Throw the book at President Bush, not shoes

Throw the book at President Bush, not shoes

By Walter Haan, www.war-books.com

We were treated yesterday, December 14th, to the news that a 28-year-old Iraqi journalist threw his shoes, both of them, at President George W. Bush at a news conference in Baghdad. The Iraqi journalist, Muntader al-Zaidi, 28, a correspondent for an independent Iraqi television station, stood up about 12 feet from Mr. Bush and shouted in Arabic: “This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog!” He then threw his first shoe at Mr. Bush. It was all part of the fourth and final Bush surprise visit to Iraq. Accompanying the news is a photo of Bush with his face all screwed up as he dodges the second shoe while the Prime Minister of Iraq attempts to deflect the shoe. Showing the bottom of shoes, let alone throwing them, is an insult in the Muslim world. Priceless.

Priceless?

No, unfortunately that moment wasn't priceless. It came at the cost of over 4,100 American servicemen and service women's lives in Iraq since our invasion of that country in 2003. You remember, the war Bush started based on his fake Intel about Saddam having Weapons of Mass Destruction. As many as one million Iraqis may have been killed in this illegal debacle. One of the many other results, besides flying shoes, is the wholesale forced relocation of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis from their homes.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney deserve to have the book thrown at them for their lies and illegal actions. They should be arrested and tried.

Instead of shoes, American journalists should be throwing heavy, hardback books about the war at Bush. Books like Cradle of Conflict: Iraq and the Birth of the Modern U.S. Military by Michael Knights. At 462 pages including the index, this book could inflict some damage.

Oh, also a note to Brian Cashman, General Manager of The New York Yankees who is desperately looking for pitchers. Mr. Zaidi threw his other shoe, shouting in Arabic, “This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq!” That shoe also narrowly missed Mr. Bush as the Iraqi Prime Minister stuck a hand in front of the president’s face to help shield him. Mr. Cashman, you should consider Mr. Zaidi. He's only 28 and has shown he's got an arm. --Copyright 2008 by Walter Haan, www.war-books.com

Shame on Pearl Harbor Day 2008

Shame on Pearl Harbor Day 2008

By Walter Haan, www.war-books.com

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 67 years ago led to the shame of the US Government in its treatment of POWs of the early days of the Pacific War. The Japanese attacked the Philippines the day after their attack on Pearl Harbor and that resulted in our loss of the Philippines, then a US dependency, the surrender of all US troops in the Philippines by May 12, 1942, the Bataan Death March and Japanese treatment of US captives as slaves working in Japanese steel mills and other war plants.

Leaders of the ADBC, the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, traveled to Washington, DC in September to make a last ditch plea to senators to cosponsor or support Senate Amendment 5303 to S. 3001 (Defense Authorization Act). It authorized $20,000 compensation for the remaining survivors or their widows of those who were interned in Japanese POW camps during World War II. They contacted Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) who agreed to cosponsor Senate Amendment 5303. They also contacted Senators Bunning (KY), Menedez (NJ), Byrd (WV) Senate President Reid (NV) and Rockefeller (WV), all of whom expressed interest in righting this injustice. However, their final effort appears to be dead, just as all of the efforts to obtain compensation for our POW veterans of World War II have been killed.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) objected to the bill because it included earmarks he did not support and the bill ultimately passed with only three amendments to an authorization measure that typically has dozens of them. The amendment supporting the $20,000 payments to our POWs of the Japanese was among those removed and the appropriations bill passed 88 to 8.

Every other Allied nation of World War II has compensated its POWs of the Japanese. That includes Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada. They did it because the Japanese wouldn’t. But the USA is quietly waiting for all of its POWs of the Japanese to die which will make the matter to go away. Those POWs are now in their 80s and 90s. It won’t be long now. Shame on us.

The movie poster shown here with this posting was advertising the very first movie to use the Japanese attack as promotion for a film. The movie was released by Republic Pictures in May 1942. Copyright 2008 by Walter Haan, www.war-books.com