Military Resistance:

thomasfbarton@earthlink.net

9.30.12

Print it out: color best. Pass it on.

Military Resistance 10I19

Combat Commanders Defy DoD To Keep On Using Rifles That Endanger Soldiers Lives By Reinforcing Suspicions That The United States Is Waging A Crusade Against Muslims:
I Honestly Believe That This Is A Dangerous Situation. It Literally Could Be A Matter Of Life And Death

For A Soldier If He Fell Into The Wrong Hands, Said An Army Officer
Its An Embarrassment And Makes Us Look Exactly Like The Tenth Incarnation Of The Crusades Which Launches 8 Million New Jihadist Recruiting Videos

The code on an ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight) made for the U.S. military by defense contractor Trijicon. The lettering at the end, JN8:12 refers to the Bible passage John 8:12. Photo: Army officer, Fort Hood, Texas 9.27.2012 By Kari Huus, NBC News [Excerpts] When the so-called Jesus rifle came to light in Jan. 2010, it sparked constitutional and security concerns, and a maelstrom of media coverage. The Pentagon ordered the removal of the secret code referring to Bible passages that the manufacturer had inscribed on the scopes of the standard issue rifles carried by U.S. soldiers into battle in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nearly three years later despite the militarys assertion that is making good progress the code remains on many rifles deploying to Afghanistan, which some soldiers argue is endangering their lives by reinforcing suspicions that the United States is waging a crusade against Muslims.

I honestly believe that this is a dangerous situation. It literally could be a matter of life and death for a soldier if he fell into the wrong hands, said an Army officer who spoke to NBC News from Fort Hood, Texas. The fact that combatant commanders are not following (rules set by Department of Defense) commanders is very disturbing to me. The officer, who asked not to be named out of fear of reprisal from commanders, provided a photograph, taken on Tuesday, of the code on an M-4 rifle assigned to a soldier who is slated to deploy to Afghanistan in coming weeks. The code stamped into the metal of the soldiers ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight) ends with the model number with JN8:12. which refers to the New Testament passage, John 8:12, which reads: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Other rifle scopes among some 250,000 provided by Michigan-based manufacturer Trijicon were imprinted with codes that point to passages in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Corinthians and Revelation, ABC News reported when it broke the news in 2010. Trijicon, reportedly had been following this practice for at least two decades, and it was well known to gun enthusiasts. But these scopes attach to M-4 assault rifles used by U.S. troops, allies and Afghan and Iraqi forces being trained by the U.S. military. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit group that aggressively pursues the separation of church and state in defense institutions, first flagged the issue in late 2009 after receiving scores of complaints from active duty military members. Its constitutionally noxious, said foundation president Mikey Weinstein. Its an embarrassment and makes us look exactly like the tenth incarnation of the crusades which launches 8 million new jihadist recruiting videos. In Jan 2010, Trijicon which had a multi-year Defense Department contract to provide up to 800,000 sights, announced it would stop printing the verses on new scopes for the military use and provide modification kits for the removal of the code on existing scopes. The Department of Defense said it would modify the scopes, starting with those on bases, though in March said it might take as long as a year. Not all observers thought removal of the unobtrusive lettering on the scopes was a matter of great urgency. I understand that we have already started to address this issue, said retired Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, in a debate with Weinstein on ABC News in March 2010. You may argue its not fast enough, but he said he saw no evidence that the code presented a security issue.

Fast forward two and a half years, and Jesus rifles are still widely used in the United States and in areas of conflict, according to the Fort Hood officer, who was deployed to Iraq in 2010-2011. He says he has never seen a fixit kit. Weinstein of MRFF said he has received more than 2,800 complaints from troops about the Jesus rifles now even more widely known to Afghans and Iraqis, in part because of the controversy. Iraqis absolutely know that its a Jesus rifle, said the Fort Hood officer, based on his experience. Do all the Afghans and Taliban know about this? Probably not. But the ones who do could ultimately affect the life of a soldier, said the officer. Theres absolutely no reason this couldnt have been done in the first six weeks. And that just leads me to wonder why is the Army leadership not taking ownership of the responsibility of completing this task? Contacted by NBC News, scope-maker Trijicon directed calls to the head of sales and marketing Tom Munson, who relayed the message through his secretary that he had no interest in discussing the Jesus rifle. NBC News queries to the military about the plan to remove the gospel-referencing code were answered in the form of an email statement saying the corrective measures the Army took to remove the code were still ongoing.

