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I was grateful for FAIR then, and I am now.

Weeks after the invasion of Iraq began, Fox News Channel host Brit Hume delivered a scathing speech critiquing the media’s supposedly pessimistic assessment of the Iraq War. “The majority of the American media who were in a position to comment upon the progress of the war in the early going, and even after that, got it wrong,” Hume complained in the April 2003 speech (Richmond Times Dispatch, 4/25/04). “They didn’t get it just a little wrong. They got it completely wrong.” Hume was perhaps correct—but almost entirely in the opposite sense. Days or weeks into the war, commentators and reporters made premature declarations of victory, offered predictions about lasting political effects and called on the critics of the war to apologize. Three years later, the Iraq War grinds on at the cost of at least tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. Around the same time as Hume’s speech, syndicated columnist Cal Thomas declared (4/16/03): “All of the printed and voiced prophecies should be saved in an archive. When these false prophets again appear, they can be reminded of the error of their previous ways and at least be offered an opportunity to recant and repent. Otherwise, they will return to us in another situation where their expertise will be acknowledged, or taken for granted, but their credibility will be lacking.” Gathered here are some of the most notable media comments from the early days of the Iraq War. (via ‘The Final Word Is Hooray!’ — FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting)

Winter Soldier - Two Minute Ad Spot

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan featured testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground.

This four-day event brought together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - and present video and photographic evidence. In addition, panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists gave context to the testimony. These panels covered everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans’ health benefits and support.

I’ve used some of these interviews in my class, and intend to do so again.

(Source: youtube.com)

South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu made waves by refusing to attend the recent Discovery Invest Leadership Summit in Johannesburg because of the presence of former British prime minister Tony Blair. His reasoning? Blair is a war criminal because of his support for and participation in the 2003 George W. Bush invasion and occupation of Iraq. Tutu is tired of African leaders being dragged off to special courts or the International Criminal Court for trial on charges of having committed crimes against humanity, while white European leaders get a pass.

The leadership conference did go on, and Blair addressed it, defending himself on the Iraq War, saying that even if there had not been weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein had been a brutal dictator who killed thousands and used poison gas against his own people, and now he is gone; what, he asked, is wrong with that result? Blair’s self-defense is ethically and legally weak, since it takes the form of an “the ends justify the means” argument. Ironically, al-Qaeda, Blair’s arch-enemy, argues the same way in justification of its killing. Blair was paid thousands of dollars to attend the conference; if Tutu had gone, he would have spoken gratis.

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—	Juan Cole, Tutu Slams Tony Blair for Illegal Iraq War, boycotts Leadership Conference” \| Informed Comment 9/2/12

Brian Arredondo, R.I.P.

I wrote about my feelings about this earlier in the week. Here’s what Cindy Sheehan said.

via UJP

“He Suffered So Much”

May 10, 1987 to December 19, 2011
by Cindy Sheehan

Brian Arredondo was 17 when his 20 year-old brother, Alex, a U.S. Marine, was killed in Iraq on 25 August, 2004. He was 24 this past Monday, 19 December, when he took his own life.

To remember Brian Arredondo Carlos Arredondo, the father of Alex and Brian, his only children, was so distraught when the Marines came to tell him that his oldest son was killed, he caught their van and himself on fire, burning over 26% of his body. His recovery from his physical wounds was long and difficult, but his emotional wounds from having his son killed by the U.S. government in its illegal and immoral war in Iraq will never completely heal. However, I know since my son, Casey, was killed in Iraq only four months before Alex, that Carlos was beginning to be able to get through his days without overwhelming pain before his other son committed suicide.

Carlos, and his wife, Melida (stepmother to the boys) are part of our Camp Casey family and the wider peace movement. Carlos credits Camp Casey with giving him his “voice” to be able to speak for Alex and against the war that took his life. When we held our Camp Casey gatherings, Carlos would always be there with his rolling monument to his son, Alex, and he would often be the first one to get up in the morning and the last one to go to bed—he was always working and there for me when I needed a bottle of water, a plate of food, or a hug. However, Carlos could always take a break to talk to a visitor to make him/her feel welcome, and share his son’s story.

Carlos and Melida are wonderful people who have sacrificed much for peace—and even though I wouldn’t wish this kind of pain on anybody—they did not deserve to bury even one son, let alone two.

