US TROOPS SLAUGHTER 7 WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT CHECKPOINT

Here's the grim run down from today:

According to the "New Rules of Engagement" (must go with our "new Constitution"), US Troops are allowed, in essence, to fire at anything that moves and ask questions later in "war zones." As a result, in the past 24 hours, the civilians slaughtered by our troops is on the rise. One British reporter was stunned to report seeing civilian bodies littering a bridge near Basra - shot down by Americans because they were trying to leave. This afternoon, US troops near a checkpoint fired on a beat up old van packed with 13 women and children, killing 7, several (number not disclosed yet). Yet we are supposed to be "liberators," "better than Saddam," "winning the hearts and minds of the people." Last night, a US pilot killed a British soldier in a tank - the plane swooped at the tank in two attacks, despite the tank being clearly marked and despite the presence of scores of civilians near the tank. A suriving British solder described the US pilot's behavior as reckless - a "cowboy", and added that the American pilots especially were exhibiting a "lack of regard for human life."

REFUGEE CRISIS SEVERE

Courageous StarTribue writer Paul McEnroe in northern Iraq reports today that 400,000 Kurds - famililes - have been driven into the wilds of Northern Iraq by the Bush war and are now living in unbelievably harsh conditions, many without tents. Hundreds of children have respiratory infections. Doctors say they are overwhelmed. I was disgusted listening to a "round table" discussion of humanitarian aid needs on the Mark Steiner show today by a group of people (aid bureaucrats, some of them connected to Johns Hopkins) who claimed there was no evidence of a refugee problem, no evidence of an immediate humanitarian crsis (it's only "looming"). They exhibited as much emotion on their subject as participants in a "junior league" meeting.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1762/3790145.html

TRUTH ABOUT HUMANITARIAN AID COMES OUT

Contrary to the Bush/Franks'Brooks/Rummy lie machine, the Red Cross reports that it was only in the past few days that it has managed to get water back on for about 60% of Basra. However, it says that large blocks of the city are still without clean drinking water. The Red Cross also says that it was only TODAY that they were allowed to visit Iraqi POWs for the first time. The workers who visited the men refused to comment on their condition...not a good sign.

FOX NETWORK RESPONSIBLE FOR PETER ARNETT'S FIRING, SPREADS DISINFORMATION ABOUT GERALDO RIVERA

NBC had planned to keep veteran war correspondant Arnett on despite his extremely accurate, honest statements about Bush's disastrous war. But FOX launched a massive campaign against Arnette, calling his patriotism into question (i.e., he sicced (sicked?) the Freepers on Arnett. You should have heard them on C-SPAN - the rabid dog brigade. (FOX's concern with American patriotism is such a joke - they are owned by Australian Rupert Murdoch!). Now it comes out that FOX also disseminated the rumor about Geraldo Rivera being expelled from Iraq - then blamed the rumor on NBC. Sounds like the pots are starting to call the kettles black!!

I am definitely going to be on "high alert" for news stories planted by corporate networks like NBC or FOX, designed to be later "exposed" to discredit those who pick them up. I thought the Rivera story sounded a bit too "convenient."

Bush Really IS Trying to Starve the Iraqis into Submission! The Truth Now Comes Out About Blcoked Humanitarian Aid

It is becoming glaringly clear that Bush laid absolutely no plans for humanitarian aid delivery before declaring war on Iraq. What did he think - that the elves would leave it in the night? But the reality is now coming out: Civilian aid workers are being blocked from even getting food and medicine across the Kuwait-Iraq border...there is a water pipeline into the area - but only into secured areas - a small fraction so far...most sewage and water treatment plants in Basra have been knocked out..But Bush and Rummy say "There's NO evidence of a humanitarian crisis." In what parallel universe?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s821108.htm

BUSH CAUGHT IN HUMANITARIAN AID LIE RED-HANDED

Bush lied about humanitarian aid - no aid from US likely to arrive before mid-April: only 500,000 tons of wheat and rice (combined total) have been released by the administration. Only 50,000 tons of this has been shipped and is not expected to arrive before mid-April. An additional 110,000 tons was supposedly released earlier, but seems to have disappeared into the ether. Meanwhile, the current aid is being provided by the Brits (Sir Galahad). Bush has succeeded in letting the allies "pick up the tab" for humanitarian aid in near future. See Fact sheet at:

http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/text2003/032130usaid.htm