AFGHANISTAN WAR REPORTS

While U.S. Troops Are Fighting And Dying On The Battlefield, U.S. Diplomats Are Fueling The Conflict
As Dying Children Are Inconsistent With The Embassys Propaganda, Impoverished Areas Of Afghanistan

Are Kept Off Of Ambassador Arellanos Press Tours

People Are Starving In The Afghan Countryside While U.S. Diplomats Party With The Wealthy In Kabul
8 September 2012 by Matthew J. Nasuti, Kabul Press [Excerpts] Life is good for U.S. Ambassador Hilda Arellano. With her salary in excess of $200,000 per year (which includes danger and hardship pay - even though she is in no danger and faces no hardships), she enjoys a comfortable life in Kabul. She occasionally travels to relatively safe areas of Afghanistan such as the city of Herat and Province of Bamyan, but never where she is needed, which is in the more desperate, poverty-stricken areas of southern and eastern Afghanistan. In just two provinces (Kandahar and Helmand), the United Nations reports that over one million Afghan children are malnourished to such an extent that they exist on a famine level. None of that matters to the U.S. Embassy because its goal is to project progress and happiness. As dying children are inconsistent with the Embassys propaganda, impoverished areas of Afghanistan are kept off of Ambassador Arellanos press tours. Hilda M. Arellano is currently the Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and a Counselor at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). When the public hears of billions in U.S. foreign aid being wasted on unnecessary and poorly considered infrastructure projects in Iraq and Afghanistan, those responsible are never publicly named, but Ambassador Arellano is one of them. While she bares responsibility for some of these scandals, such scandals have never harmed her career. The reason is that there is a complete lack of accountability within USAID. As a result, the agency remains unrepentant and impervious to reform, and therefore the scandals continue.

In August 2012, Ambassador Arellano took a highly publicized trip to Herat in which she was given a guided tour of the Doost Marble Factory and then she met with province officials. She next undertook a similar Potempkin village trip to Bamyan with Ambassador James Cunningham. Then she returned to Kabul for an August 26, 2012 Mobile Money Executive Seminar, which Ambassador Arellano promptly pronounced as an undeniable success. She also supervises numerous trendy USAID programs including, The Education and Gender Program. This is how USAID operates. The focus is on photo opportunities, fancy luncheons and endless meetings regarding programs with progressive titles, but which accomplish little of substance. Ambassador Arellano and her boss, USAID Director Rajiv Shah, remain oblivious to the fact that while their actions may temporarily make President Obamas policies appear to be a success, the overall Afghan effort has been a failure, and more than that a dangerous failure. People are starving in the Afghan countryside while U.S. diplomats party with the wealthy in Kabul. According to United Nations statistics, 275 Afghan children under five years of age die every day from preventable illnesses, especially malnutrition. This statistic was first reported in a 2004 U.N. survey and it has not improved. There has been no progress. One culprit is Secretary of State Hillary Clintons smart power initiative. This flawed talking point promotes the idea that USAID should focus on dispensing development aid, when what the world more desperately needs is humanitarian assistance, (i.e., food, clean water and medical care). Historically, USAID development aid usually does nothing more than make the ruling class in target country richer. In Afghanistan, there is unanimous agreement that the billions spent there have not trickled down to ordinary Afghans. It is not a success to improve the banks in Kabul while people go hungry in the countryside. Part of USAIDs aversion to humanitarian assistance is that dispensing X number of tons of food aid does not support a sexy press release. In addition, dispensing such food aid would require USAID officials to leave their comfortable offices and work in the countryside alongside the poorest and most remote of Afghanistans peoples. That is considered unacceptable.

Secretary Clinton has repeatedly stated that protecting U.S. diplomats and USAID managers is her top priority (rather than winning the war). Winning the war requires a significant daily U.S. civilian presence in the countryside. What U.S. diplomats also ignore are the long-term consequences to the United States of this bungled USAID effort. If one million Pashto children are slowly dying in Afghanistans south, those children have parents, siblings and relatives who see this happening day by day, while hearing of U.S. boasts of success and progress. They hear of the mansions sprouting up in Kabul and the brothels that cater to NATO and UN officials and their contractors. They hear that the U.S. Embassy has ignored the ban on alcohol that the U.S. military has ordered, and information on drunken parties is well known. This has to spur Taliban recruitment and spur Afghan security and army personnel to turn on the Americans. While U.S. troops are fighting and dying on the battlefield, U.S. diplomats are fueling the conflict. When Ambassador Arellano traveled to Herat, she praised the new U.S. consulate there. That consulate, and in fact a large percentage of USAIDs personnel, belongs in Kandahar City, with the rest of USAIDs staff perhaps in Khost City. It is in those areas where the war against the Taliban is being lost. USAID personnel need to be in the field supervising projects on a daily basis. They need to also be dispensing food aid. The policy should be that no fancy USAID development projects are funded in any country while any child there is sick with hunger. USAID officials, such as Ambassador Arellano, may be creating consequences that will far outlast the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan. As the Ambassador leaves next year for her new promotion and assignment, those who lost children due to her disdain for (unsexy) humanitarian aid are unlikely to forget what has occurred.

