Jill Carroll and the idiotic propaganda from both sides

I join the many Christians and Moslems, as well as the multitudes from other religions, who are joyfully celebrating Jill Carroll's release. Unfortunately, my joy is tempered with sadness, when I consider the degree to which she has succumbed to the crude, irrational propaganda of the evil forces of our world.

Jill is right in condemning those who killed her friend Alan, and thereby devastated his family. I would gladly pull the trigger of my .45 Colt Commander, or the M-16 I carried in combat during my assignment in Vietnam, to avenge their untimely deaths, even though my Christian religion prohibits such acts of revenge. Unfortunately, unlike Jesus, I am only human, and have a great deal of difficulty in sublimating my anger. I suspect that Moslems, including my friend Samir Farah, who, with my help, argued for the Arab cause so fervently on the Ed Bush talk show many years ago, are burdened with similar problems of our imperfect humanity, for only God is great.

Though I am only one insignificant person, I humbly thank those who sacrificed to make her freedom possible. I know that God will reward them for their kindness, which He demands of us.

Groessenwahnsinn (Megalomania)

Several recent press reports have suggested we (the US) are planning up to 14 permanent bases in Iraq.

The United States, with other Allies, occupied Germany in 1945, and stayed because the "Cold War" began. The cold war has been over for many years, and yet we are still there. The same dreary fate awaits Iraq.

This administration's drug and alcohol induced logic, which caused the shooting of Cheney's hunting companion, governs what passes for "foreign policy" these days.

We Must Find the Words

The photo in this post shows a small boy, detained with his father by our American Armed Forces. If you and your son were forced to endure this sort of emotional torment, how would YOU react to the invaders?

Multiply this scene by a thousand, perhaps by hundreds of thousands, and you will begin to understand why most of the residents of Iraq do not entirely love their "guests".

I do understand. My grandmother, mother, and I endured similar torments during the Soviet and Polish occupation of my German hometown from 1945 to 1947.

In the last posting before his death, Tom Fox quoted an Islamic cleric, who tried to explain the gut-wrenching torment of the innocent civilians of that devastated city: "The ongoing difficulties faced by Fallujans are so great that words fail to properly express it". Nevertheless, we must try to find the appropriate words, though they fall pitifully short of the emotions from which they spring.

In his weblog Tom had written: "I am to stand firm against the kidnapper as I am to stand firm against the soldier."....."If Jesus and Ghandi were right, then I am asked to risk my life, and if I lose it, to be as forgiving as they, when murdered by the forces of Satan."

Tom's body was found concealed in a garbage bag, in a vacant lot near the West Baghdad railway line. The many scars on his back gave ample evidence of severe beatings. His hands had been tied, and there were numerous gunshot wounds at his head and chest. Which side of this dehumanizing conflict gained from his death?Please CLICK HERE to visit those who supported this humble ambassador of Christ.

Another Pat Tillman Investigation

There is no doubt that Pat Tillman was a hero. If forsaking a multi-million dollar contract in order to put himself in harm's way is not selfless heroism, I have no idea what deed might fit that definition.

Based on everything I have read, his death was caused by a number of gross errors by those in command. Since I led two advisory teams in Vietnam, I believe that I can comment authoritatively concerning the decisions by his commander, pending additional information, which has not yet been communicated to us:

1. One of the unit's vehicles broke down. The commander decided to leave half of his team with the vehicle in a small Afghan village, while the remainder were to return to their base camp. Unfortunately, the entire team was too small to defend against a substantial attack, and splitting the team made that situation even worse.

2. The team in the village was able to find a vehicle to tow their disabled vehicle, and decided to follow the first unit, apparently without notifying that unit of it's course of action.

3. The first half of the team heard them coming, assumed they were an enemy unit, and prepared an ambush, firing on their comrades when they came in range.

4. The second half of the team thought they were being attacked by enemy soldiers, and decided to return fire. Among them was an indigenous guide or interpreter, who had been allowed to carry an AK-47. That weapon has a distinctive sound, which is substantially different from our M-16's. In addition, the weapon probably fired green tracers - our M-16 tracers are red.

5. The first half of the team, watching green tracers from the second unit, was now certain that they were facing an enemy unit, and did what it could to wipe them out. In Vietnam, I carried a pocket size code book, which could be used to encode my transmissions, and I suspect that the Special Forces commander had one as well. When in doubt as to the automatic weapons fire coming in their directions, the commander of each of the two elements should have taken a few moments to encode a message to the other unit, but that would have been difficult by the rapidly diminishing light of the setting sun, and the use of a flashlight would have revealed their position to enemy forces in the vicinity.

A Warning to Jill Carroll's Kidnappers!

Jill Carroll's kidnappers are rapidly diminishing the tiny reservoir of sympathy for the Iraqi resistance movement, which still exists in this world. As a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, who has been humbled by his inability to prevent "collateral damage" to innocents, when such restraint might cause death or injury to his advisory team, I have spoken against the current war in Iraq and Afghanistan, which has brought almost unimaginable pain to the Iraqui people, since before its beginning, and I have helped to found VeteransAgainstTorture, because I fervently believe in the justice of that cause.

My profound sympathy for the plight of the Iraqui people does not extend to the vile kidnappers of this innocent girl. My message to them: "Keep it up, and you will count the destruction of our antiwar movement among your accomplishments.

Even God will not forgive you, if you do!

Wolfgang P. May
Captain, Armor
Advisory Team Leader
Republic of Vietnam

Veterans Against Torture

I am proud to be a founding member of Veterans Against Torture
When I served as Intelligence Operations Officer of the 4th US Armored Division in Goeppingen Germany, I was proud to work with some of the highly trained professional interrogators of our MI company.

If we want reliable intelligence, we cannot use shortcuts in that business. It takes a few days, but the result is always information on which our armed forces can act with confidence, and produce positive results. For an inside look at these wonderful, underpaid professionals of our military intelligence, read: "Talking with Victor Charlie" by Sedgwick D. Tourison, Jr.

Torture may satisfy some perverted instincts, but the result is useless garbage.

It's over: US Labor Decides for Peace

On Saturday, April 29, 2006, there will be a day of reckoning for the Bush Administration, whose members have been drawn from the privileged few of our society, and who have never found it necessary to serve in a war.

Trade unionists, religious and community groups, civil rights and social justice organizatiions, environmentalists, students, and people from all walks of life, will tell your administration to end the war in Iraq, dismantle US bases, and bring our troops home now. Instead of wars and occupations, let us fund jobs, health care, education and housing.

President Bush: Though I, as a combat veteran, respect your office, you, who avoided service in Vietnam by flying National Guard aircraft in Texas, while I was privileged to serve as Advisory Team Leader to the 748 Montagnard Regional Forces Company in Ngo Trang, between Kontum and Dak To, and at Trung Lap, at the edge of the "Iron Triangle", are not qualified to speak for the many brave combat veterans of our great nation.

I respectfully request that you lead by example, as George Washington did, or get out of Iraq!