities.]"

Let me say that the Democratic Party is not responsible for Governor Ventura, but Minnesota is.

The Democratic Party should be embarrassed, first by their candidate and then by their tactics.  I have always said that Democrats will sacrifice principles for power.  Republilcans will sacrifice power for principles.  We have a two party system - a dangerous party and a stupid party.

Good News - Stronger Iraqi force means fewer hostilities

WASHINGTON (Nov. 3, 2008) – The number of attacks in Iraq is at its lowest level since January 2004, and this is proof of the growing capabilities of the Iraqi security forces, the vice chief of staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces said Sunday. Gen. Nasier Abadi, briefed reporters in Baghdad along with coalition spokesman U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Perkins and Brig. Johnny Torrens-Spence of the British army, deputy commander general of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq. “The enemy has lost his ability to fight in frontal operations or offensives in big groups,” Abadi said through an interpreter. Threats now come from individual attacks and indirect combat, such as roadside bombs and so-called “sticky bombs” that attackers attach to targeted vehicles with magnets, he said.

Abadi said the Iraqi security forces are moving to sustain progress and build on their capabilities. Iraqi forces are working in Ninevah, Diyala and Baghdad, and continue to work on improving logistics, he added. Iraqi security forces also are readying for the next large security operation: ensuring the elections now set for early next year will be safe, Abadi said. “The commands have also started putting together plans to ensure the next elections in 567 voting centers,” he said. “The society’s security and individual security is a necessity, and I call on all citizens to take on their big role in maintaining a secure environment through watch and observing and checking their vehicles and their work places to stop the effects of sticky bombs.” Iraqi and coalition leaders also are working to build Iraq’s air force and navy, he said.

Torrens-Spence agreed, and said his command’s priority has shifted as it helps to build the Iraqi military. “Until the early part of this year, the priority … was to generate sufficient forces for counterterrorist operations,” he said. “We were, frankly, in a hurry, and the focus was deliberately on creating and equipping as many infantry combat units as we could in a short space of time.”

But with the improvement in security in the country and the continued bulk-up in capability and size of the Iraqi military, MNSTCI has been able to shift to building an independent, self-sufficient army that not only can take on the terrorists and win, but also transforms to becoming a force capable of defending the nation’s borders, the brigadier said. “The Ministry of Defense’s main focus right now, as you heard from General Abadi, is on logistics,” Torrens-Spence said. “And this is coming on pretty well. There are still many gaps, and we’re working hard with our Iraqi colleagues to address these.”

The brigadier listed a number of accomplishments, including the turnover of the Beiji ammunition depot to the Iraqi army. The Iraqi army now maintains small-arms repair facilities, and operates maintenance facilities for wheeled, tracked vehicles. “The General Transportation Regiment, which provides logistics support from the national bases forward to the divisions, became operational this month,” Torrens-Spence said. “A new computer logistic network, which links the depots, the Ministry of Defense and the divisions, is now fully functional. And the Ministry of Defense-wide personnel management system is also on track to be launched in the new year.”

Next year, the Iraqi Defense Ministry will invest in building communications, surveillance and target acquisition, bomb disposal and engineers. “We fully support these programs, and we will do our best to assist our Iraqi friends to bring these important capabilities into service efficiently and smoothly,” the brigadier said.

The growth of the air force and the navy is a little behind that of the army, and this was expected, he said. The Iraqi air force and navy are small, but building, he noted. The Iraqi air force flies about 350 sorties a week and is playing an increasingly active counterinsurgency role. The force also conducts surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of the army and is providing important logistic support. “Next year, we expect the first precision air-to-ground capability attack to be fielded with rocket-firing MI-17 helicopters and combat Caravan aircraft fitted with Hellfire missiles,” Torrens-Spence said.

The first new pilots for the Iraqi air force recently graduated and are now operational. The navy is conducting three times as many patrols as it was last year, with increasing amounts of boarding and searching of vessels coming into Iraqi territorial waters. “The navy has just taken delivery of the first six of 26 Defender Class fast-patrol craft and is expecting the delivery of four large patrol ships from Italy in 2009,” the brigadier said.

More remains to be done, he acknowledged. “The army is still seriously short of middle-rank officers and sergeants, and is looking actively at increasing the through-put of officers at the Staff College and more English language training,” he said. The logistic system remains fragile, especially the supply of spare parts to the forward locations, Torrens-Spence said. Key skills such as mechanics, communications specialists and cooks still are in short supply. “But looking to the future, we see the first signs of reconfiguring the armed forces from their current counterinsurgency focus to a more conventional posture – defense of the homeland,” he said. “We welcome this.”