Troops Invited:
Comments, arguments, articles, and letters from service men and women, and veterans, are especially welcome. Write to Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657 or email contact@militaryproject.org: Name, I.D., withheld unless you request publication. Same address to unsubscribe.

Resistance Action

[Graphic: flickr.com/photos]

Sep 29 By Sadaf Shinwari, Khaama Press According to local authorities in western Herat province of Afghanistan, at least 2 Afghan police officers were killed following an explsoion at Adraskan district. The officials further added two other police officers were also injured following the blast. Adraskan district security chief Sher Aqa Alokozai confirming the report said the incident took place early Saturday morning after a police vehicle struck with the roadside bomb at Mir Ali area.

IF YOU DONT LIKE THE RESISTANCE END THE OCCUPATION

FORWARD OBSERVATIONS

At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. Oh had I the ability, and could reach the nations ear, I would, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose. Frederick Douglass, 1852

A revolution is always distinguished by impoliteness, probably because the ruling classes did not take the trouble in good season to teach the people fine manners. -- Leon Trotsky, History Of The Russian Revolution

There Is Hardly A Campaign Promise From 2008 That Obama Has Not Broken
Politicians Are The Public Face Of Corporate Power. They Are Corporate Employees
You Can Swallow The False Argument Of The Lesser Of Two Evils
But Ask Yourself, Once This Nightmare Starts Kicking In, Who The Real Sucker Is
September 24, 2012 By Chris Hedges, Truthdig [Excerpts]

We will all swallow our cup of corporate poison. We can take it from nurse Romney, who will tell us not to whine and play the victim, or we can take it from nurse Obama, who will assure us that this hurts him even more than it hurts us, but one way or another the corporate hemlock will be shoved down our throats. And while Romney has been, courtesy of the magazine Mother Jones, exposed as a shallow hypocrite, Obama is in a class by himself. There is hardly a campaign promise from 2008 that Obama has not broken. This list includes his pledges to support the public option in health care, close Guantanamo, raise the minimum wage, regulate Wall Street, support labor unions in their struggles with employers, reform the Patriot Act, negotiate an equitable peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, curb our imperial expansion in the Middle East, stop torture, protect reproductive rights, carry out a comprehensive immigration reform, cut the deficit by half, create 5 million new energy jobs and halt home foreclosures. Obama, campaigning in South Carolina in 2007, said that as president he would fight for the right of collective bargaining. Id put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, Ill walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States of America, he said. But when he got his chance to put on those comfortable pair of shoes during labor disputes in Madison, Wis., and Chicago he turned his back on working men and women. You get the point. Obama is not in charge. Romney would not be in charge. Politicians are the public face of corporate power. They are corporate employees. Their personal narratives, their promises, their rhetoric and their idiosyncrasies are meaningless. And that, perhaps, is why the cost of the two presidential campaigns is estimated to reach an obscene $2.5 billion. The corporate state does not produce a product that is different. It produces brands that are different. And brands cost a lot of money to sell. You can dismiss those of us who will in protest vote for a third-party candidate and invest our time and energy in acts of civil disobedience. You can pride yourself on being practical.

You can swallow the false argument of the lesser of two evils. But ask yourself, once this nightmare starts kicking in, who the real sucker is.

Advice: Ask A Medic (Ep. 1)

August 20, 2012 by John Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Mittle; The Duffle Blog About The Author: John Mittle is a former Army Medic with seven years experience. Johns favorite APFT event is the thousand yard stare, and has a keen interest in attempting to draw the worlds first perfect freehand circle. John often enjoys sitting on the back porch with his favorite drink the Salty Dog (double shot), listening to Scottish Bagpipes, while reading Duffel Blog articles. **************************************************************************************** Ask A Medic is your semi-regular advice column where you can get advice about all those burning, stinging, tingling questions you are just too damn embarrassed to go to sick call for. The advice of the Doc is not to be used as a replacement for seeing an actual medical professional. Doc Feelgood is a former WWII medic that stormed the beaches of Normandy. He is one bad ass mother fucker. DEAR DOC: Can I get my girlfriend pregnant over Skype? We have been deployed six months and she is three months pregnant and that is the only way it makes sense to me? -CONCEIVED BY COMPUTER at FOB Altimur, Afghanistan DEAR CONCEIVED BY COMPUTER: Unless your wife has come in contact with some of your leftover sperm submitted during one of your pre-deployment porn marathons, hell no. My advice to you is dont sign the damn birth certificate, or arrange for her to fall down the stairs.