Honoring Brian Arredondo

Brian Arredondo’s wakewill be held Tuesday, December 27, 4 to 9 pm, Mann and Rodgers Funeral Home, 44 Perkins St, Jamaica Plain.

A funeral mass will be held Wednesday, December 28, at 10am, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, 97 South St., Jamaica Plain.

The funeral mass will be followed by a procession and interment at Rural Cemetery at intersection of Pemberton and North Streets, Walpole. Brian will be laid to rest next to his brother Alexander.

The peace movement will sponsor a reception after the interment, 3pm-6pm, at First Church in Jamaica Plain (Unitarian-Universalist), 6 Eliot St. The church was the scene of the candle-light vigil the night after Brian’s death, and its lawn is home to Camp Alex, a display of antiwar messages created by Carlos Arredondo. Members of the peace movement are requested to bring food to the reception or donate money towards refreshments.

If you are in position to do so, please send a donation to help cover funeral expenses to: Brian Arredondo Memorial Fund, c/o The Cooperative Bank, 40 Belgrade Avenue, Roslindale, MA 02131.

Civil Society and “Arab Spring” in Iraq

Terry Rockefeller – 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 1pm
First Church in Cambridge, Congregational, 11 Garden Street, Hastings Room • Harvard Square T

A Peace Action Lunchtime Seminar • $5 donation requested for the light lunch

Terry Rockefeller will report back on her recent trip to Iraq, where she attended the Third Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI), an international conference in Erbil. Under the theme “Another Iraq is Possible with Peace and Human Rights,” ICSSI was attended by about 150 Iraqi and 100 representatives of international civil society organizations. At the meeting participants discussed the challenges that Iraqi people are facing, the issues on which Iraqi civil society is now working, and the kinds of solidarity needed among Iraqi NGOs and international organizations to bring about democratic change, social justice, human rights, freedom, and dignity for all Iraqis.

She will particularly address:

• anger and a search for how to address pollution and the grave health affects due to war damages
• Iraqis’ discussions of privatization of oil resources
• Ongoing obstacles to having a free civil society
• Iraqis’ thoughts on withdrawal of US troops; US peace and justice activists’ need to monitor practices of private security contractors

Listen to Terry Rockefeller’s interview with Callie Crossley on WGBH, September 7, 2011.

Senator Kerry, Represent US!

The Super Committee is due to report its $1.5 trillion budget cutting plan in only one month, and it’s important that Senator Kerry hear from thousands of people across Massachusetts!

A Massachusetts Peace Action delegation (left), including visiting Guardian correspondent Jonathan Steele, turned in 600 petition signatures and 150 hand-written postcards last Wednesday to Ed Birce of Sen. Kerry’s Boston office.

Saying “Don’t Balance the Budget on our Backs!”, the petitions and cards from Massachusetts voters call on Sen. Kerry to end wars, cut military spending, create jobs, preserve services and benefits, and restore tax fairness.

Give your input to Senator Kerry! Send him an online postcard, sign our petition, or read about other ways you can participate in the campaign!

Join Massachusetts Peace Action - or renew your membership today for 2011!
Dues are $40/year or $10 for student/unemployed/low income. Your financial support makes this work possible!

Massachusetts Peace Action, 11 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138
617-354-2169 • info@masspeaceaction.org • Follow us on Facebook or Twitter

After a decade of war, the nation that we need to build — and the nation we will build — is our own.

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Barack Obama “Obama declares Iraq war over with all US troops home at year’s end” - TheHill.com by Sam Youngman, 10/21/11

President Obama announced Friday that the U.S. will complete its drawdown of troops by the end of the year, concluding the war in Iraq after almost nine years.

Some of us have been working for this end for nine years. I want to see all the details, especially about PMCs guarding the world’s largest embassy, but this is a positive step. Next up, Afghanistan.

No doubt Obama’s trying to shore up his base. Bring it.

Iraq citizens plan to sue George W. Bush - UPI.com »

Someone has to do it.

BAGHDAD, June 16 (UPI) — An unknown number of Iraqis have decided to sue former U.S. President George W. Bush over relatives who were killed in the war, officials said.

Aswat al-Iraq reported Thursday the suits are to be based on U.S. military operations in west Iraq’s Anbar Province during the years that followed Iraq’s occupation in 2003.