Iraq announced it is buying M1 tanks, C-130 transport aircraft and armed reconnaissance helicopters. The brigadier said this “marks a significant step down this road, in line with the Ministry of Defense’s long-term development plans.”

Good News - Schools a high priority for MND-B

BAGHDAD (Oct. 30, 3008) – Rebuilding schools is a top priority for Multi-National Division – Baghdad to eliminate terrorist and criminal activities and set the condition for a brighter future for Iraqi youth. Al Tajadud school in the Adhamiyah District of Baghdad reopened Sunday after undergoing a two-month renovation. With $220,000 from the government of Iraq, Soldiers of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, completed the rebuilding project. “There have been some challenges to get schools funded and rebuilt here in Iraq,” said Capt. Patrick Soule, a native of Poth, Texas and commander for D Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, currently attached to 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment.

Soule said the school is a two-session school, each one having their own name. The morning session is Al Tajadud school, which is a boys and girls elementary school. The afternoon session is called Al Abda school, which is an all-girls junior high school. The school, built in the 1960’s, was in desperate need of work after witnessing several years of fierce fighting and its use as a mortar platform by terrorists and criminals.

“The school was in bad shape when it was recommended to us by the local NAC [Neighborhood Action Committee]. You could tell it was pretty shot up,” said 1st Lt. Rosita Rodriguez, a native of Morristown, N.J., and team chief of C Company, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, currently attached to 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

Rodriguez said the improvements made included new classrooms, new roof and floor, a completely new electrical network, and additional bathrooms with a complete sewer network. The outside was painted tan with a green trim and a play ground was installed in the courtyard consisting of a basketball court and volleyball net.

The school’s headmaster said the new facility is a complete turn around from less than a year ago confirming that terrorists used to lob mortars from the courtyard of the school. “It was notorious for finding caches,” Rodriguez said.

The official opening of the school was marked with a ribbon cutting by Omar Rahmani, vice chairman for the Adhamiyah District Advisory Council followed by a poem in Arabic recited by the boys and girls of the elementary school. The children clapped in rhythm welcoming all guests, and thanking everyone for their “prettier school.”

The pomp and circumstance continued when a young Iraqi boy stood in front of all the guests and sang a traditional Iraqi song. Then Iraqi girls from the junior high school passed out refreshments, as a group of students recited lines in English they had learned from their textbooks. When the ceremony concluded, Soule, Rodriguez and Rahmani handed out backpacks to a line of eager children. Rodriguez was happy with the turn out and the importance this school opening has had on the people. “It impacted the children and the community. They are very grateful for this school,” Rodriguez said.

Soul said he believes education is the cornerstone that will help rebuild Iraq and give the Iraqi people confidence in their government and the local leaders. “It’s a good step forward,” Soule said, “putting money back into the schools and investing in future generations”

My Opinion: Are You a Liberal or a Conservative?

I tried this simple test on a good friend of mine, who is a liberal pastor.  He and I work together well on church matters.

I asked him, "Which do you value more - libery or equality?"

He thought for a brief moment and said, "Equality!"

My response would have been, "Liberty."

Both of these values are important to our way of life in America, but I believe that you can identify if a person is liberal or conservative by that simple question.  The Liberal will choose equality.  The conservative will choose liberty.

I do suppose that one could explore the nuances of the choice - Liberals like to get caught up in nuances, where as Conservatives see things with more clarity.  One could ask, "Do you mean equality of access, equality of circumstances, or equality of outcomes?"

On reflection I would equate equality of access or opportunity with liberty or freedom of action.  Equality of access simply means that all the doors are open to an individual because he or she is an individual.  No special advantages or disadvantages are attached by being in a group.  The person is free to choose to act or not to act.  The person is a liberty to enter any door.  In my opinion a conservative is one whose primary social or political value in relation to others and to society is liberty, freedom of access, and freedom of opportunity.

The liberal (how strange our use of  the word is) does not find liberty the primary value, but rather equality - specifically equality of circumstances and outcomes.  The liberal would like to guarantee an equal outcomes or circumstances for all persons.  Equalizing outcomes means limiting the results - placing an upper and lower limit on the outcome.  Equalizing circumstances means providing advantages (or penalties) to arrange arrival at the same place (handicapping the game, so to speak).

Please note, the more you value liberty the higher both the risk and reward.

Which is of greater value to you - Liberty or Equality?  Both have value.  I do not argue that.  Which is of greater value?

The Conservative will say "Liberty."  The Conservative will accept both the risks and rewards of his or her decisions and not desire the government to fix his or her life.

The Liberal will say "Equality."  The Liberal will sacrifice freedom to quarantee an equal outcome for the masses.