DEAR DOC: I think I have athletes foot. My dad is an old school Marine and he said to pee on it. Is there any truth that this will cure athletes foot? -WHIZ QUIZ in Fort Huachuca, AZ DEAR WHIZ QUIZ: Oh the old piss on the foot trick, haha. Well I tell you what. Firstly no, it doesnt work, but between you and me, tell your dad Doc says it only works if you also shit on your foot. The results should be quite interesting. DEAR DOC: Hey doc I have a problem, my left nut has swollen to the size of a grapefruit and really hurts. My command says that I am a malingering shitbag because I want to go to sick call and get it checked out. I have begun pissing blood and I can barely walk, but Top and the CO have threatened me with an Article 15 if I go, and say all I need to do is suck it up. Do you think I should go or am I just being a pussy? -BLUE BALLS in Fort Lewis, WA DEAR BLUE BALLS: Yeah youre being a pussy, really your balls are the size of a grapefruit, and youre complaining. Let me know when your little juevos get to be this big. With that being said I dont think you have anything to complain about, so return to duty, drink some water, and drive on Soldier.

OCCUPATION PALESTINE

Zionists Fine Sick Palestinian POW For Wanting To Go To Hospital:

Brash, Who Only Has One Leg, Is Serving Three Life Sentences Plus 35 Years
September 27, 2012 Middle East Monitor Israels Ashkelon Prison administrators have imposed a financial penalty on Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Khamis Brash after he asked to go to hospital for treatment, the Palestinian Prisoners Club (PPC) alleged on Wednesday. Brash, who suffers from serious health problems, is being held by Israel in what have been described as inhumane conditions.

During a medical examination, the prisoner asked the nurse to be transferred to hospital to receive proper treatment. The nurse refused to countenance such a move and a fierce argument ensued, leading to Brash being fined NIS200 (around $51). Brash, who only has one leg, is serving three life sentences plus 35 years. According to the PPC, his health problems have arisen due to neglect by the prison authorities. The organisation called on the Israeli Prison Service to transfer Brash to the hospital urgently for potentially life-saving treatment. [To check out what life is like under a murderous military occupation commanded by foreign terrorists, go to: www.rafahtoday.org The occupied nation is Palestine. The foreign terrorists call themselves Israeli.]

MILITARY RESISTANCE BY EMAIL

If you wish to receive Military Resistance immediately and directly, send request to contact@militaryproject.org. There is no subscription charge.

DANGER: POLITICIANS AT WORK

Win One For Our Side:

University Must Pay Damages Of $30,000 To Each Of The 21 UC Davis Students And Alumni Pepper-Sprayed By Enemy Combatant

University of California, Davis, Police Lt. John Pike uses pepper spray on students in peaceful protest. (photo: Louise Macabitas September 26, 2012 By Stephen Ceasar, Los Angeles Times [Excerpts] The University of California will pay damages of $30,000 to each of the 21 UC Davis students and alumni who were pepper-sprayed by campus police during an otherwise peaceful protest 10 months ago, the university system announced Wednesday. The agreement, which must still be approved in federal court, also calls for UC to pay a total of $250,000 to the plaintiffs attorneys and set aside a maximum of $100,000 to pay up to $20,000 to any other individuals who join the class-action lawsuit by proving they were either arrested or directly pepper-sprayed, a university statement said. A video released online, showing an officer spraying seated students directly in their faces at close range during an Occupy rally, had triggered outrage. And UCs own investigations and a shake-up at the UC Davis police force put the university in a weak position to argue against the students lawsuit. The preliminary settlement, which was approved by the UC regents in a closed-door meeting earlier this month, will be paid through the UCs self-insurance program, which officials said has about $600 million in reserves. The settlement also calls for UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi to write a formal apology to each of the students and alumni who were pepper-sprayed or arrested. Fatima Sbeih, a plaintiff in the lawsuit who was pepper-sprayed, said in a statement the incident created a divide between students and campus police. Another protester, Ian Lee, who is entering his sophomore year at the school, said in a statement that he participated in the demonstrations because of the privatization of the university and rising tuition costs. I felt like the university silenced me, he said in the statement.]

In April, a UC task force headed by former state Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso found that UC Davis police had violated policy and that campus administrators mishandled the November 2011 campus protest. In May, a separate draft report about campus responses to civil disobedience across UC urged administrators to use mediation instead of confrontation in most cases, although it said pepper spray might remain a necessary tool of last resort. A final version was released this month with no major policy changes.

DO YOU HAVE A FRIEND OR RELATIVE IN MILITARY SERVICE?

Forward Military Resistance along, or send us the address if you wish and well send it regularly. Whether in Afghanistan or at a base in the USA, this is extra important for your service friend, too often cut off from access to encouraging news of growing resistance to the wars and economic injustice, inside the armed services and at home. Send email requests to address up top or write to: The Military Resistance, Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657.

CLASS WAR REPORTS

Class War Spain!

Protesters Encircle Spanish Parliament And Surround Police Vans:
Workers March Against Government Attack On Their Incomes And Benefits

26 September 2012: Protesters gather close to Spains Parliament during a demonstration in Madrid. Sergio Perez, Reuters

26 September 2012: Protesters gather close to Spains Parliament during a demonstration in Madrid. Andrea Comas; Reuters

26 September 2012: Protesters surround Police vans close to Spains Parliament during a demonstration in Madrid. Andrea Comas; Reuters 26 September 12 By Raphael Minder, The New York Times [Excerpts] The pressures facing the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy mounted on several fronts on Tuesday, as thousands of demonstrators besieged Parliament and Spains two largest regions took steps that underscored their deepening economic troubles and displeasure with his austerity plans. Presenting the biggest domestic political challenge, the leader of Catalonia, Spains most powerful economic region, called an early election for Nov. 25 that could turn into an unofficial referendum on whether to split from the rest of the country. The developments unfolded as police officers and protesters clashed before the Parliament building and as Mr. Rajoy comes under intense pressure from investors and his European counterparts to clean up Spains banks and public finances, particularly at the regional level. Mr. Rajoy has been debating whether to tap into a new bond-buying program proposed by the European Central Bank. While such additional help would considerably alleviate Spains debt problems, Mr. Rajoy finds himself in an increasingly tight bind between Spanish voters who oppose further cuts and investors and European finance officials demanding reassurance that Spain can meet budget deficit targets. On Tuesday, Parliament took on the appearance of a fortress as about 1,400 police officers ringed the building to keep back demonstrators.

Using their truncheons, the police scattered protesters in an effort to keep some approaches to the Parliament building open. By the evening, the police said that 10 people had been arrested and six had been injured.

Class War Greece:

Street Fighting Rocks Athens As 200,000 March Against Government Attack On Working Class Wages, Pensions And Benefits To Please Bankers;
Today Was A Huge Success As Witnessed By All Those In The Armed Forces And Police Who Also Participated Because They, Too, Will Be Affected By These Cuts
This Is A Warning To The Government Not To Pass The Measures

Demonstrators outside the Greek parliament in Athens. (photo: Aris Messinis/AFP 26 September 2012 Helena Smith in Athens and agencies, Guardian News and Media Limited [Excerpts]

Violence erupted in the heart of Athens as mass protests against further austerity measures in crisis-hit Greece escalated on Wednesday. Police fired tear gas at crowds throwing rocks and petrol bombs. The exchange disrupted an otherwise peaceful march through the capital by up to 200,000 demonstrators participating in a general strike, the first big confrontation with Greeces three-month-old coalition government. Industrial action, hailed as a triumph by unions, brought the country almost to a standstill, grounding flights, disrupting transport and shutting public services including tourist sites. The governing coalition, under immense pressure to pass yet more cuts by international creditors keeping the moribund Greek economy afloat, had ordered bulletproof barriers to be erected around the parliament but had hoped the protests would end peacefully. As smoke rose over parts of the city and protesters donned gas masks, it was clear those hopes had been dashed. About 3,000 officers twice the number usually deployed had been standing guard in central Athens as authorities braced for rioting. This is a warning to the government not to pass the measures, said Ilias Iliopoulos at the ADEDY, the union of civil servants, insisting that about 350,000 Greeks took part in protest marches. Today was a huge success as witnessed by all those in the armed forces and police who also participated because they, too, will be affected by these cuts. The government must know that if wants to push us further into a corner, we will react. Prime minister Antonis Samarass conservative-led alliance is expected to decide on Thursday on budget cuts totalling 11.9bn (9.46bn) more than 5% of the countrys GDP. Once endorsed, the controversial austerity package will be sent to parliament for ratification. Once the Greek people learn exactly what the measures are, there will be uproar, Iliopoulos said. There will be mass protests. Ships stayed docked, shops pulled down shutters, and museums and monuments including the Acropolis closed to visitors. Air traffic controllers walked off the job for three hours and hospitals were operating with emergency staffing levels only. Much of the union anger is directed at the additional spending cuts over the next two years that Greece has promised its troika of lenders the European Central Bank, the European commission and the International Monetary Fund in order to secure its next tranche of aid. The bulk of the cuts are expected from slashing wages, pensions and welfare benefits heaping new misery on Greeks, who say repeated rounds of austerity have pushed them

to the brink yet failed to transform the country for the better. A poll by the MRB agency last week showed that more than 90% of Greeks believe the planned cuts are unfair and a burden on the poor, with the vast majority expecting more austerity in coming years. With the country in its fifth year of recession, analysts said a strong public backlash could tear apart the weak coalition.

Rebels In Syrias Largest City, Trying To Demonstrate Fighting Strength On New Fronts, Pushing Into More Neighborhoods
Foreign Powers Arent Giving Us The Weaponry We Need
They Want To Maintain A Balance Of Military Power On The Ground
September 28, 2012 By NOUR MALAS, Wall Street Journal [Excerpts] BEIRUTRebels in Syrias largest city, trying to demonstrate fighting strength on new fronts, were pushing into more neighborhoods to try to break a stalemate in Aleppo, a key battleground in the countrys civil war. Antigovernment fighters also pledged to make a parallel push in Damascus, to try to seize momentum from an attack on army command headquarters there Wednesday. They said they hoped to stretch the armys capabilities by sparking new fighting in their effort to drive out President Bashar al-Assad. Activists described the offensive in Aleppo as an example of rebels, tired of hoping for foreign military help, finding their own ways to rearm. While the main Aleppo rebel force, the Tawhid Brigade, announced its offensive on Thursday, activists in the city say the push began a few days earlier, when fighters attacked the army Special Forces 46th regiment headquarters in Atarib, southwest of Aleppo, and captured weapons.

Foreign powers arent giving us the weaponry we need, said Abu Haytham, a 32-yearold activist in the area. They want to maintain a balance of military power on the ground. Other fighters from the council said they were in talks to recruit the Ansar al-Islam fighting group, an influential Islamist coalition that claimed responsibility for the bombing at the army command headquarters on Wednesday. They are quite sophisticated, and very popular, a Damascus-based fighter said. Ansar al-Islam said in a statement on its Facebook page that Wednesdays bombing was one part of a series of operations it will carry out in the heart of the capital an example of how rebel groups have become increasingly savvy at the psychological warfare that has been on display by both sides of the conflict.

MORE:

Europeans, Americans -- Must Understand That Their Governments Are Indirectly Responsible For The Killings In Our Country
We Asked All The Arms Dealers And Traffickers In The Region To Sell Us Anti-Aircraft Missiles
They Told Us They Needed The Green Light From The CIA And Mossad, And The Light Was Red We Will Defeat Them By Ourselves. The French Revolution Didnt Get Any Outside Help. This Is Our Revolution
September 26, 2012 By Michel Moutot, Daily Star

ATMEH, Syria: A Syrian rebel commander has accused the West of being complicit in the unprecedented massacres committed by President Bashar Assads forces by refusing to arm the rebels with anti-aircraft weapons. Rebel officer Ahmad al-Fajj, a brigadier-general in the regular Syrian army before his defection in the first days of the revolution, spoke in the rebel Free Syrian Army-held village of Atmeh on the Turkish border. The free peoples of the world -- Europeans, Americans -- must understand that their governments are indirectly responsible for the killings in our country, Fajj, 64, said in an interview with AFP on Tuesday. We asked all the arms dealers and traffickers in the region to sell us anti-aircraft missiles. They told us they needed the green light from the CIA and Mossad, and the light was red, he said. They wont sell us anti-tank weapons for the same reason. All we have to defeat Bashars tanks are the RPGs we manage to retrieve from the enemy. He claimed that with surface-to-air missiles the rebels would be able to defeat the regime forces in a week, a month at most. General Fajj, who bore an odd resemblance to the late Hafez al-Assad, former president and father of Bashar, said he could not fathom the Wests reluctance to supply the rebels with the necessary anti-aircraft equipment. Western nations fear that such weapons may fall into the hands of militant Islamists operating in the country. There arent many Islamists, less than a thousand in the whole of Syria. They have no power, he asserted. We control the liberated areas and I can guarantee you there is no chance theyd get hold of missiles. If Western countries had helped us from the beginning, they wouldnt even be here as we wouldnt need them. I assure you that after our victory they will not pose a problem. If they do well deal with them. The Syrian people dont support them, theyre on our side. I can promise the free peoples of the world that if surface-to-air missiles are given to us, they will not fall into the hands of Islamist groups, he said. As the U.N. General Assembly opened in New York Tuesday, Fajj complained: Democratic countries only support us with words. This is shameful for the world. They can see whats happening, buildings being destroyed by air strikes, and they do nothing. Fajj, commander of the rebels on the front line in western Aleppo, had been leading a four-day-old FSA assault on a crucial army post, base 46, which lies on the main road between the northern city and Turkey.

We are surrounding them. Yesterday a helicopter flew past to drop them bread. They cant get reinforcements because we hold all the roads. This base is the only obstacle on the road to Aleppo. If we take it, we can join up with our fighters in the city, which would be a key victory, he said. We have time anyway, he concluded. We will defeat them by ourselves. Itll take longer and many people, civilians in particular, will die as a result. The French revolution didnt get any outside help. This is our revolution.

Egyptian Workers Striking In Record Numbers:

The Precursors Of A Looming Social Revolution
Because Large Sections Of The Economy Are Owned Or Controlled By The Army, Strikes Against Its Holdings Can Be Seen As A Direct Challenge To The Military
300 Protests In The First Half Of September Which Is The Highest Number Registered Since The Beginning Of This Year
September 24, 2012 By: Bisan Kassab, Al-Akhbar English [Excerpts] Cairo -It is extremely important to give investors clear signals that the rules of the game have changed enough to ensure equal opportunities are provided, the statement read, and to prove to the Egyptians that all opportunities will be made available to the majority, not the minority.

This is not the platform of a center-left party, but rather part of a statement posted on the World Banks website. This view was echoed during the conference of the National Competitiveness Council (ENCC), held a few days ago. The ENCC is a non-governmental organization founded by businessmen and academics seeking to support the competitiveness of the Egyptian Economy. Ahmed Hassan al-Borai is a professor of social legislation at the Faculty of Law, a major corporate lawyer, and a former minister of manpower. A few days ago at the ENCC conference, he shocked his affluent audience when, during his minutes-long address, he warned of an imminent social revolution. Al-Borai told Al-Akhbar that the revolution he predicts could destroy everything and everybody. Al-Borai said he wanted the public to be aware of the threat posed by widespread social protests and labor strikes, and that the scenario warned against by government officials before the revolution could still come to pass. Back then, I said that social unrest quelled by using force against striking workers might escalate one day to create a major fire that is impossible to put out, he said. Al-Borai pointed to the adoption of economic justice slogans during the revolution as evidence of an impending upheaval. Al-Borais views about the precursors of a looming social revolution are corroborated by the statistics on social protests issued periodically by the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR). The centers latest report counted 300 protests in the first half of September which is the highest number registered since the beginning of this year, when the center started publishing bi-monthly reports about such movements. According to the study, the majority of these protests were to demand better living and working conditions, longterm contracts and appointments. The report then broke down the social makeup of these protests, saying: the general public came first with 93 protests, [followed by] factory workers and company employees (61); teachers (41); government workers (38); university faculty members and employees (15); drivers (11); medical workers including doctors, nurses and technicians (10); students (6); entrepreneurs, officers, vendors, and tour guides (3) per each sector; policemen, ushers, airport porters and mosque imams (2); and one protest by lawyers, pharmacists, air stewards, fishermen and parliament employees respectively. One point was overlooked CESR. Because large sections of the economy are owned or controlled by the army, strikes against its holdings can be seen as a direct challenge to the military. The Nasr Company is a subsidiary of the military-owned National Service Project Organization (NSPO).

This body is responsible for the Egyptian armys economic projects, which have become the subject of much controversy after the January 25 uprising, amid calls for subjecting it to popular and parliamentary supervision and separating the NSPO from the Ministry of Defense. Civilian workers in the Nasr Company for Intermediate Chemicals recently went on strike at all of the companys seven factories, and held a sit-in in front of the presidential headquarters. The workers, for the first time in Egyptian history, called for Major General Mounir Labib, the director of NSPO, to be sacked. According to a statement released by the workers, Labibs position is inconsistent with the spirit of the Uprising of January 25. The workers also called for all the posts held by officers to be abolished, and for limiting the number of directors from the military to one for each sector. Even more telling, the labor movement has reached this peak even though the General Workers' Union promised to suspend strikes for a period of one year during a meeting with Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi.

Young Chinese Workers Not Taking Shit Anymore:

Company Cops Attack And Beat Two Kids;
Then More Workers Joined In The Fray And Eventually Smashed Windows And Set Fires On The Campus In Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, That Employs 79,000 People, The Size Of General Motors Total Workforce In The U.S.
September 26, 2012 By PAUL MOZUR, Wall Street Journal TAIYUAN, ChinaThe pressures threatening Chinas status as the worlds factory floor have been laid bare by a riot this week at a factory that makes parts for Apple Inc. and other electronics companies, a clash that workers said was sparked by onerous security and repressive living conditions.

The consequences of a riot that erupted on Sunday in the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.s plant go far beyond the security of Apples supply chain, which relies on armies of industrious and docile Chinese workers. The riot raises questions about the sustainability of Chinas vaunted manufacturing machine. And it poses a challenge to the government that is struggling to satisfy the soaring expectations of a new generation of Chinese workers who came of age in an era of double-digit economic growth and are less willing than their parents to make personal sacrifices for their country. Dozens of workers questioned on Wednesday said the rioting on Sunday, which caused 40 injuries and led to the mobilization of some 5,000 police, was in part the result of growing tensions as guards severely enforced strict rules on the campus. One worker said a drunken fight between two workers sparked a violent attack from a number of security guards seeking to control the situation. The scene of the guards beating the workers led their friends to call others for help, and before long a full-blown confrontation between guards and workers had broken out. Three eyewitnesses said more workers joined in the fray and eventually smashed windows and set fires on the campus in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, that employs 79,000 peoplethe size of General Motors total workforce in the U.S. One witness, a 28-year-old who declined to be named but showed identification to prove he served in Chinas Peoples Liberation Army, said he was incensed when he saw guards attacking the workers. Theyre just kids; its only natural for some fights to break out, but to come in and beat them, its unbelievable, he said. He added that since the violence, workers havent been directly informed about the issue at all, allowing rumors to spread across the campus. He said police and guards targeted workers who were attempting to photograph or record the incident with their mobile phones. Foxconn said it will report to employees about the event after the law-enforcement investigation is carried out. Although little known in the West until a spate of factory suicides in 2009 brought the company notoriety, Foxconn makes components, parts and assembles devices for many of the worlds largest electronics companies including Hewlett-Packard Co. Sony Corp., Amazon.com Inc. and Apple. The Taiwanese company was founded in 1974 by Taiwan businessman Terry Gou for $7,500 and turned in net profit of more than $900 million in the first half of 2012. Foxconn employs roughly 1 million people in China.

Sundays fracas was one of the largest outbreaks of unrest in the companys almost 40year history. Other workers described being yelled at or physically intimidated, and two workers said there had been previous attacks by guards on the campus. Several employees said they were thinking about leaving the plant, pointing to the ferocity of the guards, and a number of other grievances that fostered an environment in which a small dispute became a 2,000-person riot. They said pressures from working long hoursshifts of 10 to 12 hours are commonon assembly lines, recent transfers of large groups of workers from other locations and discontent about a lack of overtime work during the approaching weeklong National Day holiday were all likely contributing factors to the violence.

Military Resistance In PDF Format?

If you prefer PDF to Word format, email: contact@militaryproject.org

POLITICIANS REFUSE TO HALT THE BLOODSHED THE TROOPS HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THE WAR

Military Resistance Looks Even Better Printed Out

Military Resistance/GI Special are archived at website http://www.militaryproject.org . The following have chosen to post issues; there may be others: http://williambowles.info/military-resistance-archives/; news@uruknet.info
Military Resistance distributes and posts to our website copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of the invasion and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law since it is being distributed without charge or profit for educational purposes to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for educational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. Military Resistance has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor is Military Resistance endorsed or sponsored by the originators. This attributed work is provided a non-profit basis to facilitate understanding, research, education, and the advancement of human rights and social justice. Go to: www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml for more information. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

If printed out, a copy of this newsletter is your personal property and cannot legally be confiscated from you. Possession of unauthorized material may not be prohibited. DoD Directive 1325.6 Section 3.5.1.2.